Emar Lakes Provincial Park
Emar Lakes Park was created in 1996 as a wilderness area of small lakes, potholes, and wet areas in a forested area off Highway 24. The lakes are used by fishermen, but there is also a lake chain loop with portages for canoeists and kayakers. Access is from Janice Lake Recreation Site or from Willowgrouse Recreation Site. The trails/portages are mostly user maintained and have become difficult with windfall. To do the loop counter-clockwise, paddlers would have to do the following:
- launch at Janice Lake (link to an article) at N51 29.457 W120 24.410
- paddle 1.5km to the landing spot (at N50 29.115 W120 25.090)
- portage for 1030 metres to Club Lake (past Next Lake)
- paddle to the end of Club Lake (780m)
- portage 100m to Boulder Lake
- paddle across Boulder Lake (400m)
- portage 400m to Willowgrouse Lake
- option to paddle Willowgrouse Lake (670m) then portage out the campsite (500m) or
- paddle across Willowgrouse following the loop (230m)
- portage 150m to Emar Lake
- paddle across Emar Lake (1.2 km)
- portage 450m to a pothole lake then 100m into Sedge Lake (or push through to Dytiscid Lake)
- paddle across Sedge Lake (220m)
- portage 700m to the end of Janice Lake
- paddle to the start (400m)
All of the trails are currently closed with windfall and danger trees on the route. Hopefully Parks can find some funding or perhaps volunteer user groups can help keep the routes open (count me in)? A BC Parks map is included here and more information can also be found on the Parks website (link).