Powell Lake Summer Adventure

Summer's the time of year to go "up the lake," Powell Lake that is. It's about 51 km long with three major arms radiating from centrally located Goat Island. That gives you about 480 km of picturesque shoreline to explore. An interesting fact about Powell Lake is that it was carved by an ice-age glacier, leaving it up to 1,100 feet deep in some places. Ancient trapped sea water can even be found at the bottom.

Whether you have a day or want to spend several days, Powell Lake is a great summer getaway. The Shinglemill Marina has a public boat launch and swimming beach. The nearby Shinglemill Pub and Bistro is a great place to have dinner and drinks on the deck to watch all of the boat action, especially on Friday and Sunday evenings when cabin owners launch and recover their boats. There is also a boat lauch and swimming beach at Mowat Bay.

Want to spend the night? Try a houseboat or even a float cabin. Contact Lakeside Floating Vacations. If you've never experienced a float cabin, I highly recommend it. You will be staying in a part of Coastal BC history. Powell Lake is one segment of the Powell River Forest Canoe Route and has several water access campsites. If you don't have a canoe or kayak of your own, you can rent one from Powell River Sea Kayak or Skeeter Jacks.

Like to hike? The Sunshine Coast Trail also skirts the lake on the southwest side. Car campers have lots of options. We like the Willingdon Beach Campsite. It's within walking distance of town and is right on the water of Malaspina Strait. For lakeside camping there is Haywire Bay.

Want to read more about Powell Lake? Try Up the Lake by Wayne J. Lutz.