Bear
River Mercantile Your Bowron Lake Adventure Specialists
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What to Expect: The Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit is a wilderness journey suitable for intermediate to advanced paddlers in good physical shape. If you come well prepared, it is a marvelous experience to enjoy the serenity, beautiful mountain views and abundant wildlife. The Circuit requires over 100 kilometers of paddling – mostly on large lakes, some on fast flowing rivers (class 1, high volume when in flood). There are also 10.8 kilometers of portage trails, over which you must transport all your gear as well as the canoe. Winds and cold, rainy weather are frequent throughout the summer, and storms may blow up at short notice, so be prepared to spend days on shore waiting for conditions to improve. Paddle close to shore, as the lakes are very cold and a capsize far from shore could have severe consequences. Wear a PFD (personal flotation device) at all times. Canoe or Kayak? Most people paddle the Circuit in 16- to 18-foot tandem (two-seater) canoes, as these are the most efficient in terms of carrying people and gear for extended backcountry sojourns. Canoes constructed of fiberglass, Kevlar, aluminum, or plastic composites such as Royalex are the best choices. (Remember though, aluminum canoes are usually heavier and much colder to sit in.) For your safety, you must make sure that you can load all your equipment and both people in your canoe and still have at least 15 cm (6") of freeboard when the canoe is in the water. (Freeboard is the vertical distance between the water and the lowest point on the rim of the canoe). Try this on a lake close to home before you leave. If there is less than 15 cm of freeboard, you either have too much gear or too small a canoe. Sea kayaks have gained in popularity over the last few years, since they are easy to paddle, easier to handle in wind and, if solo, give a sense of independence. The disadvantages of kayaks on the Bowron Circuit are their relative weight (two 50 lb. kayaks versus one 70 lb. canoe); they cannot be portaged over your shoulders like a canoe; and difficulty in packing and repacking into a tight hold every time you portage. If you have an odd number of people in your party, using a sea kayak may be a better option for the "extra paddlers" as opposed to attempting to load a tandem canoe with three adults and all their camping gear. That way, you can also store allot of the kayaker's gear in the accompanying canoes. White water kayaks are not suitable for the Canoe Circuit as they do not track well and have too little stowage for camping gear. Both canoes, single seat sea kayaks and carts (for both) are available for rent from Bear River Mercantile. Canoeing Skills: It is best if you practice paddling before you plan to do the Circuit. All members of your party should be able to launch the canoe from shore, paddle it consistently in a straight line, turn it in both directions and steer/sideslip to avoid obstacles such as sweepers and deadheads in moving water. You should know how to do a low brace to prevent capsize, and do a canoe over canoe rescue if other group members capsize. If you plan to kayak, you should learn the equivalent maneuvers, and be sure to practice "wet exits" - local pools may offer practice sessions. You also must know how to trim (balance) a canoe for the best paddling efficiency. The load should be balanced from side to side and end to end. It is almost impossible to steer if the bow (front end) is heavier, plowing through the water. On the contrary, if the bow is too light it will catch wind, and can send you off track. Canoe Carts: On portages, you can avoid having to carry your canoe or kayak by renting a cart. In order to reduce damage to the trails caused by over-width and overweight canoe carts, the Park applies the following restrictions on canoe carts, which will be enforced.
The canoe and kayak carts that are rented from Bear River Mercantile are park approved. Local Weather: The weather is very incremental at Bowron Lake, whether from day to day or hour to hour. It even differs within the same time frame, depending on where you are on the circuit (during the same hour paddlers on Spectacle Lake may be experiencing a downpour while those on Bowron Lake are basking in the sun). You can check the current posted conditions at the Weather Network. Backcountry Camping Skills: The key to comfort and safety is knowing how to stay warm and dry, even in a continuous downpour. There are facilities at Bowron Lake Park that will help – four picnic shelters and six rustic cabins. These are for everyone’s use. You should plan to sleep in your own tent, using the cabins and shelters for cooking and drying out wet clothes, and sharing the space with others. Not all campsites have a shelter nearby. Ensure your tent and raingear are watertight before you leave – they may need to be seam-sealed. Pack all your food and clothing in watertight containers. Specially designed portage packs and dry bags are ideal, though garbage bags used as liners for nylon stuff sacks work well, too. If you arrive in camp during a rainstorm, your first priority should be shelter. String up a large tarp, and get your tent set up. Then change into dry clothing, and cook up some warm food such as soup on your portable stove. Finally, work on starting a fire. Look out for group members who are shivering, or just much quieter than usual – they may have the early stages of hypothermia. Dry, warm clothing is a priority for them. Remember to leave your campsite as clean as or cleaner than you found it. "Leave No Trace". Food: It is wise to plan each meal ahead of time: measure out the food, then double-bag it to keep it dry. Pre-packaged, dehydrated dinners are recommended; canned food is heavy to portage, and fresh food should be eaten within the first couple days. Crackers, cheese, peanut butter, nuts, cookies, dried fruit and drink mixes make a good lunch. Breakfast is a matter of taste, but please don’t skip it. Remember that you will probably be burning a lot more calories than you would at home, so ensure the food is high-energy, delicious, and nutritious. Bring a few extra meals in case you become storm-bound and can not get off the chain when planned (or you decide to stay that extra day because you are having such a good time.) Possession of commercially packaged tin and tetra packed beverages and all glassware is prohibited on the Canoe Circuit. This includes beer and pop cans, bottles, jam jars and juice boxes. Transfer these kinds of items into reusable plastic water bottles. Equipment: For a complete Park recommended equipment list you can download the Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit Pre-trip Information Booklet: or view our Canoe Camping Essentials Info Sheet. Bears: Our bear safety page contains important information about camping and traveling in bear country. Boating
Safety: Motor boats are allowed on Bowron Lake and must share this
lake with the smaller canoes and kayaks. If boating on Bowron, give canoes and kayaks a wide berth when
passing and control your speed to minimize the height of your wake to
avoid Determine a safe speed for your
motor boat based on your experience, weather
conditions, visibility, Park Rangers and Park Facility Operators are not always available to
assist boaters in distress. Personal
Safety: Be prepared for all weather conditions.
The weather can change quickly
on the lake chain, You
should leave a trip plan and contact information with someone (or in your
vehicle) as this can be
invaluable in helping to locate Respect the water, weather and/or environmental conditions, and make
choices based on your
Other Useful Links
Click here for more useful information regarding Outdoor Recreation Also see our BRM Information Sheets
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Send mail to
sandy@bowronlake.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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Maximum axle width of canoe carts is 75 cm (30 inches)