Hiking in British Columbia's Cathedral Provincial Park is over 33,000-hectare (80,000-acre) mountain wilderness of azure lakes, alpine meadows, and jagged peaks lying on the transition zone between the North Cascade and Okanagan Mountain Ranges.

The entrance to the Park is about 30 km from the town of Keremeos in Southwestern British Columbia. The lower levels of the Park are predominately Douglas Fir stands, changing to Lodgepole Pine, then Engleman Spruce and Sub-alpine Fir as you reach the elevation of the core area.Lyall's Larch, heather and lupines are common in the higher alpine areas.

flora and fauna

Mountain goats, California Bighorn sheep and mule deer frequent the high alpine ridges and meadows. High amongst the rocky outcroppings hikers are likely to see large hoary marmots or perhaps the shy pica.

Many naturalists and birders visit the park each summer. Lists of over 36 different species of birds and well over 500 varieties of plant life have been compiled over the years. Four of the eleven endangered plants of the North Cascades are found in Cathedral Park.

lakes and fish

The focal point of the park is the Cathedral Lakes chain. Each of these seven lakes has a charm of its own. Ladyslipper Lake is like a "turquoise jewel set in granite", while Lake of the Woods lays nestled in the sub alpine forest. Four of the lakes were stocked with cutthroat and rainbow trout in the 1930's. Today the fish spawn naturally, assuring Fishing opportunities ranging from abundant pan sized cutthroats in Lake of the Woods and Pyramid Lake to trophy sized rainbow in Layslipper Lake. Rowboats and canoes are available at the lodge for fishing on Quiniscoe Lake and our chef will be happy to fry your catch for you.

landscapes

The Cathedral Rim Trail is the main attraction in Cathedral Park. This ridge hike (2500 meters above sea level) with spectacular views of the North Cascade and Coast Range mountains leads to the unusual geological formations unique to Cathedral Park.

Devil's Wood pile
A formation of columnar-jointed rocks that have been described as the ingredients for Satan's furnace.

Stone City
A quartz monozonite formation, untouched by the ice-age glaciers, and eroded by the action of the wind over the eons.

Smokey the Bear
A jagged rock that in silhouette is a gigantic replica of the world famous forest fire fighter.


The Giant Cleft
A split in the mountain formed when softer basalt rocks eroded leaving a cleft in the harder granite.

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