Bowron Lakes Canoeing

10-day canoeing tour
from CAD $3056^†

(^†This price includes taxes and fees. Optional single supplements or equipment rentals may increase the price.)

$2825 + 3% booking fee + 5% Goods & Services Tax

Besides its natural beauty, the Bowron Lakes are a wildlife sanctuary. Paddlers may see beavers, bears, otters, and moose feeding by the waterways.The Bowron River estuary is a birdwatcher’s paradise with an immense variety of bird life, including coots, mergansers, widgeon, mallards and Canadian geese. Campsites along the Bowron Lakes, set aside for our sole use, ensure the solitude so necessary for a meaningful wilderness experience.
Starting in Vancouver, we carry you to the Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit along some of BC's most scenic highways before immersing you in the rich nature of the Caribou Region in Bowron Lakes Provincial Park. We are in cabins the first night before heading onto the lakes. When we take off the lake chain, we look to stop in Barkerville on our way to a good sleep in Quesnel or Williams Lake, before our final scenic drive back to Vancouver.

Activity Level Moderately strenuous
6/10
Group Size Medium
max 10 guests, 2 guides
Canoeing Experience Beginner/Novice
less experience

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Itinerary

Day 0 and 1 Pick up and travel to Bowron Lakes Provincial Park

Day 0: Arrival in Vancouver.

Day 1 - We pick up from three hotels near the Vancouver International Airport around 6:00 am-the Sandman Hotel Vancouver Airport, the Accent Inn Vancouver Airport, and Holiday Inn Vancouver Airport. We pick up early in the morning for our scenic drive to eastern British Columbia, passing along one of two routes to Cache Creek and then into the Caribou Region of BC. We will stop for dinner in Quesnel, with various lunch and rest stops along the way. Our final destination is either Bear River Mercantile or Becker's Lodge.
Day2 Bowron Lakes Provincial Park-getting on the circuit

Day 2 - We have our orientation for the park as a large group, then set off after packing our gear. You'll be wondering whether this is indeed a canoeing expedition as the two longest portages along the circuit are today. The portages are made easier by the use of specially designed carts which allow canoes and a some equipment to be wheeled between lakes. The first portage is to Kibbee Lake. Kibbee Lake is a short lake, only 2.4 km long. Just the ideal length to begin to work on technique and acclimatizing muscles. Our second portage (2 km) will take us to Indianpoint Lake. A short paddle will bring us to our campsite at Kruger Bay.
Day 3 To Wolverine Bay

From Kruger Bay, Indianpoint Lake narrows and our route wanders through a small marsh. Beaver dams and lodges dot the area. The Isaac Lake portage (1.6 km) brings us to Isaac Lake, the longest lake on the circuit. Some of the most breathtaking alpine scenery is located along Isaac and Lanezi lakes. Our campsite is Wolverine Bay ..
Day 4 To Isaac Lake

Isaac Lake is notorious for its winds and sudden squalls. We will get an early start to take advantage of the morning calm. This will be a day to enjoy the surrounding grandeur and absence of any portages. We will stop to see the cabin at Moxley Creek and take in some of the earlier "artwork" of circuit paddlers. We will camp along Isaac.
Day 5 To the head of Isaac River

Once again we will get an early start to take advantage of the calm. Our paddle continues amidst the surrounding peaks and ridges to our destination at the end of Isaac Lake. This will be a short day. Weather and conditions cooperating, we will have time to play in the fast water of Isaac River.
Day 6 To Turner Creek

It's portage time again. The Isaac River connects Isaac Lake with McLeary Lake. After about a 1.6 km portage we will put in on Isaac River and cross over to the other side and continue portaging (1.2 km) to McLeary Lake. Along this stretch we will hike off the path to view Isaac Falls. McLeary Lake is but a backwater formed by the confluence of the Isaac and Cariboo rivers. Having paddled McLeary we will enter the Cariboo River for a winding (5.2 km) ride into Lanezi Lake. Our campsite is at Turner Creek.
Day 7 To Unna Lake and Cariboo Falls

