Carp Lake Provincial Park

Long famous for its rainbow trout, Carp Lake Provincial Park, just two hours north of Prince George and nearly in the exact centre of the province, offers some of the best fishing in the Central Interior. The park includes Carp Lake, nearby War Lake, numerous smaller lakes and streams, and the 8-kilometre waterway that connects Carp and War Lakes and forms the beginning of the McLeod River. The northern shoreline of Carp Lake has extensive sandy beaches with broad belts of sand extending up to 300 metres offshore. The sandy character of the north shore contrasts with the smooth-bouldered beaches broken by sand deltas on the spruce-forested south shore.

Two popular campgrounds offer a total of 102 fully maintained campsites. The main Carp Lake campground has a picnic shelter, horseshoe pits and an adventure playground to keep the kids busy. Carp Lake Park is rarely full, except on long weekends. Boaters and canoeists can choose among three island campsites that offer secluded camping after a day spent exploring and fishing the lake’s many bays and isolated stretches of shoreline. A short walk from the park’s second primary campground at War Lake brings visitors to War Falls, a spectacular cascade of water that comprises two distinct waterfalls separated by about 100 metres of rushing, white water.

Portions of the original Indigenous route to Fort McLeod have been developed into an exciting interpretive loop trail that departs from the main campground; this 3-km hike also provides access to Rainbow Lake and fine fly fishing on the McLeod River. Interpretive trail signs are located along the trail to first beach, McLeod River Trail and the War Falls Trail. These signs provide interesting information about the plants, animals and history of Carp Lake Provincial Park.

Established Date: May 18, 1973
Park Size: 38,149 ha

Stay Safe

• Power Boating

  Power boating and canoeing are enjoyable and popular pastimes at Carp Lake, provided reasonable care is practiced.

  • The lake is subject to high winds and consequent rough waters that can be responsible for swamping the unwary. Watch the weather and always wear your lifejacket.
  • Powerboat operators are requested to please reduce speed in Kettle Bay to prevent damage to boats and equipment and to reduce erosion of the lakeshore.

• Travelling on forest roads

  Travelling on forest roads is somewhat different from travelling on public highways. For your own safety, drive with extreme caution at all times.

• Obey all road signs.
• Give logging and industrial traffic the right-of-way by moving to the nearest turnout or pulling off the travelled right-of-way as far as possible.
• Allow overtaking traffic to pass.
• Drive with lights on – especially under dusty conditions – to make yourself more visible.
• Park well off the travelled portion of the road if you must stop along the way.

• Weather at Carp Lake

  The weather pattern at Carp Lake is fairly typical of the north central region of the province. Summers are short and relatively cool, with July temperatures averaging 12-18°C. Evenings may see dramatic temperature drops. Winter comes early and blankets the area with snow. January temperatures usually hover between -12°C and -18°C. Annual precipitation is about 50 cm, of which about 40% is in the form of snow.

• Supplies

  Carp Lake Provincial Park is relatively isolated and supplies nothing but water and firewood. The nearest supplies are 32 kilometres away in the community of McLeod Lake.

• Map

  National Topographic Series Map 93J/14 (Carp Lake) at a scale of 1:50,000 covers the park area. This map is available from most map retailers in British Columbia.

Special Notes

• Dogs are not allowed in Bert’s Cabin at any time.

Reservations are accepted at this park for the islands and Bert's Cabin only. All other sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Outside of reservable dates, all campsites are first-come first-served.

Please note: Any maps listed are for information only; they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Location Map

Carp Lake Park is two hours drive northwest of Prince George. The main access road to the park joins Highway 97 (the John Hart Highway) at the community of McLeod Lake, 141 km north of Prince George. It is 32 km from McLeod Lake to the Carp Lake campground. This gravel road is single lane over part of its length, and has some rough surfaces and tight corners. The road may not be suitable for cars or trailers during the spring break-up period. Some portions of the road must be shared with industrial traffic. The closest communities, towns and cities are Prince George, Bear Lake, McLeod Lake and MacKenzie.

Any maps listed are for information only; they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Park Map [PDF] (updated June 2008)
• Park Brochure [PDF]

• History
• Conservation
• Wildlife

• Management Planning Information
• The management plan for Carp Lake Park was approved in April 2017.
  Carp Lake Management Plan [PDF 1.30MB] (May 2017)

Canoeing

Cycling

Fishing

Hiking

Hunting

Pets on Leash

Swimming

Wildlife Viewing

Winter Recreation

Boat Launch

Cabins / Huts

Campfires

Drinking Water

Group Camping

Picnic Areas

Pit or Flush Toilets

Playground

Sani-Station/Dump

Vehicle Accessible Camping

Walk-In/Wilderness Camping