If you’re looking for a magical provincial park to visit before summer’s end, Monashee Park should definitely be on your list in BC. Here, rugged, wild terrain and mountain ranges meet crystal-clear lakes (Peters and Margie Lakes), which sparkle beneath the 2,697-metre-high Mount Fosthall.
If you’re lucky, you may even spot the rare mountain caribou or wolverine – ideally from a safe distance!
In the springtime, the park’s alpine meadows transform into a vibrant sea of colourful wildflowers. The undeveloped mountain wilderness surprisingly has plenty of trails suitable for experienced backcountry hikers and beginner adventurers alike.
As well, the park is home to some of the oldest rock formations in western Canada – so you’re witnessing a piece of history with every step you take!
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Backcountry campers can set up anywhere at Spectrum Lake, Little Peters Lake, Big Peters Lake, and Margie Lake – with a $5 backcountry fee per person in effect.
Each campground offers visitors lakeside tent pads, with open sub-alpine meadows and old-growth forests to explore as well. Otherwise, the park is open to free wilderness camping year-round.
Hikers can enjoy breathtaking views of Monashee’s peaks, which reach elevations of 3,000 metres. Below, forget floors are cloaked in dense vegetation, but those who take on the challenge of hiking them are rewarded with groves of ancient cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees.
Finally, there’s the spectacular Rainbow Falls to check out, which cascades down to the protected riparian zone along with the upper section of the Shuswap River.
Location & info
Located 111 km north of Vernon in the North Okanagan, Monashee Park can be accessed via Highway 6 from Vernon. Once you’ve reached Cherryville, visitors can turn north onto Sugar Lake Road and proceed for 46 km until they reach the turnoff (km marker #22) to the park.
So there you have it, BC! Another beautiful mountain adventure awaits.
Monashee Park
Where: Near Cherryville in Northeast Okanagan, BC
Information on Monashee Park is from BC Parks and is accurate as of publication date.
