Surrounded by thick forests of aspen, cedar, and willow, with scenic views of Adam's Lake and over 2,500 meters of beautiful white-sand beach, Adam's Lake State Park is a nature lover's paradise. Located on the south-western shore of Adam's Lake, in British Colombia, this 56 acre park was established as a Recreation Area in 1988 and designated as a provincial park in 1997.
The park protects the beaches and shoreline on Adam's Lake as well as the surrounding forests. Adam's is a large lake, the second deepest in British Columbia, and the large water body makes it a great site for a wide range of water sports like fishing, boating, kayaking an swimming. Windsurfing, water skiing, and canoeing are also popular water sports on the lake. The park also has numerous trails for biking, cycling and hiking as well as birding and wildlife viewing.
The park's aquatic and forest surroundings makes it premium bird habitat with hundreds of bird species migrating to and away form the park all year. Visitors can also enjoy the resort's unique plant and wild life by the lake and on hiking trails. Science and history lovers will enjoy a visit to any of the park's archaeological sites to learn more about the region's history.
The campground remains closed to visitors during off-season and the other parts of the park are only accessible to visitors for a few weeks either side of winter during off-season and the main gates are totally closed throughout the snowy weeks. RV campers will love Adam's Lake park during in-season; the easy beach access, comfortable camping and brilliant services all add to what makes the park one of British Columbia's most popular camping destinations.
All roads in and around Adam's Lake Provincial Park are smoothly Paved or graveled and vehicle friendly. The park's main entrance can be easily accessed off the Scotch Creek turnoff on BC Highway 1, then a short walk or drive through Holding/Adams Lake West Road off the Squilax-Anglemont Road brings you to the park gates, about 30 KM north of Chase Town.
Park users can walk into the resort if weather conditions allow, as the campground and lake are just a few hundred feet from the gate. Vehicles must keep to designated roads within the park and adhere to speed limits shown on signboards. Adams Lake West Forest Service Road is often used by logging trucks, so drivers are advised to use caution on this road watch for logs on the road. There is also a small parking area at the end of the entrance road close to the lake and vehicles are prohibited from parking on roadways within the park.
The campground at Adam's Lake Provincial Park offers 27 campsites to visitors on a first come, first served basis; reservations are not allowed. The campground has picnic tables, pit toilets and taps with running water. Pets are to be kept on a leash at all times and musts be cleaned up after by owners. Campfire rings are provided at each campsite and campfires are allowed. Firewood is also available for sale at the park.
The boat launch, beach and hiking trails are all very close to the campground, but visitors must note that pets are not allowed at the beach and boat launch area. There are few stores within the park, so visitors must bring the necessary camping provisions with them. The campground remains closed from mid September to mid May and overnight camping anywhere in the park is prohibited.
Adam's Lake in the early summer provides some of British Columbia's best fishing opportunities. The deep lake supports a large number of fish species and anglers at the park will enjoy fishing for bull trouts, lake trouts, kokanee and rainbow trouts which are the most common catches at the lake.
The annual salmon run in British Columbia also offers anglers the chance to catch any of the region's five salmon species. Fishing equipment are to be brought by visitors as they are rarely sold or rented within the park, except during events. Adam's Lake is also subject to several fishing restrictions, so anyone angling at Adam's Lake must be sure they are familiar with BC freshwater fishing regulations.
Swimming at Adam's Lake is a unique experience. The strong winds and cold temperature at the lake makes swimming the perfect way to spend a hot afternoon at the park. The lake's depth also allows for scuba diving which is an opportunity for swimmers to see some of the lake's rare fish species that don't often surface near the shore.
The winds and constantly changing tide at the lake also makes it an unsafe area for kids to swim and the absence of staff and lifeguards on duty at the lake also means only experienced swimmers should venture far from the shore.
The rough surface and strong winds at the lake often makes for quite a wild boat ride. There is a gravel boat launch near the campground and boat tours are often available during festivals or events at the park. Rentals are unavailable, so visitors are to bring their own water sports equipment to the resort.
Water skiing and canoeing are also popular at the lake. Visitors should be aware of the weather and water conditions before skiing as there are no lifeguards in cases of accidents and visitors are to be self-sufficient at the lake.
Off season might just be the best time to visit Adam's Lake Provincial Park for animal lovers. The park becomes less busy and quiet due to the closed campground which attracts more animals down to the lake and other open parts of the resort, making wildlife viewing a very rewarding experience.
Bring your binoculars while going to the park to spot small mammals like badgers, rabbits, wildcats and beach mouse. Coyotes and foxes can also be seen hunting in the open near dusk which might be a rare sight during in-season due to human activity.
Hiking or jogging the trails at Adam's Lake is another way to spend a cool morning or evening at the resort in off season. There are short paved and natural trails all across the park where visitors can spot wildlife and birds as well as experience the park's unique plant life in off-season.
Trails can get lonely during off-season due to less visitors, so hikers are advised to keep to designated hiking trails for safety. Visitors are also advised to keep to trails as shortcutting destroys plant life in the park. Camping is not permitted during off-season, so hikers must leave the park before the main gates are closed at dusk
The quiet shores and beach of Adam's Lake in off-season makes the perfect environment for a day of relaxation with family and friends. Picnic equipment like tables and umbrellas are available at the beach, although visitors are to bring their own food and drinks to the beach and pets are not allowed in the beach area.
The vast white sand beach is a perfect playground for kids, while there are also opportunities for water sports depending on the weather. Visitors to the park and beach are to be self-sufficient as park rangers offer no services during off-season.
