Conkle Lake Provincial Park

• May 14, 2019

  Logging truck traffic on Conkle Lake access road

  Please be aware that there is active log hauling on the lower portion of the access road to Conkle Lake from Highway 3.

• Google Maps park access suggestion is not recommended

  Google Maps suggests taking an access road from Okanagan Falls, but this route is not maintained or signed, and is not recommended.

  • The best access road is off of Highway 3 about 6km east of Bridesville. Follow Johnstone Creek Road for 25km to the park. It is a maintained gravel road and takes approximately 40 minutes from the highway turnoff. Other access points off of Highway 33 and from Okanagan Falls are not well marked and are unmaintained forestry roads that are not suitable for vehicle traffic.

A secluded lake in the Okanagan Highland east of Osoyoos, set amid a forest of western larch and lodgepole pine intermingling with willow and black alder that cover the sharply rising surrounding hills.

Conkle Lake, named for W. H. Conkle, an early settler in the nearby Kettle Valley, is noted for its rainbow trout. Visitors have come for many years to fish the lake, sunbathe, swim and hike to various viewpoints.

Established Date: March 15, 1973
Park Size: 587 hectares

Park Safety

• There is a steep drop-off from the beach.
• Loose rock and steep cliffs throughout the park.
• Wood ticks are most prevalent between March and June. These parasites live in tall grass and low shrubs, and seek out warm-blooded hosts. As potential carriers of disease, they should be avoided. Protect your legs by wearing gaiters, or pants tucked into socks. After any outdoor activities, thoroughly examine yourself, children and pets. If you find a tick embedded in your skin, the best way to remove it is by grasping and pulling it, gently, straight up and out with a small pair of tweezers, and disinfecting the site with rubbing alcohol. You may wish to save the tick in a small plastic or glass container for later inspection by your doctor especially if a fever develops, or the area around the bite appears to be infected.
• Swimmer’s Itch: Symptoms will be an irritating rash and persistent itch. Calamine lotion is an effective treatment.
• Poison Ivy: A low plant with 3 glossy, bright green leaves and white berries. Wear shoes when hiking, especially in underbrush. Calamine lotion is an effective treatment.

All group campsite reservations must be made through Discover Camping. When reservations are not available all campsites function as first-come, first-served. Individual campsite reservations are not accepted at this park, all campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Group Campsite Reservations

Group campsite reservations are accepted at this park through Discover Camping.

• Location Map

There are two access routes, both narrow and winding forest service roads that are unsuitable for motorhomes, vehicles towing trailers or low-clearance vehicles. It is 16 km to the entrance from Highway 33, just north of Westbridge and 26 kilometres from Highway 3, six km east of Bridesville. The access off Highway 3 is the better route. Follow signs along the forest service roads. The two accesses join 1 km from the park, at which point there is a gate.

The closest communities, towns and cities are: Rock Creek, Westbridge, Midway, Greenwood and Osoyoos.

Please Note: Google Maps suggests taking an access road from OK Falls, but this route is not maintained or signed and is not recommended.

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

• Park Map [PDF] (February 2020)

• History: The lake is fed by East Creek and is drained by Conkle Creek to the north, which eventually joins the West Kettle River near Westbridge. Conkle Lake, Creek and nearby Mountain are named for W.H. Conkle, who settled in the kettle Valley in the 1890’s. Two rustic log cabins near the park entrance were once part of a fishing resort that catered to anglers who came to the lake to fish for rainbow trout. The resort no longer operates, but the fish are still in Conkle Lake.
• Conservation: The park is representative of the Okanagan Highlands landscape with good deer, elk and moose range. The Okanagan Highlands landscape has very few protected areas which increases the importance of Conkle Lake on a provincial scale. The dominant plant community in the park is a mixed forest of lodgepole pine and immature Western larch. Logging and a fire in the 1930’s left few of the original mature larch standing. Black alder and willow are profuse along the lakeshore and in the East Creek delta. Common shrubs and flowering plants include false box, Oregon grape, broadleaf arnica, lupine and red paintbrush.
• Wildlife: Bird species often seen include the common loon, common merganser, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, and ruby-crowned kinglet. Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. For more information on bear safety, click here. Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. For more information on bear safety, click here.
  • General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information

• Management Planning Information
• Approved Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan [PDF]

Canoeing

Cycling

Fishing

Hiking

Pets on Leash

Swimming

Windsurfing

Winter Recreation

Boat Launch

Campfires

Drinking Water

Group Camping

Picnic Areas

Pit or Flush Toilets

Vehicle Accessible Camping