Cariboo. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
- Swimmer’s itch can sometimes be a problem in mid-summer. Be sure to shower off and towel down thoroughly after swimming in Lac La Hache. Calamine lotion is an effective treatment.
- Highway 97 runs between the campground and the day-use area. Ensure children are accompanied at all times.
Special notes
- Prevent the spread of Eurasian water milfoil, an aquatic weed. This invasive foreign species can be introduced by pieces of the weed adhering to your boat’s hull or propeller after you have visited lakes where it is present. Please ensure your boat is clean of all vegetation before you launch it in Lac La Hache.
- ORVs are prohibited in this park. ORVs include ATVs, off-road motorcycles, snowmobiles and side by sides.
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Getting there
This park is 13 km north of Lac La Hache community on Highway 97. The closest communities are Lac la Hache and 100 Mile House.
Things to do
The Wagon Road self-guided nature trail is 2 km long. It provides an opportunity to learn about nature as well as the Gold Rush history of the area. 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.
A wide, sandy beach welcomes visitors and an area is roped off for swimming. Changing rooms, an open air shower and washrooms are provided.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Canoeing and kayaking are enjoyable activities on Lac La Hache. However, the lake is also used for powerboating and waterskiing.
Canoeing and kayaking are enjoyable activities on Lac La Hache. However, the lake is also used for powerboating and waterskiing.
This is an excellent fishing lake for kokanee, lake and rainbow trout as well as burbot during the summer months.
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 due to the potential for problems with bears and other wildlife.
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 Lac La Hache 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.
Lac la Hache is a popular lake for waterskiing.
About this park
Both the Shuswap and Chilcotin First Nations used the area. Long before the lure of wealth brought the fur traders west, the Shuswap First Nation peoples established pit houses near the present day village of Lac La Hache. The Chilcotins named the lake Kumatakwa, meaning Chief or Queen of the waters.
The historic Cariboo Wagon road runs through the park. This was originally just a trail used by fur traders from 1803 to 1810. During the Cariboo Gold Rush of the 1860’s it was rebuilt, and it linked the gold fields of the Cariboo to the gold markets of the world, via the shipyards of Vancouver. One of the stops on the park’s interpretive trail is on the actual Wagon Road. The overgrown track seems a far cry from our modern Highway 97.
One of the stopping points on the Wagon Road for weary miners was the Blue Tent Ranch. It was built by the Wright family in 1862, after they discovered that cattle and the roadhouse provided a much steadier income than gold mining. The present day park is located on part of the original ranch land. Throughout the park, you can see the stumps from the lumber used to build the original ranch house. This heritage house still stands today, and can be seen next to the highway, roughly three kilometres north of the park. Lac La Hache was established as a Class A park in 1956.
The park is in the Interior Douglas Fir Zone, which is found in B.C.’s dry interior. There is a superb old-growth stand of Douglas fir trees surrounding the campground. A fire in the 1960’s burned several hectares, and you can still see the scars on the bases of some fir trees, their thick bark allowed these trees to survive. Sunlight reaching the forest floor allows the growth of trembling aspen and lodgepole pine, as well as pinegrass, bunchberry and beautiful pink wild roses.
Birds that thrive in this lakeside habitat include bald eagle, osprey and red-tailed hawk, as well as forest birds such as pileated woodpeckers, saw-whet owls, red crossbills, chickadees and nuthatches.
Because of the diversity in plant species, a wide variety of mammals lives in this area, from moose and black bears to humble shrews and chipmunks. There are also mule deer, pine martin, lynx, and flying squirrels.
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.
Contact
| Reservations, changes, and cancellations | Our call centre is open from 7 am to 7 pm Pacific Time. There is a $5 fee for reservations, changes, or cancellations made by phone.
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| Park operator | This park is operated by Shuswap Adams Parks. Ltd. |
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