Our paddle on Lanezi Lake takes us past imposing Ishpa Mountain (2530 m). We enter a short section of the Cariboo River at the end of Lanezi. This 1.2 km stretch of river brings us to Sandy Lake. Just before Sandy Lake are mineral deposits which attract animals. Sandy Lake is as the name implies. Shallow water and sandy beaches make it an ideal spot to take a dip. At the end of Sandy Lake we once again enter the Cariboo River for 4 km. Our campsite is Unna Lake. The vegetation is unique here, as it lies in a rain-shadow area, and as a result, is much drier than surrounding areas. After setting up camp, we will paddle to the south end of the lake and then hike 1.5 km to spectacular Cariboo Falls.
Day 8 To Pat Point, Spectacle Lake

You will have become aware of the change from the high mountains and ridges of Isaac and Lanezi to a more undulating topography. We have to portage our canoes to Babcock Lake. Babcock Lake is an ideal location to observe moose, who enjoy the lush vegetation along its shoreline. A short (very) portage (400 m) will bring us to Skoi Lake. No sooner do we put in, than we begin another short (very) and final portage (400 m) to Spectacle Lake. Our campsite is Pat Point.
Day 9 To Bowron Lake and drive into Williams Lake

This is our last day on the circuit. We will leave early in the morning in the hopes of completing our paddle by early afternoon. Our paddle will take us past Pavich Island, once named Deadman's Island, as it was believed that many Takullis died here from small pox. At the end of Swan Lake we will enter the Bowron River for 4 km. The Bowron River estuary is a prime bird area. Our paddling itinerary is completed when we finish at the end of the circuit at the local resort/campground, after we have unpacked and sorted our gear. Our hope is that we will have sufficient time left in the day to visit Barkerville, the restored historical center of the Cariboo Gold Rush. From there, we will travel to Quesnel or Williams Lake for dinner and a night's sleep before returning to Vacouver.
Day 10 Drive Back to Vancouver

We will leave after an early breakfast to drive back to Vancouver and drop off. Stopping along the way for rest stops at sites of interest, we plan on being back in Vancouver for early evening.

inclusions and exclusions at a glance

What's included in this tour Items that are covered in the cost of tour price.

Transportation from Richmond, BC (Vancouver Airport) and return
Cabin accommodation at a local resort before our canoe departure
Motel accommodation in Quesnel or Williams Lake on return
Canoes and paddling gear (pfd, paddle, gumboots, etc.)
Canoe cart
Canoeing dry pack (portage pack) and dry bags
Snacks/beverages on the expedition
All meals while on the canoeing portion^**
Meal preparation
Camping fees
Exceptional guides
Cooking gear/camp stoves/water filtration
Tents & tarps
Emergency radio/satellite phone/major first aid supplies
^† We can provide sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and some other gear for rent. Click here for Gear Rental Options and pricing.

^**You will be responsible for food you may want on travel days

What's not included in this tour Items that are NOT covered in the cost of tour price.

Transportation to point of origin, transfers, personal equipment, accommodation and food other than included in the itinerary.
Gratuities are not included. Our guides make every effort to ensure your holiday is all you expected and more. Recognition of a job well done is always appreciated; $10-20/day per guide is recommended.
Single tents ^†(available for a single supplement charge) Click here for Single Supplement Options and pricing.

Getting to the pickup location

Vancouver, BC
Many of the major North American carriers fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Places to stay and other details

Vancouver/Richmond Richmond, BC Pick Up/Meet
Our official starting point for the Bowron Lakes Canoeing tour is near the Vancouver Airport (YVR). We have three pick up locations:
Sandman Hotel Vancouver Airport
Accent Inn Vancouver Airport
Holiday Inn Vancouver Airport

Bear River Mercantile/Becker's Lodge
We will stop in Williams Lake or Quesnel for dinner and the last shop before the canoe trip starts. Our first night, after the drive from Vancouver, should be in the cabins at Bear River Mercantile or Becker's Lodge. We will orient ourselves to the canoe circuit, the gear and the important safety aspects of the tour after we settle in.

Parking is available at the park.

You don't need to have paddled before. Experience helps, but we will show you everything you need along the way. Our guides will assist you and teach you basic paddling skills.

