Canada's Sparkling Lake In British Columbia Has Mountain Views, Camping, And Boating

What if we told you that there was a lake deep in southeastern British Columbia, tucked between the soaring Selkirk Mountains, the jagged Valhalla Range, and the 329-mile-long backbone of the Monashee Mountains? What if we told you it had been ranked among the top 10 lakes in the whole of Canada, a nation with as many as 2 million lakes? And what if we said it offered no-holes-barred adventure, with everything from thigh-busting hiking routes to relaxed days spent boating and chilling around the shoreline on the menu? Well, there is, and its name is Upper Arrow Lake.

Upper Arrow Lake is technically the name for just one half of the greater Arrow Lakes, a stretch of water that also includes — you guessed it — Lower Arrow Lake. The two are joined at the hip when water levels are normal, and widen out along 140-plus miles of the iconic Columbia River. For its part, the upper section goes from what's been hailed as the world's best powder ski resort, the alpine gem of Revelstoke, all the way to the hot springs and outdoors activity hub of Nakusp, offering boating, camping, hiking, and high-mountain scenery as it unfolds.

To get here, you could jet into the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook and drive west — that will take around 4.5 hours in all, going on the scenic Crowsnest Highway through the Rockies before diverting northwards towards the lake. Alternatively, you could fly into larger Vancouver International and head eastward. At over 7 hours, it's a longer drive, though it does whisk you through the underrated wine region of the Okanagan Valley, Canada's answer to Napa.

There are a few things that help to make Upper Arrow Lake a mecca for boaters. First off, it's long. A full 142 miles long when you add on the waters of Lower Arrow Lake. Then, there's the fact that the highway stays sufficiently distant from the shoreline to lend the spot an air of real wilderness — simply look up from your watercraft to get views of 8,000-plus-foot peaks haloed by thick evergreen woods.

Boat launches abound, too, often with camping right next door. Take the Arrow Lakes Provincial Park in Shelter Bay. It clings to a finger of land on the western shore, offering a concrete ramp right next to 17 sites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis between the start of May and the end of September.

Then there's the Blanket Creek Provincial Park, which BritishColumbia.com dubs as the finest option on Upper Arrow Lake for adventures that combine camping and fishing in one. The creeks here come stocked with kokanee salmon and trout, along with easy-access beaches where you can start those kayak and canoe adventures by simply walking to the shore. The park also offers 105 campsites, which sit hidden under the thick woodland canopy beside a protected swimming area.

There are mountain ranges on virtually all sides of Upper Arrow Lake, many of which are covered by Canadian nature reserves, and even the occasional national park. The upshot? The views from pretty much anywhere around the shoreline are spectacular, and there are seemingly endless opportunities for real mountain adventures in these parts.

Hikers will want to check out the routes around Begbie Falls, just south of Revelstoke town. According to the hike-tracking app AllTrails, they're chief among the top-rated paths in the whole region, with the Bluff Trail and its 3.1 miles of well-maintained forest track coming top of the pile. One past hiker writing on AllTrails waxes lyrical about the vistas along the way, commending the path for its "beautiful views, including a waterfall, mountains, beach, and moss-covered forest."

Meanwhile, the far northern tip of Upper Arrow Lake is crowned by the little-known Mount Revelstoke National Park, a place that's been called Banff without the crowds. It's loaded with day hikes that take you up to glacial lakes surrounded by lush alpine woods. And it has a seasonal scenic driving route — the Meadows in the Sky Parkway — that opens once the snow melts. Along the way, it snakes up between blooming spring wildflowers to get views over the Selkirk Mountains and the Columbia River.