Kayaking Jones (Wahleach) Lake, BC

A couple of years ago, on the way to the BC interior, we decided to camp out at an RV Park in Hope, BC for a few days.  This would give us a chance to check out some the interesting sights around the Hope area that we had never taken the time to do including a paddle at Jones Lake. Hope is one of those places that you drive through many times but rarely stop to take a look around.  On this trip we would remedy this oversight!

Hope is situated is right on the edge of the coastal mountains at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla Rivers, just before you drop down into the Fraser Valley.  It is a beautiful little town with easy access to some spectacular areas, so it is well worth a stay.

Othello Tunnels

One of the more interesting sites near Hope are the Othello Tunnels, part of the former Kettle Valley Railway.  It is a series of four tunnels and two bridges all within the span of a couple of kilometers, located in a breathtaking section of canyon on the Coquihalla River. For more on the Othello Tunnels click here.

Othello Tunnels, Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park

Sadly, in November of 2021, nearly a month’s worth of rain poured into the region in less than two days after what was already an unusually wet September and October. Severe flooding of the Coquihalla River severely damaged a good portion of the Othello tunnels and deposited huge amounts of debris in the tunnels and on the trails and bridges. Repairs and cleanup have now been completed.

Jones (Wahleach) Lake

The weather was looking great on this day, so we were hoping to get a little kayaking in. We were looking for an interesting spot to do this when we noticed Jones Lake on our maps. It is up in the mountains and has three Forest Recreation camp sites with a total of 55 sites so we figured there must be something to this spot, so off we went.

The road to Jones Lakes is a winding, twisting logging road, switch-backing its way up a steep mountain valley. The start of the road is about a 15 minute drive west from Hope on the Highway 1, exiting at Laidlaw. Then it’s about 12 kilometers from there to Jones Lake. Because you are climbing a steep mountain valley you don’t really appreciate where you are going until you top out near the lake. Then, all of a sudden you are rewarded with some stunning views of snow capped mountains forming a stunning back drop behind the lake.

Stunning views as you approach Jones Lake

The Wahleach Dam & Power Generation

Jones Lake is about 6.4 km long and 1 km wide and the surface of the lake is over 600 m above the Fraser River, making it ideal for generating electricity. At the northern end of the lake there is the earth-fill Wahleach dam that created the lake. The water from the reservoir is diverted through a tunnel under Four Brothers Mountain to the Wahleach Powerhouse near the Fraser River.  The power station  began operation in 1952.

Recreation Sites

There is a campsite on either side of the dam and another on the west side of the lake. After driving through the sites near the dam, there really wasn’t room to park our vehicle so we opted to head to the west side where there was lots of room. We were able to park right near the edge of the lake making launching pretty easy.

The beach at the north end of the lake near the dam and camp sites

Paddling

When we left Hope, the winds were howling so we actually weren’t real optimistic about how the paddling was going to be, however, when we got up to the lake there was just a light breeze blowing and by the time we were out on the water it had dropped off completely and the water turned into a glassy mill pond.

Jones Lake

It is conditions like these that you live for! The glassy surface of the lake perfectly reflected the kayaks on the water and the surrounding mountains. Paddling perfection! Lakes don’t always make for the most interesting paddling, particularly man made ones like this, but the surround scenery and magical conditions on the water more than made up for it on this day!

Jones Lake

Paddling north towards the dam

Once we finished our exploration of the lake, we headed back to the beach where we left the truck and had a light lunch enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful view. Whether you go to camp or to paddle or just to have a look at this beautiful area, it is definitely a place worth checking out!

Enjoying the views after our paddle

For more images or to purchase images of kayaking Jones Lake and other southwest lakes, click here:

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