An RV Trip to Muncho Lake Provincial Park

Tucked away in the remote regions of Northern British Columbia, stunning, jade-green Muncho Lake is part of the 88,420 ha (341.4 sq mi) Muncho Lake Provincial Park. The lake lies cradled between two mountain ranges, the Terminal Range to the west and the Sentinel Range to the east. These mountains are near the very northern limits of the Rocky Mountains.  Muncho means ‘Big Lake’ in the Kaska First Nations language and is one of the largest lakes in the Canadian Rockies.

The area is alive with wildlife. There are eight species of ungulates, including Stone Sheep, mountain goats, bison, moose, elk, caribou, and white-tailed and mule deer. There are at least seven species of carnivores including wolves, coyotes, foxes, grizzly bears, black bears, lynx and wolverines.

The lake’s cold, deep waters, tinted jade green by the presence of copper oxides leached from the surrounding bedrock, are home to lake trout, arctic grayling, bull trout and whitefish.

The Alaska Highway runs right through the park along the eastern shore of Muncho Lake and there is an excellent chance you will see some of these critters as you drive through the park. Many of these animals frequent the clearings along side the highway foraging for food, and in the winter and shoulder seasons, they will commonly come down to the roads to lick road salt.

Be extra careful when driving these roads and be cognizant of other traffic, especially those behind you, when you decide you have to pull over for that photo op!

Muncho Lake from the northern end

Getting There

Mucho Lake Provincial Park is located about 250kms (135 miles) west of Fort Nelson, BC on the Alaska Highway. About 1.5 kms (1 mile) west from the highway services community of Muncho Lake, you will come to a large gravel pull-off at the southern end of the lake Here you get to experience your first stunning view of 12 kms of jade coloured water surrounded by snow capped peaks.

Pull-out at the southeast end of Muncho Lake – You can see the Alaska Highway to the right

The lake is 12 kms (7.5miles) long, varies in width from 1–6 kms (1/2 to 3.5 miles) and maintains a maximum depth of over 200 meters (656 ft). The average summer water surface temperature is a chilly 10°C (50°F).

Camping and Accommodations

Muncho Lake Provincial Park has two, 15 site, vehicle accessible campgrounds in the park, both found right on the shores of the lake. The campgrounds are open from May 1st to Sept 15th. There are pit toilets, hand pump water supply, campfire rings and picnic tables. The park also has a day-use picnic area.

The MacDonald Campground

If you are looking for something a little more luxurious, not far west of the BC Parks MacDonald campground is a privately operated lodge and campground, the Northern Rockies Lodge. Here, there is a lodge, cabins and full service RV park where you can fish, canoe, book scenic flights, and take boat tours of the lake.

Float Plane tour on Muncho Lake

There is another RV campground a little further up the highway at mile 463 (km710) with full hookups, including 30 and 50 amp service :  Muncho Lake RV Park.

Things to do

Boating

Car top boats and paddle craft can be launched at the BC Parks Strawberry Flats Campground, and there is a boat launch at the MacDonald campground. If you’re camped at one of the waterfront sites you can launch small watercraft right from your campsite. The lake is 12 kms (7.5 miles) long and varies from 1 to 6 kms (1/2 to 3.5 miles) across so there is lots to explore by boats, paddle craft and sail boats.

Keep in mind the lake is long and narrow and cradled between two mountain ranges. Winds can come up quickly and get funnelled strongly down the lake creating challenging conditions for small water craft. Also, keep in mind that the waters are very cold, 10°C or 50°F in the summer. Should you find your self in the water without the proper clothing, hypothermia is a real concern.

Kayaking the jade waters of Muncho Lake

Multi hued water near a stream inlet

Looking south down Muncho Lake – Snow Capped Pearson Mountain on the right

Having fun in the kayak on Muncho Lake – Don’t fall in, that water is cold!

Hiking

From short walks to long wilderness hikes, a number of trails are found in Muncho Lake Provincial Park.

Fishing

Lake trout, bull trout, mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling, white and longnose suckers are all native to Muncho Lake. There have been 50lb lake trout pulled from these waters.

Wildlife viewing

While there are no specific wildlife viewing platforms there are many opportunities to see wildlife. One of the most common sightings are Stone Sheep, which are regularly seen along the highway.

Black Bear

Stone Sheep

Biking

There are no bike specific trails in the park, so riding is pretty much confined to the park roadways at the campgrounds and the Alaska Highway.

Swimming and water skiing

Both activities can be done here, but keep in the mind that the average surface water temperature only gets up to about 10°C or 50°F in the summer so you may want to have a wetsuit.

Other things to do

If you are spending some time at Muncho Lake, a short drive to Liard Hot Springs in Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a must do. About 60 km up to the road from Muncho Lake it will take you roughly 1 hour to get there. For more information on Liard Hotsprings, click this link. Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park

The hotsprings at Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park