Sproat Lake Provincial Park facts for kids
Sproat Lake Provincial Park is a cool place to visit near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It's a special kind of park called a provincial park, which means it's protected by the government. The park and the lake it's on are named after a person from the 1800s, Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, who was a businessman and a government official.
Ancient Rock Art: K’ak’awin
One of the most amazing things to see at Sproat Lake Provincial Park is a collection of petroglyphs. These are ancient pictures carved into rocks along the lake's edge. They are called "K’ak’awin." The carvings show figures from old stories and myths. We don't know much about who made these prehistoric images or exactly when. However, the Hupacasath First Nation people have lived in this area for a very long time.
Fun Things to Do at the Park
Sproat Lake Provincial Park is about 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) west of Port Alberni. You can find it right on Highway 4. The park covers 39 hectares (about 96 acres) and is a very popular spot for outdoor fun.
- Swimming: The lake is a great place to cool off with a swim.
- Boating: You can also go boating on Sproat Lake. There's a popular place to launch your boat on the north side of the lake.
- Camping: If you want to stay overnight, the park has 58 campsites where you can park your vehicle.
- Beaches: There's also a small beach where you can relax by the water.
The park is also close to the home base of Coulson Flying Tankers. This company uses special planes called Martin Mars water bombers. These huge planes help fight wildfires by dropping lots of water from the sky.
