Make a Splash in our Rivers & Lakes

Adventure is unlimited here in Boundary Country where stories abound of sun-soaked vacations and unhurried days spent playing in our rivers and lakes. Escape big city stresses. Daydream your cares away as you enjoy the Kettle and Granby Rivers. Go for the gold — pan the Kettle River sifting its sand and rock bottom searching for traces of gold. Float from sand bank to sand bank, drifting at the speed of each river’s current. Tap into old summer memories or create new ones, making a splash with family and friends at Christina Lake. Discover the tranquility of Jewel Lake where watercraft restrictions mean you’ll find nothing but peace and quiet, and kilometre-after-kilometre of pure get-away-from-it-all.

The Kettle and Granby Rivers

Jump right in, the water’s fine! Splash about. Go for a swim or tip your friends into the drink. Watch eagles soar the thermals above the river. Experience good, clean and wet family fun.

The Kettle River cuts its watery swath through the heart of Boundary Country. Beginning in the Monashee Mountains, it winds south and east, across the international border at Midway then back into Canada again at Grand Forks, where the Granby River joins it. Drive, ride or hike past its shores on a warm summer day and you’re bound to see pockets of activity, where people have gathered to beat the heat in the river’s cool, running waters.

Christina Lake — BC’s Warmest Tree-Lined Lake

Families have made Christina Lake their summer home-away-from-home, staying in lakeside cabins, B&Bs or camping resorts for decades, because, simply put, the hottest summer day is made cooler here. A place to make summer memories, it’s where you can teach your kids to swim, fish, kayak and canoe, or to land a perfect cannon ball right from the dock. Play along 45 km (28 mi) of tree- and beach-lined shores, or take a dip in the warmest tree-lined lake in British Columbia, where the water temperatures often climb beyond 23°C (73°F) mid-summer.

Water-Fuelled Fun at Christina Lake

Explore Christina Lake one paddle stroke at a time.  SUP (stand-up paddle board), kayak or canoe its quiet northern shore. Feel the wind whip through your hair as you wakeboard or ski across the lake. Cruise the lake by pontoon. Take your time and stop for swim breaks or a picnic on shore. If fishing is what you’re after, chat up the locals at the Christina Lake Marina to find out the best spots to catch Rainbow trout and Kokanee, whitefish or burbot.

Christina Lake’s Provincial Parks

Gather the whole clan for a day at Christina Lake Provincial Park (Play/Parks) where the 350 m (1,148 ft) golden beach slopes gently into the shallows. Go for a dip. Paddle your kayak or canoe searching for ancient First Nations pictographs still visible along the eastern shore, north of Texas Point. Explore endless shorelines covered in old-growth cedar and hemlock at Gladstone (Texas Creek) Provincial Park. Discover that time spent at Christina Lake is as restorative as any day at the spa.

Paddle in Peace — Jewel Lake

Paddle your kayak or canoe in blissful peace and quiet past Jewel Lake’s pristine shores. Watch Great Blue Herons fish from the shore, awestruck by their wingspan when they finally take flight. Cast your fly on a quest to land Rainbow and Brook trout. Try to beat the record for fishing Gerrard trout — a whopping 23.6 kg (52 lbs) is the largest ever landed here. Wrap up in a warm blanket, fall asleep under the stars and wake to the call of the loon. Marvel that so much serenity can be found at a lake that’s no more than 3 km (1.8 mi) long.

It may be near Greenwood, but Jewel Lake is pure BC wilderness. Home to Jewel Lake Resort, it’s where families and groups of friends gather in summer, unwinding and reconnecting with each other, RV or tent camping, or staying in rustic cabins dotting the shores. Stay for the weekend, or, if you only have a day to play, pack up a picnic and your best summer read, lounging on the secluded beach at Jewel Lake Provincial Park at the north end of the lake.

Enjoy our Waterfalls

You never know what you’ll find around the corner on your next hike. Hikes around Midway and Greenwood and south of Christina Lake include spectacular scenery and waterfalls.

Boundary Creek Falls

Take a hike around Boundary Creek Falls, halfway between Midway and Greenwood. About 31 m (100 ft) upstream from the falls is the remains of an old dam that once generated power for Greenwood. Go exploring around the small canyon and view the 12 m (40 ft) falls from the canyon rim.

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls is another great area to explore. It is located just south of Christina Lake and slightly north of the Canada/USA border. This 31 m (100ft) cascading waterfall has quite a history behind it. Long ago it was a meeting place and trading ground for First Nations people and a great source for fishing. In the early 1800s a state-of-the-art hydro project was built here. This was one of the very first locations to pioneer 3-phase 60-cycle alternating current generators and was operational until 1919. It was a based on Nikola Tesla’s revolutionary model of alternating current. Some say this project was what finally settled a rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison on the AC/DC debate. Today you may still find some remnants of the old plant as you explore the beauty of this area.

Fisherman Creek Falls

Located not far from Grand Forks right off the Great Trail is Fisherman Falls. Travel several kms northwest either by foot or bike and just before the junction of the Fisherman Creek Forest Service Road there is a cool and shady path to the left. Follow your ears until you hear the falls. The Fisherman Creek Tunnel and old railway bunkhouse is not far past this point.