Ashnola River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ashnola River |
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Aerial view of the Ashnola River in 2017
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| Countries | United States and Canada |
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The Ashnola River is a river that flows into the Similkameen River. It starts in the northeastern part of the North Cascades mountains in Washington, United States. From there, it flows north into British Columbia, Canada.
The Ashnola River joins the Similkameen River about halfway between the towns of Princeton and Keremeos. The river crosses the border between the US and Canada at 49°00′00″N 120°19′37″W / 49.00000°N 120.32694°W. It also flows through Cathedral Provincial Park, a beautiful natural area.
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Exploring the Ashnola River and its Surroundings
The Ashnola River has one main smaller river, called a tributary, that flows into it. This tributary is Ewart Creek, which is about 25 kilometers (15 miles) long. Ewart Creek starts very close to the US-Canada border and is entirely within Cathedral Provincial Park.
Access to Cathedral Provincial Park
A gravel road follows the Ashnola River. This road starts where the river meets BC Highway 3 at a place called Ashnola. This road is the main way to get into Cathedral Provincial Park.
History of the Ashnola Area
The area around Ashnola used to be a mining camp. This was during the time of many gold rushes in the Similkameen Country. It was also the location of the Ashnola Indian Reserve, which is connected to the Lower Similkameen Indian Band.
What Does the Name Ashnola Mean?
The name "Ashnola" has been spelled in different ways over time. Some older spellings include Nais-nu-loh, Ashtnolow, and Ashtnoulou.
Possible Meanings of the Name
One magazine article suggests that Ashnola means "white waters." However, other sources say that the meaning of the name is not known for sure. A book called British Columbia Place Names explains that the original name comes from an Indigenous village. In the modern way of writing the Okanagan language, this village name is spelled Acnulox.
