Well off the beaten track, nestled in a beautiful mountain setting are the quieter, sandy beaches of Mabel Lake Provincial Park.
Lush forests offer a pleasant retreat from the more crowded urban centres. The park’s sandy shoreline is backed by a cool forest of hemlock, red cedar and birch, in sharp contrast to the drier ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests to the west. Squirrels often visit the campsites and painted turtles can be seen at Taylor Creek. Deer, black bear and even moose can be seen occasionally as well as a variety of birdlife and water fowl.
Mabel Lake is a fisherman’s destination park as several local fishing derbies are held in the park each year. It is not uncommon to find a handful of fisherman enjoying the peaceful spring months, fishing off the beach. Opportunities for rainbow trout are available here year-round.
Temperatures are warm in the summer but rarely extreme, making this a great campsite for those who prefer a cooler locale than the Okanagan Valley. The natural setting and access to a 35 km long lake make this a popular destination for all ages.
All campsite and group site reservations must be made the BC Parks reservations system. When reservations are not available, all campsites function as first-come, first-served.
Campsite reservations are accepted. During the peak season, all of the sites reservable and non-occupied reservation sites can accommodate first-come, first-served customers for one, or perhaps more nights, depending on availability.
Group campsite reservations are accepted at this park through the BC Parks reservations system.
There is a group camping area at this park. Access is through the Monashee Campground but well separated from it by forest allowing for privacy. Taylor Creek flows beside the area. There is an open gravel parking area next to the 80 square metre wood frame/log picnic shelter. There are picnic tables under the shelter and a large fire pit beside it. There is space in an open grassy area for approximately 10 tents and in an adjacent gravel area surrounded by trees for a further 10 tents or several RVs. The area has two taps and two flush toilets. Reservation information »
Youth group camping charges per night are $1/person (6+), with a $50 minimum and $150 maximum. Read the Youth Group policy about Criteria for Youth Groups.
Regular group camping charges per night are the base rate for the site, which is $80.00/group site/night, plus $5/adult (16+, minimum charge for 15 adults), plus $1/child (6-15). Children under 6 are free!
This park offers 114 vehicle-accessible campsites in three campgrounds: Trinity, Monashee, and Taylor Creek. The main gate located at the park entrance is locked between 11pm and 7am during the operating season. The main gate is open to the boat launch, but the road is not maintained during the off-season.
The Trinity Campground consists of sites 37–84 arranged in three loops and includes four double sites. The roads are single lane gravel. This is the first campground encountered when driving into the camping area. The loops are set in a thick forest of cedar and hemlock that provide shade and privacy with a forest floor carpeted in moss. The loops are separated by open grassy areas and linked by a trail that runs the length of both campgrounds. The sites consist of medium to large gravel spurs that have been raised and levelled. The abundance of trees may make parking difficult for some large RVs.
The Monashee Campground consists of sites 1–36 arranged in two smaller loops and includes eight double sites. The sites are generally smaller than those in the Trinity Campground and the forest is thicker allowing for more privacy. There are more double sites but these are also smaller and perfect for trucks with campers. The sites are gravel but not raised.
The Taylor Creek Campground consists of sites 85–114 arranged in one small loop. The sites offer good privacy under a heavily forested canopy and are the furthest from the lake.
Campsite reservations are accepted. During the peak season, all of the sites reservable and non-occupied reservation sites can accommodate first-come, first-served customers for one, or perhaps more nights, depending on availability.
There is no phone or cell service in the park and the closest store for snacks and other small items is right next to the boat launch. For more services, Lumby is the closest community.
Accessibility information is available for this park.
This park has a large day-use/picnic area extending from the Trinity Campground to the boat launch. The lawns are level, open and spacious, providing the opportunity for a variety of games. There are 10 picnic tables amongst the cottonwood trees that separate the lawn from the beach and provide some shade. The tables have a great view of the lake and the adventure playground. Two flush toilets and a tap are located next to the playground. Five more tables with three fire rings are found nearer to the boat launch, also surrounded by open, spacious lawn. There is a gravel parking lot with 45 spots. Two pit toilets and a tap are located in a small patch of shrubs just off the parking lot.
Depending on water levels, it is possible to walk the beach the entire length of the park from the boat launch to Taylor Creek. Taylor Creek braids and forms a delta as it enters the lake. Sandy floodplains form underwater as the light sand settles out of the stream in miniature example of the geologic process that formed many parts of the Okanagan Valley.
There are a total of 16 flush toilets in the park plus 2 pit toilets.
Kayaking is welcome at this park.
Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
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 Mabel Lake Provincial 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.
Please note: Take Hwy 6 east from Vernon to Lumby. Follow signs in Lumby turning north onto Mabel Lake Road that follow the Shuswap River for 36 kilometres on paved road through a picturesque landscape of farmland and ranches and 1 kilometre of gravel road to Mabel Lake and the campground. The total distance from Vernon is 60 kilometres.
This park proudly operated by:
Kaloya Contracting Ltd.
questions@campokanagan.ca
250-766-7972
(This is not a campsite reservations number)
Please specify the park name when sending/leaving a message.
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.