Park overview
Nazko Lake Park provides canoeing, fishing, camping and wildlife viewing in a natural environment, while protecting extensive wetlands for moose and aquatic fur-bearers. This is a wilderness park, offering a two to three day wilderness canoe circuit, along with three rustic, vehicle-access campgrounds at Summit, Loomis and Deerpelt Lakes. A pit toilet and picnic tables are provided at each site, but firewood and potable water are not available.
Please note that Summit and Loomis Lakes are not connected to the canoe chain.
Advisories
Safety info
- A very narrow, steep track with poor visibility travels along one side of Deerpelt Lake to Nazko Lake. This track offers little room to maneuver a vehicle or turn around, and is very slippery when wet. It is recommended that canoeists park at Deerpelt Lake to access the canoe chain.
Special notes
- Hunting is not permitted between July 1 and August 31. Hunters must have a current licence and observe all regulations.
- Garbage must be packed off the lake chain and out of the park. No garbage facilities exist in Nazko Lake Park. Garbage left at the sites attracts bears and other mammals. Please take all your garbage with you.
- There is no boat launch at Deerpelt Lake. A steep trail leads from the campsite to the lake.
Camping
This park offers vehicle-accessible campsites on a first come, first served basis. Campsite reservations are not accepted. The park is open year-round, when accessible.
There are marine-accessible sites available on the canoe chain, but no facilities are provided.
Facilities
There is a car top boat launch at Nazko Lake (powerboats are permitted on Nazko Lake). There is no boat launch at Deerpelt Lake.
A steep trail leads from the campsite to the lake. A very narrow, steep track with poor visibility travels along one side of Deerpelt Lake to Nazko Lake. This track offers little room to maneuver a vehicle or turn around and is very slippery when wet. It is recommended that canoeists park at Deerpelt Lake to access the canoe chain.
While 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 outside the park or you can 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 only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
Activities
There are six portage trails connecting the Nazko Lake canoe chain, ranging from a 20 metres to 800 metres. The portage trails are marked at each end with white diamonds. 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.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
The Nazko Lake Canoe Chain is a small chain of lakes, ideal for a two to four day canoe trip. This 20 km route spans six lakes (Deerpelt Lake, Nazko Lake, Tanilkul Lake, Nastachi Lake, Tzazati Lake, and Tchusiniltil Lake) and has short, easy portages. Most of the portages are marked.
There are four designated campsites on the canoe chain; one at the north end of Nazko Lake, two on Tanikul Lake at the north and south ends, and one at the south end of Tzazati Lake.
To protect the delicate balance of ecosystems in this park visitors are required to camp only at these designated sites. More detailed information on the canoe chain »
There are kayaking opportunities via the Nazko Lake Canoe Chain.
The Nazko Lake Canoe Chain is a small chain of lakes, ideal for a two to four day canoe trip. This 20 km route spans six lakes (Deerpelt Lake, Nazko Lake, Tanilkul Lake, Nastachi Lake, Tzazati Lake, and Tchusiniltil Lake) and has short, easy portages. Most of the portages are marked.
There are four designated campsites on the canoe chain; one at the north end of Nazko Lake, two on Tanikul Lake at the north and south ends, and one at the south end of Tzazati Lake.
To protect the delicate balance of ecosystems in this park visitors are required to camp only at these designated sites. More detailed information on the canoe chain »
Fishing for rainbow trout is best in the spring, but the fish turn muddy as soon as the weather warms up.
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 Nazko Lake 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 in the northern part of the Chilcotin Plateau northwest of Alexis Creek. Access is on logging roads and a dirt track. Drivers of two wheel drive vehicles should have no problems, provided they do not go beyond Deerpelt Lake. Described below are two access routes. The first route is a little quicker, with less travel on dirt roads, but in the spring and fall it can be very muddy and slippery. The alternate route is recommended during wet weather.
Nazko Lake Park Access
Take Highway 20 west from Williams Lake. Pass through the village of Alexis Creek (111 km from Williams Lake). Bull Canyon Park is six km further on. At the top of the hill past this small park, look for the Alexis Lakes Road and turn right. Travel approximately 32 km on the Alexis Lakes Road then turn left onto the 4600 Road (Clusko-Aneko Forest Service Road). The road to Loomis Lake and the Nazko Lake Canoe Chain is at kilometre 11.5, on the right, just past the 4645 marker sign. Loomis Lake is 11 km from the 4600 Road, and Deerpelt Lake, where the Canoe Chain starts, is about another 2.5 km.
Alternate Route
Travelling west on Highway 20 approximately 67 km west of Williams Lake (or 21 km west of Riske Creek), turn right on the 1300 Road (also called Bush Road or Alex Graham/Raven Lake Forest Service Road). Continue on the 1300 Road for approximately 44 km. Just past the 45 marker sign on the 1300 Road turn left onto the 4600 Road. Travel for 45.5 km. The access road to the Nazko Lake Canoe Chain is on the right, just past the 4645 marker sign. Continue as above.
These roads are active haul roads, and you may encounter logging trucks at any time. Please drive carefully and use your headlights.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: July 12, 1995
- Size: 7,854 hectares
Nature and culture
History
This area was managed as a wilderness canoe route by the Forest Service until it became a park in 1995, resulting from recommendations in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan.
Conservation
Nazko Lake Park protects wetlands to the east of the canoe chain, and along portions of the lakeshores and river. Wetlands are important for waterfowl, shorebirds, aquatic fur-bearers and moose, as well as amphibians, fish and insects which live and breed in the park.
Wildlife
The American White Pelican feeds on the lakes within Nazko Lake Park and other lakes in the Chilcotin. Pelicans are legally designated as an Endangered Species in British Columbia. The one nesting site in British Columbia is closed to the public during spring and summer, as the pelicans are very susceptible to disturbance when nesting. Nazko Lake Park is a feeding area for the birds, and they may be seen feeding on fish morning and evening by dipping their bills into the water while swimming or when standing in shallow water. They also feed on frogs, salamanders and crayfish.
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.