Nanika Kidprice
Morice Forest District, Houston, BC V0J 2N0
The Nanika Kidprice Canoe route is a must for the canoeist. This series of lakes takes you into the heart of the Sibola Mountains and into the home of bears and moose; loons and eagles.
The Nanika Kidprice Canoe route is a must for the canoeist. This series of lakes takes you into the heart of the Sibola Mountains and into the home of bears and moose; loons and eagles.
To get there, turn off Highway 16 at Houston, onto the Morice River Forest Service Road for 65 kilometres, then on the Lamprey Forest Service Road for 8 kilometres to Lamprey Lake. Round trip to Nanika Falls on Kidprice Lake is about 30 miles (50 km) - allow at least three days
Camping is primitive on the lake chain, though there are established, user maintained camps and some pit toilets. Canoeists are encouraged to practice leave no trace camping as they go.
The route commences at the north shore of Lamprey Lake. There is parking and room for camping (no facilities) at the trailhead. Please fill out a site registration form located at the trailhead. Lamprey Lake is a small lake with reasonably good fishing. The portage trail between Lamprey and Anzac Lakes is about 1.5 km long. From Lamprey Lake, the trail follows the west boundary of an old clearcut to the ridgetop, then proceeds steeply downhill through the timber to Anzac Lake. Anzac Lake has the best fishing on the canoe route. The shoreline is not well suited to camping.
The trail between Anzac and Stepp Lakes commences near the outlet of Anzac Lake. The portage is short, flat, and there may be some marshy areas. Stepp Lake is subject to heavy winds and canoeists should not stay too far out from shore. There are several good camping spots along the lake, the best being located along the narrow channel at the south end of the lake. There are also several nice pebble beaches along the lake. The portage between Stepp and Kidprice Lake is about 2 km long. The trail is relatively flat with some short steep sections. The trail terminates at Kidprice Lake with a boardwalk over the last 100 to 200 metres which is wet and marshy. Canoes can be ferried down the creek to Kidprice Lake.
Kidprice Lake has some pebble beaches and has good views of subalpine and alpine slopes. There are several camping spots on the eastern end of Kidprice Lake but campers are encouraged to use less used sites. The lake is subject to heavy winds. Canoeists should not enter the narrows leading out of Kidprice Lake as there are strong currents which may sweep a canoe over the falls. Nanika Falls is the visual highlight of the canoe route. There are trails on both sides of Nanika River from which the falls can be viewed. Access from Kidprice Lake to Morice Lake is extremely difficult and involves a strenuous portage around Nanika Falls. The Nanika River is a wild river with large rapids, rocks and log debris which require precise maneuvering. It is recommended that paddlers do not attempt this river unless they are expert paddlers and have been properly briefed on the hazards. Access from Kidprice Lake to Nanika Lake is very difficult and seldom done. There are no established trails or facilities to Nanika Lake and it is approximately 6.5 kms from Kidprice Lake.
Hiking on the Nanika Kidprice Canoe Route - 2
