Horsefly Lake Provincial Park

Horsefly Lake Provincial Park is in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. The closest communities are Horsefly, Likely, and Williams Lake.

Understand

This 186-ha park offers a popular 23-site campground and day-use area which has a developed beach, a horseshoe pit and a nature trail.

History

Landscape

Flora and fauna

Fir, spruce, birch and cedar clothe the slopes along the lower reaches of Dillabough Creek at the west end of Horsefly Lake – a semi-wilderness water body penetrating the Quesnel Highlands. There are old growth cedars and Douglas firs throughout the park. There are two unnamed lakes in the park, once the site of a hatchery operated to restore the run of sockeye to the Horsefly River.

Wildlife species found in the park include moose, mule deer, coyotes, black bear, cougar and a number of small mammals, while wolves may be found in surrounding areas. Horsefly and other smaller lakes in the area support healthy populations of rainbow trout and amphibians can be found in lake and wetland areas. Despite the park’s name, there are relatively few biting flies in the park. Just outside the community of Horsefly, there are spawning channels on the Horsefly River with dyked paths for viewing. The channels provide spawning beds for sockeye salmon that travel up the Fraser River to the Quesnel River, Quesnel Lake and finally to the Horsefly River to spawn. The best time to see these brilliant red and green salmon is mid-September.

Climate

Get in

The park is on Horsefly Lake, approximately 65 km from 150 Mile House off Highway 97; 55 km of the route is paved, and 10 km is well-maintained gravel.

Fees and permits

Get around

See

Do

Horsefly Lake offers excellent Rainbow and Lake trout fishing. The lake is quite long and offers lots of shoreline to explore by boat, canoe or kayak. There are a few hiking trails in the area. A good afternoon hike is the Viewland mountain trail which is a few kilometers further past the Park (look for the Viewland forest service road on the right side around the 20 km marker. The trail head is on this road and is marked with a sign.)

Buy

Eat

You can buy food supplies in the small town of Horsefly which is about 15 minutes away by car. There are two small stores to purchase the basics although the prices are higher than in larger centres. There is also the Anvil Pub if you would like to eat out.

Drink

• Clarke's General Store is a provincial liquor distributor and has a selection of beer, wine and spirits.
• The Anvil Pub is an adults-only drinking establishment. Both are in nearby Horsefly.

Sleep

Lodging

There is only camping available inside the park but there are several Bed and breakfast spot located on Horsefly lake. There is a motel in the nearby town of Horsefly.

Camping

There are 23 campsites available several of which are right on the lake. The lakefront campsites likely will have to be reserved in advance as they are very popular. There is a public swimming area nearby, a boat launch, outhouses and a picnic area. Campsites are available mid-May to mid-Sep, and can be reserved online.

Camping fee: $23 per party/night at vehicle-accessible and walk-in sites (2018).

Wheelchair access: There is one pit toilet at the campground with wheelchair accessibility.

Stay safe

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