Spectrum Lake Hike
Spectrum Lake, Monashee Mountains, British Columbia
About Monashee Provincial Park, Okanagan Valley
Spectrum Lake, British Columbia is situated in the remote Monashee Mountains, which border the Okanagan Valley and stretch into the Shuswap and Kootenays regions, as well as down to Washington State. There are many parks to explore within the Monashee Mountain range, but Spectrum Lake in particular sits in Monashee Provincial Park. The park is known for its wonderful old-growth forests and vibrant green mosses. The valley floors are covered in lush landscapes that open up into grassy meadows full of flowers. If you're lucky enough to visit this magical place then you will be gifted with some of the freshest forest air that you will ever have the chance to breathe. Some of the park’s mountain peaks are capped with glaciers that contribute to the over 100 lakes in the park. The park is around 7,513 hectares of wild, untouched mountain habitat that remains protected for the wildlife that lives within its boundaries and for the people who wish to visit this Canadian paradise. The park is loaded with hiking trails of all difficulties and there’s even an advanced climbing trail to the peak of Mount Fosthall, which requires professional skills and proper climbing gear.
Spectrum Lake, Monashee Mountains, British Columbia
About Spectrum Lake, British Columbia
Spectrum Lake is perfectly embraced by the dramatic mountains that surround it. The water is like glass and so clear that you can see right to the bottom in many spots. The lake also provides excellent trout fishing from the shore or from a float tube or a pontoon tube. You can also take a dip in the lake to cool off after your hike, as long as you don’t mind the icy temperatures of glacier-fed water. The water of the lakes within the park is so fresh and clean and there’s no need to pack in water as you will be able to replenish at one of the many drinkable glacial streams.
Spectrum Lake, Monashee Mountains, British Columbia
How to Get to Spectrum Lake
Spectrum Lake itself is around a 2-hour drive from Vernon through some rough logging roads that require a tough vehicle. Once you reach the parking lot you will have a 6 km hike into the lake. It is the perfect day hike if you leave early enough. There is also an alternate route to the lake, which is actually the original trail(12 km) and is twice as long as the newer trail. The longer route provides hikers with a campsite along the way, as the round-trip hike can’t be done in one day. Campsites at the lake provide campers with wooden platforms for tents and storage safes to keep your food from the bears and other wildlife. After a good restful night’s sleep, you may feel ambitious enough to conquer the endurance sapping 5 km uphill battle to Little Peters Lake, which has 55 switchbacks leading you straight up the mountain into an incredible alpine plateau. Once you reach the plateau, you will have the option to either camp or continue on another 2km to Big Peter’s Lake and another 5km from there is Margie Lake.
Map of Spectrum Lake
Spectrum Lake, Monashee Mountains, British Columbia
Wildlife
The Monashee Mountains are teeming with wildlife and support many different species of plants and animals including a herd of caribou, deer, marmots, squirrels, hares, mountain goats, wolverines, black bears, wolves, cougars, and pikas, but is perhaps most well known for an abundance of grizzly bears. Exercise precautions, make yourself known, and pay attention to your surroundings while hiking through this remote wilderness area.
More Photos of Spectrum Lake
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