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Advisories

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Marine-accessible camping

Please see the park map for campsite information along the canoe route. Campsites are on a first come, first served basis.

The lone small island on Stepp Lake is permanently closed to camping or day use. This island is often home to nesting Herring Gulls, who are protected from disturbance under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

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Campfires
Campfires are permitted. Paddlers of the circuit must bring a portable stove for cooking.
Pit or flush toilets

This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets. Please see map for pit toilet locations.

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Hiking

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. 

Portage trails link all the lakes and waterways of lakes, and provide safe routes around rapids and waterfalls. There are 4.5 km of portages in total. During the rainy season, portage trails may become rugged and muddy making passage challenging in places. 

Hiking opportunities include unmaintained routes from Stepp Lake to Tableland Mountain, and a short hiking trail from Kidprice Lake to Nanika Falls on the West side of the outlet.

Swimming
Swimming is a great way to rest tired paddling muscles. There are beautiful beaches on the lakes along the route. Please do not use soap (even biodegradable) for washing in the lakes. If you must wash with soap, do it at least 50 m (150 ft) inland from the lakeshore. There are no lifeguards on duty at provincial parks.
Canoeing

The canoe route starts on the north shore of Lamprey Lake, where there is a camping area and vehicle parking site. A short paddle across Lamprey Lake to the south shore brings you to the first portage (1.5 km). All portages are marked with white triangles. This portage ascends gradually to an undulating ridge and then drops down to Anzac Lake. Canoe rests are located along the trail and boardwalk through the wet areas makes the trail easy to travel. 

The next lake is Anzac Lake, which contains many water lily filled bays and an island with a good camping site. This doglegged lake is a great place for viewing birds and wildlife. 

A short portage trail (0.5 km) from Anzac Lake leads to the east end of Stepp Lake. Head winds are often encountered upon reaching Stepp Lake. A campsite is provided nearby at the Anzac end of the portage trail. Stepp Lake has many bays and beaches to explore. Two campsites are located along the north shore of Stepp lake. It is possible to hike through the bush to Tableland Mountain from these campsites; however there are no trails maintained. On the return trip down Stepp Lake, it is often possible to rig your tent fly as a sail. 

The west end of Stepp Lake is narrow and you must canoe through a couple of turns before arriving at a campsite and the portage to Kidprice Lake. This is the longest portage at 2.2 km, and it travels over mostly level ground. Once Kidprice Lake is reached there is a great camping area at the end of the portage with a nice beach and sunset views of the snow-capped peaks. Breezes off the lake keep the bugs out of this campsite. 

Four kilometres up Kidprice Lake on the north shore, the lower Nanika River begins and a short distance down stream the river drops over the Nanika Falls. Beach your boat on the West side of the river mouth at the water metering station. A 500 m trail leads down to the falls. Do not approach the falls by canoe as you may not be able to escape the strong current. 

Some canoeists continue down Kidprice Lake. There are beaches to camp on, but no maintained campsites are available. It is possible to access Nanika Lake by lining your canoe up the upper Nanika River. However, this is a long (8 km) and arduous journey and log jams are often present. No portage trail is available.

Fishing

The sport fish in the lakes are rainbow and cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, Dolly Varden char, and the blue-listed bull trout. Bring a variety of flies and lures. June and September have proven to be the best months for fishing. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.

Wildlife viewing
Wildlife viewing opportunites are plentiful along the canoe route.
Pets on leash

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.

Hunting

Hunting is allowed in the park. All hunters should refer to the current BC Hunting Regulation synopsis. Find out more about Hunting in BC Parks.

Winter recreation
There are winter recreation opportunities in the park. The canoe portage trails can be used as crosscountry ski trails; however, there are no set tracks. The park is zoned winter motorized and there is a snowmobile area on Tableland Mountain.