Manning Park, British Columbia - Hiking, Kayaking and Much More

Manning Park in British Columbia, Canada, is a large and popular provincial park which offers a wide range of both summer and winter activities. It has an area of over 70,800 hectares and contains diverse landscapes and facilities, including mountains, sub-alpine meadows, forest trails, rivers, lakes, a resort and campsites. The park is a great place for camping (including wilderness camping), hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, nordic and alpine skiing, snowshoeing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Manning Park is located in the Cascade Mountains in south central BC and is about a three hour drive from Vancouver. The park's two entrances are marked by portals showing animal carvings. The west portal has a wood carving of a marmot, while the east portal shows a bear.

Manning Park’s full name is actually E.C. Manning Park. The park was established in 1941 and was named after Ernest C. Manning, the Chief Forester of British Columbia from 1936 to 1941. Mr. Manning, who died in an airplane crash in 1941, was a keen supporter of the idea of preserving land for the enjoyment of future generations.

Manning Park contains a chain of four lakes known as the Lightning Lake Chain. The four lakes in the chain are Lightning Lake, Flash Lake, Strike Lake and Thunder Lake.

Lightning Lake is the nearest lake to the highway that travels though the park and offers swimming (but no lifeguard), fishing, canoe, rowboat and kayak rentals, and a boat launch. Motorized boats aren't allowed on the lake. If someone wants to fish they need a fishing licence, which can be bought online.

Lightening Lake is a beautiful place. It’s surrounded by a trail which provides many different views of the lake and great photo opportunities. It’s also a good place for bird watching. In the late afternoon or evening you may discover beaver in the lake.

Manning Park contains many trails for explorers. They provide walks ranging from short and gentle strolls to challenging full day or overnight hikes. A steep road near the Manning Park Resort enables visitors to drive to the Cascade Lookout and sub-alpine meadows instead of walking.

The trail that travels around Lightning Lake is nine kilometres long. The trail that provides a complete loop around all four lakes in the Lightning Lake Chain is twenty kilometres long. The lake trails are mostly flat, with a few small elevation changes. BC Parks advises visitors to allow a time of 2.5 hours to travel the Lightning Lake loop, and 6 to 7 hours to travel the loop around all four lakes. It’s possible to make the trip around Lightning Lake quicker by taking a shortcut over the Rainbow Bridge.

Hikers need to be aware that weather conditions in Manning Park can change rapidly, especially on mountain trails, and should bring appropriate clothing and supplies.

A wide variety of plants and wildlife can be observed in Manning Park. Early July is the best time to see flowers in the sub-alpine meadows. The blossoms provide a beautiful but delicate display, and visitors are asked to be careful they they keep themselves and their dogs on the trails.

Researchers have discovered 206 bird species in Manning Park and 63 mammal species. Mammals include squirrels, ground squirrels, marmots, wolverines, beavers, chipmunks, pikas, deer, moose, coyotes, cougars and bears. Rainbow trout swim in Lightning Lake.

If you stop to eat on a mountain trail in Manning Park you may discover that you have whiskey jack visitors. The whiskey jack is also called the Canada Jay or the Grey Jay. It has a white or light grey chest and belly and a dark grey back. These birds are so bold and eager to get handouts from humans that they will often land on a person's hand to take food.

Manning Park has three campgrounds that border Highway 3 (the Hope-Princeton Highway, also called the Crowsnest Highway). About fifty percent of the campsites in each campground can be reserved while the other fifty percent are available on a first-come first-served basis. The campgrounds have water and pit toilets, and firewood is available. The campsites are pleasant and are surrounded by trees.

The closest campground to the west portal of the park is the Coldspring Campground. It's situated on the right side of the road (if you are traveling from Hope), 40 km from the portal. This is the campground which my sister and I always aim for. It’s a very popular site and fills up quickly, so reservations are definitely advised. The Similkameen River flows right by the campground. The nicest section of the Coldspring Campground is the branch that travels down to a bridge that goes over the river and connects to the Canyon Loop Trail. There are frequent animal visitors to the site, including deer, chipmunks and a variety of birds. Campers have to obtain water from a pump near the campground entrance.

Mule Deer Campground, which is the closest of the three campgrounds to the east portal of Manning Park, is also located next to the Similkameen River, but the Hampton Campground is on the other side of the highway, away from the river. It's a nice site, but is less popular because it doesn't provide access to the river.

There is also a campground beside Lightning Lake. All the campsites here must be reserved. The Lightning Lake campground is located near an amphitheatre, which has scheduled visitor programs open to all campers.

The Manning Park campgrounds don't provide electrical or water hook-ups for recreational vehicles. However, a sani-station is located on HIghway 3 about 1 km east of the Manning Park Lodge.

Manning Park has a website which is a great resource for park visitors. It describes the park and its facilities and enables people to make campsite reservations. It also has information about winter camping in Manning Park.

Manning Park Resort is located by the main highway and is one kilometer away from the Coldspring Campground, on the right side of the road if you are driving in a west to east direction. The resort has a lodge and cabins, and also has a store, restaurant and pub, which are open to everybody. The store sells food, gifts, basic toiletries, first aid essentials and camping supplies. In addition, the resort contains picnic areas, public telephones, washrooms with flush toilets and a visitor centre. Manning Park doesn’t have cell phone coverage. Park staff visit the campsites several times a day if any help is needed and the resort staff are also available in an emergency. In winter cross country and downhill skis can be rented at the resort.

The Manning Park Lodge has a number of facilities for its guests, including a heated indoor pool, a sauna, hot tubs and a gym. There's an ATM in the lobby.

The road to Lightning Lake meets Highway Three by the Manning Park Resort and is on the same side of the road as the resort.

The highway from Vancouver to Hope is flat and an easy drive, but after reaching Hope you need to be prepared for a climbing and sometimes winding mountain highway on the way to Manning Park. In winter you need to have snow tires in excellent condition.

The town of Hope is located 26 km from the Manning Park’s west portal, while the town of Princeton is located 52 km from the park’s east portal. Both Hope and Princeton have a hospital. The nearest gas station to Manning Park is located just outside the east portal. It's accompanied by a little store, a postal outlet and a Greyhound bus station. You should definitely make sure that your gas tank is full before you enter the park and watch your gas gauge carefully during your visit.

The drive to Manning Park is well worth the effort. The park is a fun place to visit for outdoor activities in both summer and winter and is a wonderful place for nature enthusiasts and photographers.