Are you looking for great fishing, memorable trail rides, scenic hiking or perhaps mountain biking?
What about a refreshing dip in a cool mountain lake?
As a winter lover, perhaps you are seeking exciting snowmobiling, an invigorating cross country ski, or a day out ice fishing?
Keefer Lake offers all this and more to the adventuresome traveler.
Keefer Lake is located 90km east of Vernon on Highway 6. Pass Lumby and Cherryville then look for the big sign at the Monashee Pass summit. The road into Keefer Lake is 14km and is usually well graded and free of washboards all year round. It is also used by logging trucks so please observe all signage and use caution.
Shuswap River
Lake canoeing in any of several lakes in the Lumby area offers a prime opportunity to observe waterfowl and the population of osprey along the water's edge. Both Mabel Lake and Sugar Lake offer canoeists many secluded beaches off the beaten track.
If a bit of white water is what you are looking for, B.C.Hydro operates a canoe launch on the Shuswap River. This launch is complete with picnic tables, and a large map of the canoe route between Sugar Lake Dam and Mabel Lake.
The Edge of the Okanagan
"Explore, relax and refresh your life on the edgeof the Okanagan"
Sponsors
PRISTINE WATERS
The Monashee has an abundance of fresh water. Here pristine waters can be found being fed by glaciers and clear moutnain streams.
Glaciers in the Monashee provide the source for the Shuswap River one of the great river systems in British columbia which eventually feeds the Fraser River.
The Aberdeen and Graystokes Plateaus above Lumby and Cherryville represent a vast wetland area diotted with lakes which feed Okanagan Lake, which eventually drains into the mighty Columbia River.
In fact, a small hill on Highway 6 just west of Lumby can provide visitors with the expreience of standing at a place where one foot can be placed in the Fraser Watershed, and the other in the Columbia.
Nestled in a beautiful mountain setting, you'll find the sandy beaches and lush forests of Mabel Lake Provincial Park.
Fishing enthusiasts will find the lake generous year-round, with large Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Trout and Dolly Varden. In the late summer, special Chinook fishery openings often provide opportunities to catch the big ones.
The 187 hectare park on the southeastern shores of Mabel Lake can be accessed several ways. Turn off Hwy. 97 onto Hwy.6 at Vernon for a scenic drive. Upon entering Lumby, at the red flashing light in the center of town, turn left and follow Mabel Lake Road north to the park. Paved all the way except for the last half km, this 60 km route winds through a picturesque landscape of orchards and farmlands into Shuswap Highlands. The Park may also be accessed via paved and gravel road from Enderby and the north Mabel Lake area, or, for braver travelers, via a very rough gravel road from Three Valley Gap on Hwy. 1. Be sure to watch for heavy commercial vehicles on both alternate routes...and drive safely.
Friendly staff keep the park's facilities well-groomed and spotless from mid-April through October. Eighty-one campsites, a group camping area and extensive picnic grounds are tucked into a natural forest canopy, with large open play areas and 2,100 m of sandy beach. Special tent pads, sani-station, children's playground and self-guided nature trails enhance your enjoyment of the park, while a boat launch provides easy access for hours of fishing, water skiing, or just exploring the undisturbed shoreline on 35 km long Mabel Lake.
Hiking Mabel Lake Provincial Park
From the parking lot, there is an easy, one-hour walk along the rainforest interpretive trail.
One of the most picturesque emerald green lakes in Western Canada is situated 22 km southeast of Lumby on Creighton Valley Road.
Echo Lake is 481 meters (1,575 feet) deep, and rests at the edge of the Monashee Mountains. This spring fed lake is approximately 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) long, and 1 kilometer (.6 miles) wide.
Echo Lake is stocked every year with 20,000 fish for recreational fishing. Even the most inexperienced fishermen will enjoy the chance to catch Rainbow and Lake Trout, Gerards, and Kokanee. Boat motors are restricted to 10 H.P., to maintain the tranquillity of the area.
Vacationers can join the locals for refreshing swims, canoeing or picnicking during the summer months. During the winter Echo Lake is a popular attraction for ice fishing.
Sugar Lake
Sugar Lake lies in comparative isolation, surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Monashee mountains. A tourist lookout at the lower end of the lake provides visitors with an ideal advantage point to view Brenda Dam, and the river and pools below. Lake fishing is fair through most of the summer and fall, yielding primarily Trout and Kokanee, though larger Trout and Dolly Varden can also be caught.
During the hot summer months, the lake water warms enough for a refreshing swim. Numerous hiking trails from the lake to the upper river will provide hours of pleasure for both the beginner and experienced hiker.
To reach Sugar Lake, take Hwy. 6 east from Lumby to Cherryville. At Frank's General Store turn left. From the turnoff, most of the 16 km of road is paved, the remainder good gravel.
