Bowron Lakes Circuit

Basic Logistics - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Gear - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Navigation and Maps - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Leadership - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Weather - Bowron Lakes Circuit
International Travel - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Flora and Fauna - Bowron Lakes Circuit
Previous Adventures - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

Disclaimer

There are significant dangers associated with both Open Water and Moving Water canoe outings.  Units undertaking a Scouting Adventure on either a large body of water or moving water need more than just the basic skills and knowledge required by the BSA to conduct such a trip safely.

Our Troop has several adults with extensive experience and professional training in watercraft use, sailing and whitewater.  If you are planning a Canoe trip and do not have an experienced adult leader able to assess flow rates, wind and "read water", you should reconsider a water outing until you have the proper resources and people to make your trip safe. 

We are happy to talk to you if you have questions. 

Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit in Canada 

Bowron Lakes is considered one of the the top 5 paddling adventures in the world.  It ranks up there with the Barrier Reef (Belize), The Amazon, the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, and a few other epic adventures in the world.  It may not be as exotic as the Mekong River, but the way the Circuit is set up and mix of big lakes, manageable portages, moving water, marshes with moose, a touch of optional white water and incredible scenery, it is often the the top paddling destination on most lists. 

If you are setting up The Big Finale to your Scouting Journey, it would be hard to top Bowron.  That said, you will also need a backup plan as you are not the only one who knows about Bowron and they only launch one large group each day on the Circuit.  

Reservations book up immediately after the lottery opens. 

Nitty Gritty

• 550 miles north of our unit

• 10 lakes

• 116 km (72 mile) of paddling

  • A shorter, 2-to-4-day West Side circuit is also available

• 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) of portage trails

• 6-8 day trip

  • If you are traveling with a large group, your sites are predetermined 

    • 8 days and 7 nights

    • It is possible to combine the last 2 days to complete a 20 mile canoe journey with 3 small portages - but isn't feasible for most

• Plan in September/October

• Buy in and commitment by end of year

  • Have everyone who is interested place a $50 deposit in a troop account PRIOR to the lottery

    • Refund deposits if you don't get a spot

    • If you get a spot, it is possible to change reservations later, but if you drop below 7, you lose any refund past that point

      • Example: if you have 8 paddlers and you drop to 6, you only get refunded for one person minus a $5 admin fee

      • You may or may not get refunded for canoe deposits 

    • Refunds - if any will be calculated 45 days prior to launch

      • This reduces the admin fee from doing multiple changes to your reservation and evens things out a bit if you drop below 7

      • If reducing canoe numbers, inquire about refund for that

  • Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit in Canada tentatively opens around November 4 at 7 a.m. PT - but varies from year to year

  • When does registration open?

    • Nobody seems to know until about a week or two prior

    • You must be flexible and be ready to register as soon as it opens or it will be too late

• On the day reservations open – book/secure your desired week

  • Be ready to book a split second after reservations open

  • Expect the reservation site to crash immediately - be ready and don't panic

  • Maybe have multiple people register at the same time

• Timing of Circuit

  • July-August is generally the best window 

  • June and July can have heavy bugs

  • September can be colder

  • We heard about paddlers who lost control of their boat on the Cariboo River when it had high flows in June

Logistics

There are a ton of logistics you need to tackle prior an adventure on the Bowron.  It really isn't too bad, but there is a lot to consider and cover. 

See Basic Logistics - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

International Border Crossing and Travel in Canada

A trip to Bowron requires crossing an international border.  Make sure you understand what is needed and prep for this several months in advance.  Understand that most Scouts probably don't have a passport

See International Travel - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

Required Equipment

Attempting the Bowron Lake Curcuit requires a LOT of gear!

See Gear - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

Weather

Large lakes have their own weather microclimates.  Due to temperature gradient over water during the day, winds will often pick up, create ripples in the water and then magnify the size of waves until the wind dies down.  This means afternoon waves past 2pm may prevent safe travel via canoes.   

See Weather - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

Bears, Birds and Berries

Both Black Bears and Grizzlies have been seen on the Bowron Lake Circuit.  They own the entire Circuit, to include the road leading into it.

Because of bear activity, there is a set way that we deal with food, cooking and camping.  There are also a ton of other interesting wildlife and plants at Bowron.  Many of the plants are poisonous.  Some will make you sick if you eat them; some will will mess up your skin if you touch them and some are deadly. 

See Flora and Fauna - Bowron Lakes Circuit 

Resources

• Canoe Circuits - Province of British Columbia

  • Bowron Lake Brochure Map 11x17 

  • pre-trip information booklet [PDF] 

  • campground map [PDF]

Learning Resources

• Video & book - Path of the Paddle – by Bill Mason (Both book and video are canoeing classics) 

• Book - Paddle Your Own Canoe - by Joanie and Gary McGuffin - A New resource with great photos clearly showing canoeing techniques. 

• Bowron Lake reference material in print: The Bowron Lakes: BC Wilderness Canoe Circuit – by Chris Harris. A photographic journey through the park.