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Circle Tour - From East to West
Charlotte Lake
All roads except for Highway 20 are
gravel. You should be sure to check on local conditions before
embarking on your trip.
The Charlotte Lake turnoff is located approximately 285 km
or 178 miles west of Williams Lake. The turnoff to the lake
is about 11 km or 6.8 miles east of Nimpo Lake but signage
is not obvious so keep a close eye out for the signs among
trees on the left hand side of the road if coming from Williams
Lake, right hand side after you've crossed the cattleguard
if coming from Nimpo Lake.
The road into Charlotte Lake is generally in good condition
and length of drive varies depending on which recreational
operation you are going to be arriving at. Their location
can vary from 18km in to slightly more. Make sure to follow
the signs.
There are presently three operators on Charlotte Lake and
you can enjoy a variety of accommodations and activities with
all three of them as well as unmatched beauty and serenity.
Charlotte Lake is about 8 miles long and 5 miles wide and
has terrific fishing with Rainbow Trout to nine pounds using
either flies or trolling equipment. If you follow Charlotte
Lake to its end at the west, fly fisherman will love trying
their luck in the rapids between Charlotte and Little Charlotte
Lake. Just one word of caution: As with all large Chilcotin
lakes located near high mountains, wind can come up quite
suddenly and be very unforgiving. It's recommended that you
remain close to shore if a wind starts to rise.
There are numerous trails for hiking or mountain biking and
if you like, you can go on a one day or mulit-day trail ride
up into the Charlotte Alplands where you will see rare wild
flowers amid alpine lakes. Take a camera because the area
is rich in wildlife varying from moose, caribou, mountain
goat, deer, wolverine, lynx, wolf, coyote and fox, to black
bear and grizzly bears. Trumpeter Swans, bald eagles, loons
and osprey are commonly seen on the lake.
The Atnarko river empties from Charlotte Lake to the south
cutting a deep valley to the southwest and ultimately flowing
into the Lonesome Lake Valley. Lonesome Lake was made famous
by Ralph Edwards in his successful venture to pull the Trumpeter
Swan back from extinction in the early 1900's. Studies of
the Atnarko River have shown it to be one of the purest river
systems in British Columbia if not in all of Canada.
This wilderness is a backcountry adventurer's dream, rich
with legend, steeped in lore, while the lake has its own tales
to tale about the famous Rimarko Ranch. Relax around a campfire,
listen to the loons call, play on the beautiful beaches on
the southeastern end, canoe or kayak along its shores, and
just drink in the beauty of this crystal clear lake.
For more detailed information and images of Charlotte Lake
please go to the Tour
Charlotte Lake Region page.
Operators - Charlotte Lake/Charlotte
Alplands
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