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Advisories

Camping

Total number of campsites
Total reservable frontcountry sites: 290
Total vehicle-accessible sites: 301
Total double sites: 19
Total groupsites: 4
Cabins and huts

There are 25 visitor cabins available to reserve. Frequently asked questions about the cabins.

Group camping

There are four group sites available at Cultus Lake park:

  • Two at Honeymoon Bay, each of which can accommodate 15 to 45 people.
  • Two at Westside, sites A and B, each of which can hold a maximum of 30 people and provides an area for RVers and tenters to enjoy the lake. 

To get to the Westside group site, approach from Chilliwack on Columbia Valley Highway, approximately 7km from Chilliwack. 

All group site users must check in at the Cultus Lake gate house first to register and get camping information. 

Group sites are open from March 31 to October 10. Click here to book a group site or for more information. 

Group site fees

Youth group camping charges per night are $1 per person (6+), with a $50 minimum and $150 maximum. Read the Youth Group policy for more information. 

Regular group camping charges per night are the base rate for the site, which is $120 per group site per night, plus $5 per adult (16+, minimum charge for 15 adults), plus $1 per child (6 to 15 years old). Children under six camp for free!

Vehicle-accessible camping

This park offers vehicle accessible campsites. Campsite reservations are accepted and first-come, first-served sites may be available.

There are four campgrounds within this park: 

  • Clear Creek has 82 sites
  • Delta Grove has 58 sites
  • Entrance Bay has 52 sites
  • Maple Bay has 106 sites

There are 19 double sites and no pull through sites. There is no parking available for extra vehicles. If no staff is available to help find a site, reserved sites are posted on the gate house board and remaining sites are on a first come, first served basis. Camping is not available if the gate is locked. The nearest store is in the municipality of Cultus Lake approximately 2km away.

Camping fees

  • Vehicle-accessible camping fee: $35 per party per night
  • BC Senior’s rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only): $17.50 per senior party per night. Read the camping fees page for information on senior camping discounts.
Accessibility information

Accessibility information is available for these areas of the park:

Picnic areas

There are picnic grounds with tables and garbage containers at Entrance Bay, Maple Bay, and Spring Bay day-use areas. There are parking facilities for 700 vehicles. Change houses are located at Entrance Bay and Maple Bay. The available beaches are sandy. Entrance Bay and Maple Bay picnic areas have flush toilets. Spring Bay campground has only pit toilets. Campfires are prohibited. However, some picnic tables have BBQ stands for hibachis. 

There is a beach area for dogs, but they must remain on leash. There is a gate that is locked between dusk and 8am during which time the day-use area cannot be accessed.

Operating dates

  • Entrance Bay day-use area is open from March 31 to October 9. 
  • Maple Bay day-use and boat launch is open is open during the peak season. 
  • The Spring Bay day-use area is open all year with no services. 
  • Watt Creek is open from March 31 to the Labour Day long weekend. 
  • Spring Bay and Tea Pot Hill parking lots are open all year, weather permitting.
Pit or flush toilets
Pit and flush toilets are located in all campgrounds and day-use areas within the park.
Showers

There are hot showers available at all four campgrounds. Maple Bay day-use area has a cold shower facility. There are change houses located in Maple Bay and Entrance Bay campgrounds.

Drinking water
Cold water taps for cooking and drinking are located throughout the campgrounds and day-use areas.
Playground
There is a new playground in the Entrance Bay day-use area.
Boat launch

There are double paved boat launching ramps located at Maple Bay and Jade Bay. 

