Lake of the Woods is a beautiful Rest Area conveniently located approximately 5km North of Hope, BC. It is also known as Schkam Lake, which means “calm water” in Halq’Emeylem. Such a fitting name for such a peaceful place where the lake is always smooth as glass.
This Rest Area has 20 parking stalls, 2 outhouses, and several picnic tables on a grassy area.
You can view the lake from the grassy area, or walk down a short but somewhat steep trail to the beach.
I am always jealous of the Kayaks on this lake, paddling across to their own private beach to enjoy.
This is a picturesque spot to stop and cool off with a quick dip in the lake, lunch at one of the picnic tables, or even a quick bathroom break. Be sure to stop and take a few minutes to enjoy the view while you are there!
When we are driving home from a camping trip we like to leave our bathing suits and towels accessible so we can stop at Lake of the Woods for a quick swim to cool off on our drive home! After a long day of driving, nothing refreshes you more than jumping into a cool lake before you get back into the truck for the final stretch of driving.
On a hot sunny day, you can expect a full parking lot and the main beach area can be quite crowded, especially on weekends. There are also a couple of smaller but steeper trails down to the lake. If you can navigate one of the steeper trails, you could have a small piece of the shore all to yourself, as seen below.
This lake is also popular for kayaking, canoeing and fishing, as well as swimming. Boats are restricted to Electric Motors Only here. Fish commonly caught in this lake include Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, and Largescale Sucker and this lake is stocked annually with Trout, usually in May/June. For more information on Fishing in Hope, click Here
Something to be mindful of with the smaller lakes is to be sure to check the water quality advisory before you go!
Lake of the Woods along with many other small lakes have been known to become unsafe for swimming due to high levels of E. Coli during the hot season. If you are ever unsure, you can check the map feature on the Fraser Health Website before you go to see if swimming is advisable at this time.
As always, thank you for reading!! Driving the Fraser Canyon is one of the most beautiful drives in Beautiful British Columbia, and I am excited to share some stops along the way. I did not have my truck, so we had to stick to the Highway this time, but still found some amazing scenery and adventures along the way!
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Disclaimer: Road Trip Mama is for information purposes only and is not liable for any damages or injuries incurred if you attempt one of the trips posted. Always do your research, go prepared, tell someone your timeline and trip plan, and have a means of communication in case you run into trouble.