The good life

Wasa Lake offers visitors fun times

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