Located just off of Highway 97 in beautiful Lac la Hache, Crystal Springs Resort is run by a wonderful couple named Larry and Gerry and located approximately 25km north of 100 mile house.
This resort offers Rustic Sites (no hook ups), Sites with Hookups, as well as Chalets and Cabins for rent. We opted for a rustic site for our tent trailer and got a beautiful spot right on the lake.
For more information on the accommodations available here, check out their website.
We were undecided on where we wanted to stop between Whistler and Quesnel, but when I showed my husband the photos of Crystal Springs Resort after telling him about camping here as a teenager, he said it looked beautiful and to call and book! I left a voicemail and Gerry called me back a short time later, booking us in to a rustic site. I was going to ask for a certain campsite because it looked like the best one on the campground map, and when we arrived I was pleasantly surprised we were in the campsite that I had wanted!
We debated between a serviced site and a rustic site. We don’t need sewer hookups, but sometimes it is nice to have water and power, especially on a week-long trip like we were on. I was glad we settled on a rustic site though, because being right on the lake was worth it.
We lucked out with Site # 46, a rustic site right on the water.
Tucked against a small grassy hill, our neighbors to the left were up the hill out of sight, and our neighbors to the right were a bunch of empty spots! We were right on the lake with a gorgeous view and a small dock all to ourselves. We turned our tent trailer sideways so we had lots of privacy (which is usually hard to find in an RV resort) and the door was facing the lake, making for the best view when waking up!
They offer hot showers at $1 for 4 minutes, as well as washrooms with flush toilets and sinks, and a laundry room with coin-operated machines. They also offer boat and kayak rentals, as well as boat moorage. The boat docks made for the best swimming, as our little dock wasn’t deep enough to jump in from.
Located on the shores of Lac la Hache, “The Lake of the Axe” as it translates to, was named, during the fur trade era, after the unfortunate incident of a French-Canadian voyageur who lost his axe head while chopping a hole in the ice. It is a town rich in history, as it sits along the Gold Rush Trail. There are many stories to explain how the lake was named; but this is the version I remember from years ago.
A popular fishing lake known for it’s Kokanee fishing, but Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Char, and Brook Trout fish are also popular. People fish this lake year round, and it is a popular spot for ice fishing as well.
My daughter wanted to go for a trail ride, and I looked up a nearby ranch, just outside of 100 Mile house, closer to 110 Mile, I found Spring Lake Ranch and was able to book a trail ride for the next day. We drove to the ranch and enjoyed the long drive down a dirt road. The views along the way were beautiful, and we saw a herd of cattle grazing alongside the side. You can read more about that “Here”.
We stayed an extra night making it three nights of paradise, watching the sun set over the lake, listening to the call of the loons, and seeing fish jump in the water, not far from the loons.
I have always loved the sunsets over this lake, and they did not disappoint, even 20 years later!
Lac la Hache Provincial Park is located across the highway from Crystal Springs Resort, and there is a pedestrian tunnel that goes under the highway so campers can safely get from the campground to the Day Use Area at the lake without having to cross the highway. The provincial park day use area is located just down the hill from Crystal Springs, and we went over to check it out. They had a small parking lot, a playground, and a swimming area.
This was our last stop before arriving in Quesnel for our friend’s wedding, where we were all camping on her acreage! So we made sure to take advantage of the warm showers, and cleaned up before heading up the highway for the last leg of our journey!
As always, thank you for reading! This trip was a good reminder that sometimes, it is good to revisit places that you haven’t been to in a long time, even if it has been twenty years!