McDougall Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McDougall Lake |
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 McDougall Lake
Location in British Columbia
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| Location | British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 52°13′N 119°55′W / 52.22°N 119.91°W |
| Primary inflows | File Creek |
| Primary outflows | File Creek |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 6.7 km (4.2 mi) |
| Max. width | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 1,152 m (3,780 ft) |
| Islands | none |
| Settlements | none |
McDougall Lake is a beautiful lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It's a fairly long lake, about 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles) in length. Water flows out of McDougall Lake through a stream called File Creek, which then empties into the larger Murtle Lake.
How McDougall Lake Got Its Name
McDougall Lake, along with McDougall Falls on the Murtle River, is named after a person named Pete McDougal. Pete McDougal was a homesteader who lived in the Clearwater River Valley from 1913 to 1936. Over time, the spelling of "McDougal" changed slightly to "McDougall" for the lake and falls.
Reaching McDougall Lake: An Adventure!
Getting to McDougall Lake is quite an adventure because there are no easy roads or trails leading directly to it.
Some maps might show a trail from Murtle Lake that follows File Creek. However, this trail has been difficult to use since the 1980s. Another trail, the Kostal Lake trail from Clearwater Lake, was permanently closed by B.C. Parks in 2013.
If you want to visit McDougall Lake, you can get a special permit from B.C. Parks to land a float plane or helicopter there.
Another way to reach the lake is by canoe or kayak. You can paddle on Murtle Lake, then carry your boat (this is called a portage) around some fast-moving water (rapids) on File Creek. After that, you can paddle about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) upstream. Eventually, you'll reach a spot where a log jam blocks the creek. From there, a marked route begins. The hike to McDougall Lake from this point is about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long and takes around 3 hours. This hike goes across old lava flows from the Kostal Cone volcano.
