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Main
Lake
Main Lake Provincial Park is located approximately 31 km (19 miles)
east of Campbell
River on Quadra
Island.
Quadra
Island
Main Lake Provincial Park is located towards the north side of Quadra
Island about half-way up just west of Village Bay. The park is made
up of six lakes called Stramberg, Clear, Little, Mine, Main and
the upper half of Village Bay. Main Lake Provincial Park offers
very little road or trail access with only a couple of points for
entering by vehicle and offers no RV or vehicle-accessible camping.
Travelling
Here
In order to get to Main Lake Provincial Park by vehicle, you have
to take a BC Ferries regular schedule sailing from Campbell River
to the terminal at Quathiaski Cove on Quadra Island. The ferry crossing
usually takes around 10 minutes. Once on Quadra Island, you then
travel north to Heriot Bay and then take Hyacinthe Bay Road to where
it joins Village Bay Road. From here you then travel to the southern
part of Village Bay Lake where a bridge crosses over a narrow section
of the lake.
Diverse
Freshwater Eco-System
Main Lake Provincial Park offers wilderness camping and hiking in
an area with a very diverse freshwater eco-system. The six lakes
provide a valuable need for the run-off and collection of freshwater
and, through the storage support, a wide range of bid, animal and
plant life including cougars, wolves, Bald eagles, hawks, osprey,
owls, wintering swans and Peregrine falcons.
Village
Bay Lake
There is a parking lot located here for people to have boat access
to cabins located on Village Bay Lake outside of the park boundary.
You can enter Village Bay Lake at this point by small boat and travel
north into the park. Also located here is a trail that leads to
a rock bluff area and probably Quadra Island's most popular local
swimming hole. Just remember there are no lifeguards present here
or in Main Lake Provincial Park.
Mine
Lake
From the bridge if you continue an additional three km (two miles)
on the gravel road, you'll come to Mine Lake and the parking lot
for Main Lake Provincial Park. At Mine Lake you can also find a
pit-toilet, an area for launching a canoe, kayak or car-top boat
and an informational sign regarding Main Lake Provincial Park and
the hazards found throughout the different lakes and the wilderness
setting.
Boat
Access
Once boating on Mine Lake, the rest of the park can only be accessed
through narrow channels and shallow marshes that go into Main and
Village Bay Lakes. There are also rough wilderness portages into
the other lakes with some from off of Oren Bay Main FSR and Little
Main Road. Powerboats are permitted in Main Lake Provincial Park
but are required to have a 9.9 maximum horsepower rating. There
is a non-maintained access trail situated from between Yeatman Bay
in Okisollo Channel that goes into one of the wilderness campsites
on Main Lake.
Wilderness
Campgrounds
There is wilderness camping only at Main Lake Provincial Park at
seven (7) different camping areas along Mine and Main Lakes. The
majority of these campsites are located on the channel going into
Main Lake with the rest on the north-east side of Main Lake and
an island in Mine Lake. The campsites have areas for tents, campfire
rings, pit-toilets and offer year- round camping. Drinking water
needs to be filtered out and boiled and no-trace camping needs to
be practised at all times.
Camp
Homewood
There is a year-round Christian retreat centre called Camp Homewood
situated on the north-east side of Main Lake just north of the road
leading past the parking lot on Mine Lake. Here you can find a rustic
lodge offering various programs with bunkhouse-type accommodation
with swimming areas and floats situated near the lakeshore.
Wind
Hazard
If you are boating, besides all the hazards associated with the
wilderness experience, remember to be prepared for sudden winds
that could come up on the various lakes in Main Lake Provincial
Park. Also, during the year, the water levels fluctuate quite a
bit allowing stumps and shoals to become hazardous for boats.
BC
Parks
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