In Canada, where are there NOT bugs? Fortunately, we are not deep in the forest or muskeg, where the mosquitoes and/or blackflies cover you like a blanket. Typically, if there is a breeze, there are no bugs. If it is calm, there are bugs. On the actual west coast, there are relatively few mosquitos and no-seeums, but some. It is helpful to have a bug net for your head and some bug spray with you.

There is never an intention for you to flip and get soaked, but sometimes it happens. We provide you with dry bags for your clothing and gear. We also show you how to properly use them to make sure your things stay dry.

Tips, or gratuities, are not mandatory. However, please consider what service is actually being given to you. While you might think that the company should just pay the guides better, it is not so simple. We do work in a competitive market, and pay rates are a function of the trip prices. If we could double prices, we would pay guides significantly better. At Sea to Sky, we have some of the better pay rates in the industry, and we are always pushing our competitors to increase pay rates for guides, but there is only so much we can do. Guides are seasonal workers. They shift off of their summer season to winter activities, or fill in with retail work, which is usually little more than minimum wage, often to periods of no work between seasonal jobs. It is a hard job, and wearing on the body.

The guides carry most of the group gear, so they have heavier loads than you have, all for you, because they would not be carrying much of the extras on a personal trip. Your guides are teaching you, helping you through challenges, cooking for you and serving you your meals, providing a safety envelope for you, and if you have a really good guide, they are filling you up with a deeper experience of being in the place you are visiting by telling you about the flora, fauna and history of the place.

So, how much should you tip your guides?

If you ate every meal out in a day, at a good, but low-cost restaurant, you would probably tip between $10 and $15 per day. If you were travelling and visiting a city and ate all your meals out, this is about how much you would tip for the day, low end. I would submit that the guides are feeding you all three meals in a day, AND serving you in so many more ways. That makes $10-$15 a day a minimum consideration, really. 10% to 15% of a trip price has been another rule of thumb that has been used. If your trip price is $2000, then $200 to $300 split between the guides is reasonable, and falls within that standard. Like most humans, guides are motivated when they are recognized and valued.

Your circumstances matter. If you are a student and clearly struggled to put together the cost of the trip, or have other circumstances that limit your ability to tip, guides understand and honour your appreciation, no matter what the size. However, if you have a large income or high net worth and means, a small tip might be a slap in the face. If you have means and you clearly and vocally appreciated the guides and all they did, and then leave a $50 tip after a 7 to 9 day trip, that amount would probably be insulting. If you have a fairly large income or net worth, you likely spend it on higher end restaurants, and maybe higher cost wine, drinks or desserts. You might even give a $50 tip for a dinner meal out-for ONE meal, so just consider your ability to tip and the level of service you received over the whole trip.

The largest tip any of our guides has received from one person is $1,500.00 for a 9-day trip. This was highly unusual, and was because we went way out of the way to replace her boots in the middle of the trail because her boots were falling apart, and was on top of paying for the boots and the transport out to the trail. That was extraordinary service, and an extraordinary tip. On average, guides usually receive about $75 to $125 from each guest for each guide.

At Sea to Sky, we also split the tips between the lead and assistant guides, and proportionally with any drivers. We have a strong culture of teamwork and both the lead and assistant guides play essential roles for you, so we ensure both share equally in the tips for the trip. Tips are not shared or taken by owners and managers not on your trip, unless you send it separately and specify it is for service before or after a trip.

What should I wear? What clothes are suitable?

For any wilderness adventure, "layering" is one of the most critical concepts.
Layering clothing can have several advantages:

Temperature regulation: Layering allows you to adjust your level of warmth by adding or removing layers as needed. This can be especially useful in unpredictable weather or in environments with fluctuating temperatures.
Comfort: Layering can help you stay comfortable in a range of temperatures and activities. For example, if you're going for a hike, you can wear a base layer to wick sweat away from your skin, a mid layer for insulation, and a outer layer to protect against wind and rain.
Versatility: Layering allows you to mix and match different pieces of clothing to create different looks and adapt to different situations.
Style: Layering can add depth and interest to your outfit, allowing you to express your personal style and create a polished look.
Protection: Layering can also provide protection against the elements, such as wind, rain, and cold temperatures.

Bowron Lakes Canoeing

Bowron Lakes Canoeing