Otter Lake Park
Park overview
If you’re looking for privacy in a natural setting, Otter Lake is ideal for old-fashioned camping. The park has two locations, a main picnic/day-use area in Tulameen and a lovely lakeside campground about 5 km further north along the road.
The Cascade Mountain Range surrounds the park and includes awesome canyons and clear flowing streams. Large numbers of otter, beaver and red squirrel inhabit the area, as well as, mountain goats, cougars and grizzly bears. Fishermen will find time spent on Otter Lake rewarding, with large lake trout being the catch of the day.
The scenic lakeside campground is an ideal base for those who want to explore the mining history of the Tulameen area.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Open to public access May 17, 2023 to September 25, 2023
Current status:Open to public access
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Number of campsites
- Reservable frontcountry sites: 45
- Vehicle-accessible sites: 45
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: May 17 to September 25
- Reservable dates
- 2023: May 17 to September 24
- Winter note
- Gate is closed during the off-season.
Safety info
Stay Safe
- If you travel off the beaten path in this park, let someone know where you are going and carry a compass. Areas bordering the park include canyons and beautiful, rugged terrain which can be confusing.
- The extremely hot, dry Okanagan climate can result in overexposure to the sun. Sunscreen and a hat should be used during long periods in the sun.
- Currents can be deceptively fast in streams. Cross them with caution and be sure of your footing at all times.
Accessing the park using secondary forestry roads from B.C.’s lower mainland, as suggested by Google, is not recommended; these routes are unreliable and are not safe.
Special Notes
- Off-road ATV use is prohibited within this park.
Camping
All campsite reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservations system. 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.
Campsite Reservations
Campsite reservations are accepted.
This park offers vehicle-accessible campsites, including 5 double sites and 5 pull-through sites. The pull-through sites have slightly curved parking and may not accommodate motorhomes over 30 feet. The gate to the park is closed during the off-season. While there is no gatehouse, an information shelter, telephone and handpump water source are located at the entrance to the park. The small sites are spread out in a dense forest of Douglas fir trees that provides privacy, shade and a natural setting. Large, mature Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine are found in small numbers. Though the abundance of trees adds to the ambience of the campground, they may also make the entrances to some of the sites a little narrow for some larger RVs. The sites are gravel and have a fire ring and picnic table on a cement pad. There are no BBQ attachments.
The park offers services during the peak season. During this time, all of the sites in Otter Lake Campground are reservable and non-occupied reservation sites can accommodate first-come, first-served customers for one, or perhaps more nights, depending on availability.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Activities
There is a nature trail along the lake. If you travel off the beaten path in this park, let someone know where you are going and carry a compass. Areas bordering the park include canyons and beautiful, rugged terrain which can be confusing. 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.
Across the lake, and visible from the campground and day-use area, is the Trans Canada Trail. The Trans Canada Trail will be a shared-use recreation trail that will wind its way through every Province and Territory forming the longest trail of its kind in the world, spanning approximately 17, 898 kilometres. It will accommodate five core activities: walking, cycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling (where possible/desired). It follows the Kettle Valley Railway line past Otter Lake on its way from Princeton to Merritt.
Otter Lake is stocked by the Summerland Trout Hatchery with rainbow trout fry resulting in excellent sport fishing opportunities. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Ice fishing is possible on Otter Lake.
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 Otter 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.
Maps and location
The park is located 33 km northwest of Princeton off Hwy 5A toward Coalmont and Tulameen and the route is well marked with signs. There is also access from Hwy 97C, Coquihalla Connector Hwy – turn at Aspen Grove, which is Hwy 5A, and follow signs. A 34 km gravel road leaves Hwy 5A just past the Kentucky-Alleyne turnoff. It leads through sections of the Nicola Ranch to approach Otter Lake from the north. The roads, both from Tulameen and the gravel road from the north, are narrow and winding with limited visibility. Use caution and yield to logging trucks.
Accessing the park using secondary forestry roads from B.C.’s lower mainland, as suggested by Google, is not recommended; these routes are unreliable and are not safe.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: February 11, 1963
- Size: 55 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
Kaloya Contracting Ltd.
info@campokanagan.com
250-766-7972
(This is not a campsite reservations number)
Please specify the park name when sending/leaving a message.
Nature and culture
History: Tulameen, just 5 km south of the campground, is an area steeped in mining history and pioneer legend. It was formerly used by First Nations as a base camp for hunting and trapping. The fur trade attracted the Hudson’s Bay Company to the area and their fur brigades used a route which passed through the town. They named it “Encampment des Femmes” after the women who waited for their men out trapping or on the brigades. (Also known as Otter Flat in later years this spot was officially named Tulameen in 1901 – an indigenous name referring to deposits of “red earth” (ochre) found in this area).
Gold brought people to the region in the late 1890s and Granite Creek became the third largest city in B.C. rivalling Vancouver and Victoria. Communities sprung up on the strength of the coal and copper mining industry and attracted the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) and the Granby Mining Company. The region became Canada’s sole supplier of platinum and its coal powered the KVR and the VV&E, part of the Great Northern Railway. Today, crumbling building foundations and the empty rail-bed of the KVR winding towards the horizon are echoes of a prosperous past.
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.