Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit

Bowron Lakes Circuit - Canada
Distance
about 116 km (72 miles)
Country
Canada
Difficulty
Moderate to challenging
Type of trip
Kayak & canoe

The Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit is a set 116 km loop of lakes, rivers and portage trails in Bowron Lake Provincial Park, in the Cariboo Mountains of east-central British Columbia. BC Parks runs it, and the full circuit goes one way only. You start with a 2.4 km portage from the registration centre to Kibbee Lake, then paddle Indianpoint Lake, the 38 km length of Isaac Lake, the Isaac and Cariboo rivers, Lanezi and Sandy lakes, and come back north through Spectacle and Swan lakes and the Bowron River to Bowron Lake. Most parties take six to ten days. The West Side, from Bowron Lake to Unna Lake and back, is a shorter two-to-four-day option that BC Parks suggests for less experienced paddlers.

You have to book. Reservations open on camping.bcparks.ca, departures are limited and usually sell out the day they’re released, and everyone has to attend an orientation at the registration centre between 8 am and noon on their start day. Parties are capped at six people, and seven to 14 need a group booking with a fixed itinerary. There’s a per-person circuit fee and a per-boat booking fee; check current fees with BC Parks. You camp at designated sites with metal bear caches, which you must use, and there’s no mobile signal anywhere on the circuit, only six emergency radios. No motorboats or dogs are allowed past Bowron Lake. The park is about 120 km east of Quesnel: take Highway 26 through Wells, then the 27 km gravel Bowron Lake Road, which turns off about 1 km before Barkerville. There’s no scheduled bus, and canoes, kayaks and canoe carts can be hired at the park.

Highlights along the way

  1. Isaac Lake: the longest lake on the circuit, about 38 km including its west arm. BC Parks warns that it’s exposed to high winds and rough water.
  2. Isaac River: a fast chute near the south end of Isaac Lake that the park tells inexperienced paddlers to portage, followed by a log jam above Isaac River Falls and a short carry to McLeary Lake.
  3. Cariboo River and Lanezi Lake: a high volume of moving water with sunken logs and sweepers, then Lanezi, a 14.8 km lake whose name is Carrier for "long". Any rapids of class 2 or above have a portage round them.
  4. Cariboo Falls: a 24 m waterfall reached by a 3 km trail from the south-west shore of Unna Lake. The park warns paddlers not to go downriver past the Unna Lake turn-off.
  5. Wildlife: moose are common along the lake edges, and both black bears and grizzlies are seen around the circuit. Sockeye salmon run up the Bowron River from around August, peaking in early September.

Distance

About 116 km (72 miles) for the full circuit, including 10.8 km of portages. The West Side loop covers roughly 45% of that.

Best time to go

Mid-May to the end of September, while the registration centre is open (15 May to 30 September). The lakes are usually free of ice by mid-May, and snow is possible from late September. July and August are the busiest months; May, June and September are quieter. Mosquitoes and blackflies are worst from mid-May to August, and in early June the portages are often soft and muddy. Check the park page for wildfire, closure and water-level advisories before you go.

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