The good life
Wasa Lake offers visitors fun times
Pascale Lemay and Racheal Butz sunbathe at Wasa Lake Provincial Park on this flawless beach day.—photo by Andrew Janzen
When I was seven years old my parents decided to move from our sunny home in California to the B.C. Kootenays. I had many first experiences the year that we moved to Canada—seeing snow for the first time, ice skating and swimming in freshwater lakes. The first lake I visited turned out to be Wasa Lake, known to be the warmest lake in the Kootenays.
From that first visit onwards, Wasa Lake Provincial Park has always been one of my personal favourite places to go swimming, hiking and camping. With the park’s proximity to Kimberley and Fort Steele Heritage Town, many locals frequent the lake to swim, hike, boat or play on the sandy beaches.
There is more than one beach at Wasa Lake, and if you get to the water early enough, you can basically have your pick of the entire lake. The park has two main beaches—one with a dock and one with a children’s playground—but if you venture a little farther down the lake, chances are you will find a secluded section to set up for the day. Many people enjoy taking their boat out on the lake and going water-skiing or tubing all day long.
To take a break from the hot sun, visitors can choose to head out on a trail. Forest of the Rainshadow is a 2.7-kilometre self-guided interpretive trail that leads up to a ridge, and Wasa Lions Way is an eight-kilometre paved trail that stays closer to the lakeshore. Both routes are well worth exploring.
Resources: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks
Back to the CanadaBritish ColumbiaKootenay Rockies landing page.
Kootenay Rockies key contacts
British ColumbiaEnter to win a dream B.C. vacation
Spend a few weeks touring B.C.'s great outdoors, create the ultimate road trip or choose any other adventure you would like to have in our beautiful province. Enter to win a dream B.C. vacation worth $20,000 and get your free 2010 vacation planner now.
BC Tourismwww.hellobc.com
Invermere, BCSlow the pace, change the scenery and bask in the moment.
Own your piece of adventure with a resort condominium in Invermere, British Columbia. Nestled in the heart of the Kootenays, between the Purcell and Canadian Rocky Mountains overlooking the The Ridge at Copper Point, Copper Point Resort is more than your ordinary destination property. With easy access to premier golf courses, world renowned skiing and the picturesque Lake Windermere, Copper Point Resort offers year round attractions. With a condo at Copper Point Resort, you can enjoy all the amenities of a five-star hotel at home, including a full service spa, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness facilities, restaurant, lounge and much more. Whole and fractional ownership is available.
Copper Point Resortwww.copperpoint.ca