  • Jade Bay boat launch is open year-round. 
  • The Maple Bay boat launch is open during the peak season. 
  • The boat launches are open from 7am to dusk. 
  • There is parking available for boat trailers during the day, only. 
  • Boats cannot be left in the water or beached overnight. 
  • There is no marina or moorage available in or within the park. 
  • Boaters are cautioned to remain well clear of buoy-marked swimming areas at all times. 
  • Water skiers and jet skiers can enjoy this lake. 
  • Cultus Lake is closed to open air exhaust motors. 
  • There are no vessels allowed on certain parts of the lake. 
  • There is a speed restriction of 5km/h at the north end of the lake as buoyed and signed.
Sani-station

A sani-station/dump is located on the roadway leading to the Maple Bay boat launch and is open only during the campsite operating season. The nearest sani-station/dump to the park is the Husky Truck stop in Sardis. 

Sani-station use fee: $5 per discharge

Campfires

Campfires are allowed in designated campsites only. Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary. 

To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil. 

You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented and some parks may use communal fire rings. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking.

Clean Air Campground

To promote better air quality and provide a variety of camping options for all visitors, Maple Bay Campground sites 66 to 97 are designated as Clean Air Campsites. Fire rings have been removed and wood burning fires are prohibited. Campers are allowed to use individual propane fire rings.

Hiking

There are five main trails for you to enjoy and admire the wonders of nature:

  • Teapot Hill Trail is located near the Honeymoon Bay group site. There are some steep sections making this trail moderately difficult. This trail is a 5km round trip (2 hours) viewing Cultus Lake and Columbia Valley.
  • Seven Sisters Trail connects Entrance Bay and Clear Creek campgrounds. Along the trail, stands a group of large Douglas-fir trees, once numbering seven (2 hours return). 
  • Cultus Lake Horse Trail is 20km round trip (5 hours), traveling from Edmeston Road to Watt Creek, which joins the north and south ends of the park. The trail was closed in August 2013 due to an active landslide in the area. BC Parks installed warning signage and reopened the trail to the public, however; we strongly recommend visitors do not cross the landslide area during periods of intense rainfall.
  • Giant Douglas-fir Trail begins 150 metres west of Delta Grove campground. The walk leads to this forest goliath and also connects with Clear Creek campground (45-minute return walk).
  • Maple Bay Trail starts near the day-use parking lot and provides a self-guiding interpretive stroll past some of the park’s natural wonders (30 minutes).

For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.

Swimming
Swim only within the buoyed swimming areas. There are wharfs available in the Entrance Bay and Maple Bay day-use areas. Beaches are sandy. Please note that there are steep, dangerous drop-offs along the lakeshore and that there are no lifeguards on duty at provincial parks.
Canoeing

Canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards are permitted on Cultus Lake.

Kayaking
Fishing
Cultus Lake provides good sports fishing for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden. Nearby Chilliwack Lake is noted for steelhead as well as whitefish and coho salmon. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Interpretive programs

The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has a fun, hands on, Learn to Fish Program that will teach basic angling skills to youth under 16 years old.

Wildlife viewing
There is a viewing area at the top of Teapot Hill.
Pets on leash
Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in park buildings or beach areas except for Entrance Bay and Maple Bay beach areas. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
Cycling

Bicycles are permitted on some of the Cultus Lake trails, especially the horse trails. Many of the other trails are for pedestrians only. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.

For details on e-biking within Cultus Lake Park, see the e-biking section.

e-Biking

Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are permitted on signed or designated trails within Cultus Lake Provincial Park, provided they meet the definitions and criteria for e-bike use as outlined in the BC Parks cycling guidelines.

Waterskiing

Waterskiing is available on Cultus Lake. Travel on the lake is restricted to counter clockwise.

Horseback riding

A maintained horse trail, also used by hikers and cyclists, connects Edmeston Road at the north end of the park with Watt Creek Trailhead. Please note that horses are not permitted on Road 918. The Cultus Lake Horse Trail is open all year but the parking lot is closed during the off-season. There are approximately 20km of compact gravel and shale horse trails. Camping and stop-overs in day-use areas are not permitted with horses. 

The trail was closed in August 2013 due to an active landslide in the area. BC Parks installed warning signage and reopened the trail to the public. We strongly recommend visitors do not cross the landslide area during periods of intense rainfall.