NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 588

the parking lot, a two-kilometer (1.2-mile) trail (40 minutes each way) leads to the creek-
side deposit and an intriguing outcrop of hoodoos.
Accommodations
On the east side of town before Highway 16 descends to the main street, the low-slung
Wanakena Motel (250/692-3151 or 888/413-3151, www.blwana.com , $75-99 d) is an
older place, but rooms are cheery and clean, and wireless Internet is free.
Information
Burns Lake Visitor Centre is along Highway 16 west of downtown (250/692-3773,
9am-5pm daily July-Aug., 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri. Sept.-June).
TWEEDSMUIR PROVINCIAL PARK
The town of Burns Lake is not only near British Columbia's smallest provincial park (Dead-
man's Island in Burns Lake), it's also the northern gateway to the largest: 981,000-hectare
(2.42-million-acre) Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. The park extends over 200 kilometers
(124 miles) from north to south. Its northern boundary, formed by Ootsa and Whitesail
Lakes, is accessed along a network of logging roads south from Burns Lake. The only road
within the park is Highway 20. Most of the park's northern section is made up of the Quan-
chus Mountain Range, holding many peaks topping 1,900 meters (6,230 feet), and the
Nechako Plateau, which is riddled with lakes and streams. The lakes are filled with fish,
including rainbow trout, kokanee, mountain whitefish, and burbot. Aside from fishing, the
most popular activity in the park's northern reaches is boating, canoeing, or kayaking the
circular route through Ootsa, Whitesail, Eutsuk, Tetachuck, and Natalkuz Lakes, with some
portaging required.
Practicalities
Wilderness campsites ($5 per person) sprinkle some of the lakes within the park. To get
to Ootsa Lake, follow Highway 35 for 16 kilometers (10 miles) south from Burns Lake to
Francois Lake, take the free vehicle ferry (summer only) across Francois Lake, then con-
tinue south another 44 kilometers (27 miles) to the settlement of Ootsa Lake. To get into
the park itself, you'll need a canoe, kayak, motorboat, or chartered floatplane. Lakes Dis-
trict Air Services (250/692-3229 or 866/235-2155, www.ldair.ca ) flies charters from a base
along Francois Lake Road. See their website for package details that include lodging in re-
mote cabins.