Cathedral Provincial Park

It takes a day of hiking to get to this campground at the centre of Cathedral Provincial Park, in the Cascade Mountains west of B.C.’s Okanagan, but the park’s interior is worth it: a subalpine plateau of fish-filled lakes, unique geology, alpine meadows and, most importantly, plenty of hikeable summits and ridges. Day hikes project like spokes on a wheel from the campground, which sits on a turquoise lake across from impressive granite walls.

Things to do: The best hike is the Cathedral Rim Trail, a highline loop along a series of ridges topping out at over 2,500 metres. The route passes some of the park’s best-known geologic formations, including Smokey the Bear, the Devil’s Woodpile and Stone City. The Lake-view Mountain Trail leads to the park’s high point and provides extensive views—on a clear day you can see Mount Rainier’s bulk, 300 kilometres away. Four of the park’s lakes were stocked with trout in the 1930s. Cast for trophy rainbows in Ladyslipper and cutthroats in Lake of the Woods.

If you don’t feel like hiking in, you can arrange to hitch a ride to the centre of the park on a shuttle operated by Cathedral Lake Lodge