Tranquil, beautiful, untamed. Mahood Lake is situated in a pristine wilderness in British Columbia’s interior, surrounded by dense forests and towering mountains. It’s part of Wells Gray Provincial Park, but can’t be accessed from the Wells Gray Corridor, the central area of the park. It’s the kind of place where we felt like time stopped and everything was as still as the surface of the lake on a calm, sunny day.
It’s also a very family-friendly destination, with road access to the lake, a campground with a sandy beach and a cool playground. The hiking trails in the area are short and easy, enjoyable to do even with small kids. Older kids can have fun kayaking or paddling in Mahood Lake.
This post is your guide to Mahood Lake, this remote, yet relatively easily accessible place.
Where is Mahood Lake?
Though part of Wells Gray Provincial Park, it’s in the South Cariboo region and can be accessed from 130 km east of Clearwater.
The lake is fed by the Canim River, and it’s at 629 meters elevation. It’s 197 meters at its deepest point, and is normally ice covered between November and May. The shoreline is steep, except for the eastern side where you find Mahood Lake campground.
Best things to do at Mahood Lake
Swimming
Would you expect British Columbia to turn into a beach paradise for the summer? It does, mainly because of the endless number of lakes in the interior. Mahood Lake is one of them. It’s the only lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park which is not fed by a glacier, so it gets quite pleasant for swimming in the hot months.
There are several hundred meters of beach to enjoy. One large sandy beach is right in front of Mahood Lake campground, others can only be accessed by boat. The long sandy beach has a gentle water entrance, ideal for small kids, too. But it’s not roped off and there’s no lifeguards, so be alert and never leave your kids alone.
Kayaking
Mahood Lake is also popular for kayaking and canoeing. You find three backcountry campsites on the lakeshore, accessible only by boat. Check the weather forecast before venturing out though, because the winds can get strong.
Hiking
Several short and easy trails can be found in the area, leading to waterfalls and lakes. We did the 2.3 km return hike to Mahood Falls and Canim Falls which seemed to be the highlight. It starts a few minutes drive away from Mahood Lake campground, and it’s an easy forest trail, with little elevation change.
In any other country, it would be a superstar of the park, but in BC (and especially in Wells Gray) it’s not that easy to stand out. I felt sorry that the viewing areas are not more well-designed and well-maintained. It’s not among the most famous waterfalls in Wells Gray, and also off the tourist path, so I guess it would not be worth the effort.
It’s still a pretty trail. The canyon is dramatic, but you can rarely see it well. We could barely see Mahood Falls, because the distant view was obstructed by trees. But the Canim Falls viewing area was impressive, with a relatively unobstructed view and the option to venture even closer to the top of the falls.
Another easy hike is the 1.8 km return to Deception Falls. Both are family-friendly trails, the hike to Canim Falls is even toddler-friendly (tried and tested).
Fishing
Another popular activity at Mahood Lake is fishing. The lake is rich in Kokanee, whitefish, burbot, Rainbow and lake trout.
Camping
Your only option to stay really close to Mahood Lake is to camp at the Mahood Lake campground. Though it’s rustic, offering only pit toilets and cold drinking water taps, we loved staying here so much because of the beautiful, tranquil location.
The campsites are located in the forest and not directly on the lakeshore, but you’re only a short walk away. I couldn’t get enough of the serene morning and evening views!
Mahood Lake campground has 34 sites, a long sandy beach, spacious grassy area for outdoor play and an adventure playground. My 3-year-old son got obsessed with the playground, and I appreciated that I could marvel at the lake while keeping an eye on him.
Being a hidden gem shouldn’t mislead you, because this campground gets fully booked in summer, so plan ahead.
How to get to Mahood Lake?
Located at the south-western tip of Wells Gray Park, access is not through the main park road, the Wells Gray Corridor. If you visit Wells Gray on a day trip, don’t even plan to get to Mahood Lake. It requires at least another full day to get there and have some time to enjoy it, but even better if you have two days.
To access Mahood Lake, drive 77 km of paved and gravel roads from 100 Mile House, along the south shore of Canim Lake. Actually, it’s paved almost all the way, only the last few kilometers are gravel, but usually any car can cope with it in the summertime.
The other options to access are less desirable. There’s 65 km of gravel road from the Interlakes corner on Highway 24, or logging roads from Clearwater. Since we were foolish enough to believe Google Maps, we thought accessing Mahood Lake campground from Cleawater is possible, and we took the forest service road – with a low clearance vehicle. Well, forest service roads are not meant for low clearance vehicles. Thankfully, we didn’t damage our car, but we drove very slow and didn’t enjoy any minute of it.
Getting back to the highway via the South Canim Lake Road felt like a dream. It’s a paved road, and it even offers scenery! We should have driven to 100 Mile House from Clearwater and attempted accessing the lake from that direction in the first place.
Where to stay at Mahood Lake if you don’t camp?
Well, if you don’t camp you can’t actually stay at Mahood Lake, but you can stay in 100 Mile House (it’s a small community) and do the drive there and back. It’s less ideal, but doable.
100 Mile Motel & RV Park is a family-run motel that offers simple rooms, and even family rooms.
Super 8 by Wyndham 100 Mile House is a hotel, simple and affordable, and they also offer grab and go breakfast and free Wi-Fi.
The nearest other communities are Lone Butte, Interlakes, Bridge Lake, Hathaway Lake, Forest Grove, Canim Lake and Sheridan Lake. You can look for accommodation in any, but they’re very small.
