Our second day of walks this week we headed back down to the eastern end of the Fraser Valley. There were two shorter walks I wanted to do that were not worth driving out for individually but to get to one you had to pass the other, I was able to combine them and enjoy both on the same day.
First we headed to Cultus Lake Provincial Park. Cultus Lake is a well known BC ‘party lake’ where the parks board provide extensive facilities shoreside and allow all types of boating, swimming, tubing, jet skis etc on the basis many of the other lakes in the province are protected and enjoyed in their natural state.
I had heard of Cultus Lake and indeed most Lower Mainlanders seem to have grown up camping on the shores and vacationing their summers on these waters but we hadn’t ever visited.
As we reached Cultus Lake we stop for a bathroom and photo break. We arrive quite early, around 9.15am so the majority of vacationers are still waking up and the lake is beautifully peaceful and quiet.
This is the view South along the lake from the main beach. The lakeshore is thoroughly organised with huge jetties built out into the lake for sunbathing and jumping into and out of the water.
At this the North end of the lake there has been some development of waterfront homes although they all sit on land leased from the parks board.
After a quick photo break we drive the next few minutes along Columbia Valley Highway down the east side of the lake to the trailhead for Teapot Hill.
There’s no clear definition for the name of this hill but it’s an easy warm up walk of 5km and 200m elevation gain. The first half of the walk is up an old forest service road, alongside a couple of creeks and through lush moss covered forest.
Around halfway up the trail for Teapot Hill veers off and becomes a natural forest path, still easy walking though. This eventually brings us to a lookout over Cultus Lake.
Another 100m or so and there’s the peak of the hill and views South over the Columbia Valley. Within this view is the US-Canada border as we’re only about 3km North of it here and looking straight down to it.
The small village of Lindell Beach sits to the South end of the lake.
More views from Teapot Hill.
Panorama from the South end of Cultus Lake looking North.
Zoomed in on the beaches and amenities at the North end of the lake.
After this we head towards Lindeman Lake in Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park which will be our next post.
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