Heading south from 100 Mile House, if you turn off Highway 97 and take a short trip down a winding road lined with picturesque countryside, you may find yourself in a place worthy of returning to vacation after vacation.
Green Lake is the ultimate “stay-cation” summer destination because, despite a location just roughly half an hour from the community of 100 Mile House, the lake boasts an undeniable atmosphere of relaxation.
Visitors are sure to find bliss in nature there. Beyond that, there are literally countless things to actually do and see in and around Green Lake itself.
The lake is located within the little community of 70 Mile House, which is small but vibrant. It has a variety of amenities, including a post office, general store, and pub.
The lake is home to many year-long residents, not just seasonal vacationers. The area is also home to a vast range of animals and birds - from foxes to bald eagles - with a rich ecosystem that rebounded eagerly following 2017’s Elephant Hill wildfire.
That regrowth alone is a sight to see, and worth making the trip to the area for. Nature’s resilience comes to life in the landscape that surrounds Green Lake and its closely neighbouring lakes like Pressy.
I was lucky enough to spend many summer days growing up on a family cabin on Green Lake, so the location holds a special place in my heart. Days spent visiting the neighbours, sharing campfire stories beneath a great big sky and an expansive blanket of stars, not worrying about wearing shoes or discovering a little sand in my hair.
You don’t always have to buy a plane ticket to Hawaii or Mexico to experience that somewhere else feeling. Sometimes it’s as simple as enjoying a barbecued meal on a hot summer day at a gorgeous lake with some good company. Add a hammock and what have you got? Nothing short of paradise, really.
Even if I hadn’t experienced significant memories on the lake and at the family cabin, I know the location would still stand out for all it has to offer. It’s not just a treasure in the Cariboo. Green Lake is a place people travel from far and wide to visit.
I am far from the only local who cherishes the lake’s warm, emerald waters, which are fit for fishing, water-skiing, wake-boarding, tubing, swimming, and doing pretty much any water-based sport or activity you can think of. I’ve even seen people riding chairs across the lake, pulled behind a boat, but that’s an activity I wouldn’t suggest my readers try anytime soon.
There’s even a spot to enjoy a private do-it-yourself mud spa, but there are some Green Lake secrets we locals ought to keep for ourselves. One thing I can tell readers is that Green Lake is one of the larger bodies of water in the South Cariboo at approximately 14 kilometres long with an irregular shoreline of approximately 57 kilometres.
Green Lake is actually partly a provincial park, too. The lake is made up of 11 campsites: Arrowhead, Black Bear, Blue Spring, Boyd Bay, Buckside Hill, Emerald Bay, Green Lake Islands, Little Arrowhead, Nolan Creek, and Sunset View. Six of the sites have developed facilities.
Two paved, single-boat launches are available within Green Lake Provincial Park; one on the south side at Sunset View campground and one on the north side at Little Arrowhead picnic site. There is parking at both boat launches.
If you don’t get a chance to leave the South Cariboo this summer, this is one place you won’t regret making time for.
raven.nyman@100milefreepress.net
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