Park overview
This park is small but popular and almost encircles attractive Kelly Lake. Views of 2,245 metre Mount Bowman and a spectacular mountain ridge visible from the nearby Jesmond Road, give the park a remote atmosphere even though it is located close to Clinton.
This 14 site vehicle-accessible campground was re-built in 2015. Swimming in Kelly Lake with its long sandy beach, is enjoyable. Angling for rainbow trout is a popular past time. Many visitors use the park as a stopping place as they travel the Pavilion Mountain Road, which connects the Cariboo to Lillooet. This scenic alternative to Highway 99 is unpaved, narrow and switch-backed and best suited for compact four-wheel drive vehicles.
The park land was donated to the people of B.C. by C. S. Downing in 1970, and his family still owns adjacent property. Please respect this private property by keeping to the road when walking between the day-use area and campground.
Nearby parks also offering campgrounds include Green Lake and Big Bar Lake. Visitors can also travel along the Jesmond Loop, by travelling north-west from the park to Jesmond Road. This scenic drive passes by the historic townsite of Jesmond, where the OK Corral, one of the oldest ranches in the area is situated, and continues past Little Big Bar Lake. The loop also accesses the Jesmond fire lookout by way of a narrow four-wheel drive road, from which adventurous visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including Marble Range and Edge Hills Parks.
Advisories
Dates of operation
The park is open May 15, 2024 to September 15, 2024
- Facility type
- Frontcountry camping
- Number of campsites
- Vehicle-accessible sites: 14
- Main operating season
- 2024: May 15 to September 15
- Winter season
- Not known
- Winter season note
- The gate is closed during the off-season.
- Facility type
- Day-use area
- Main operating season
- 2024: May 15 to September 15
- Winter season
- No services
Safety info
- Kelly Lake is subject to strong winds throughout the year. Keep this in mind if you venture out onto the water to fish or swim.
The public should be alert when driving in an area that has had a recent wildfire. Be observant of washed out bridges or culverts, roads below steep banks are susceptible to landslides. Watch for collapsed pavement, mud, fallen rocks and other indications of debris flows. On forest land where a wildfire has occurred, avoid camping on floodplains, beside small streams, on alluvial fans or at the base of burned slopes. Rapid spring snowmelt and intense rainfall are common triggers that present a greater risk of post-wildfire events. Be aware of forecasts that may include heavy rainfall. This bulletin provides general information only, additional information resources are available at:
Special notes
- The maximum unit size for this park is 9 m (30 feet).
- Please respect the Downing property by keeping to the road when walking between the day-use area and the campground.
- ORVs are prohibited in this park. ORVs include ATVs, off-road motorcycles, snowmobiles and side-by-sides.
Camping
- Total number of campsites
- Total vehicle-accessible sites: 14
This park offers 14 gravelled campsites on a first come, first served basis. Campsite reservations are not accepted. Staff will be at the campground at least once a day during the camping season to collect and clean. There is no pay phone at the park and the closest store is approximately 18 km away in Clinton.
Please Note: The maximum unit size for this park is nine metres (30 ft).
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $18 per party per night |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $9 per senior party per night |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for the Downing Park campground and the Day Use site.
Cold water taps are centrally located in the campground and picnic areas. Taps are shut off during the off-season.
There is a small, single-wide gravel boat launch located approximately half a kilometre past the day use area on the same road. Kelly Lake is fairly small and not ideal for waterskiing on.
Campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite. We encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead.
Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary from park to park.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
This park has a day-use and picnic area. The picnic area, situated on Kelly Lake, is located about half a kilometre west of the campground entrance. There are waterfront tables in the picnic area and a picnic shelter with additional tables. There are also fire pits, pit toilets and water taps in the day-use area.
Activities
There is a very pleasant swimming beach in the park. Swimmers need to be aware that the lake bottom drops off sharply and of the strong winds that arise on the lake. The swimming area is not roped off.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Kelly Lake has rainbow trout and is popular with anglers.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. 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.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Downing Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.
The park is located 18 km southwest of Clinton. Turn off Hwy 97 at the south end of Clinton onto the Kelly Lake Road, which is paved as far as the park. The closest communities, towns and cities are Clinton, 100 Mile House, Ashcroft and Cache Creek.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: July 9, 1970
- Size: 139 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
Shuswap Adams Parks Ltd.
parkinquiries@telus.net
250 320-9305
Nature and culture
History
The park was donated by C.S. Downing in 1970, and his family still owns the adjacent property.
Cultural Heritage
The park is located within the traditional territory of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) People. While no heritage sites are known within the park, please remember it is illegal to damage such sites or remove artifacts.
Conservation
Although the focus is on recreation at Downing Park, it is close to two larger parks with important conservation values. The Jesmond Road, which leaves Kelly Lake Road just east of the park, winds through the corridor between Marble Range and Edge Hills Parks. The Marble Range features karst landscapes, known for limestone cliffs and outcrops, while Edge Hills is a grassland park on the east bank of the Fraser River.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.