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northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hikes · Upper Fraser & Sugarbowl · Highway 16 East

Purden Lake

North-shore trail follows lake edge with roots and boardwalks; camping is available in the park subject to operator rules.

Sources reviewed . This is a research date, not a trail inspection.

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The locations GPX contains sourced points with their recorded roles. It contains no trail track or connecting route.

Distance
12.2 kmRound trip
Elevation gain
Not establishedGentle slopes; cumulative gain not published
Walking time
3-5 hours
Difficulty
EasyThere and Back
A bridge across a creek beside Purden Lake
A bridge across a creek beside Purden Lake, 10 May 2013.DSC04563 (opens original source) · Andrew Kurjata · CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 (opens original source) · 2013-05-10. Provider display size downloaded; no local edits. Display may crop the view. Adaptations retain the image licence. · Noncommercial only

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Elevation profile

A full-route elevation profile is not available yet.

A reusable trail line has not yet been verified for this outing. Any location pin shows the published location described above; it does not draw the hike or establish a navigable approach.

Getting there & parking

Travel east from Prince George on Highway 16 for approximately 61–64 km, depending on the published starting point, and turn left at the signed Purden Lake park access. Follow the park road to the day-use or campground parking appropriate to your outing. Purden Mountain ski access is a different destination.

park turnoff. Source-published approximate distance from Prince George; not a current routed travel time.

61 km from town in the source description. park turnoff. Source-published approximate distance from Prince George; not a current routed travel time.

Map position: 53.92917, -121.91139 · park / protected area reference point (not a trailhead). BC Gazetteer: Purden Lake Park | Provincial Park | 53 55 44 N | 121 54 41 W | WGS84 | mapsheet 93H/13 Official named-feature location, not parking or a verified route start. This point supports regional orientation and area forecasts; road directions and distance-to-trailhead must use a separately verified access point.

On the trail

Follow the north-shore path through forest beside Purden Lake, negotiating roots, narrow sections and boardwalks across wet ground. The longer route can be walked as an out-and-back, with a selected turnaround or the full published 6.1 km one-way extent. That total is different from a brief stroll on the campground’s shoreline footpaths. Use the established tread and signs rather than trying to force a complete circuit around the lake.

Terrain: roots · narrow path · boardwalk sections.

Distance and elevation source notes

12.2 km

Gentle slopes

Source comparison: Purden Lake lakeside trails; network scope. This is another description of the main outing, a duplicate endpoint, an unscoped source claim, or a related facility.

Source comparison: Purden Lake campground; source does not state return basis scope. This is another description of the main outing, a duplicate endpoint, an unscoped source claim, or a related facility.

Conditions & seasons

Season-specific access has not been established in this guide. Read the dated notices and original land-manager information before choosing a departure date.

These are dated research notes. Open the trip planner for current available weather and advisory feeds; no alert found does not establish that a trail or road is open.

Check weather & available updates →

Camping & overnight plans

Use the established Purden Lake frontcountry campground and confirm the current operating season, reservation requirements and available facilities through BC Parks. Shoreline trails and picnic areas do not create additional tent sites. Stay within the booked or assigned campsite for an overnight visit.

Official reservation information (opens original source)

Photos of Purden Lake

A bridge across a creek beside Purden Lake
A bridge across a creek beside Purden Lake, 10 May 2013.DSC04563 (opens original source) · Andrew Kurjata · CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 (opens original source) · 2013-05-10. Provider display size downloaded; no local edits. Display may crop the view. Adaptations retain the image licence. · Noncommercial only

Original photo galleries

These galleries stay on their photographers’ original websites.

Take this guide with you

Choose a trip pack or an available individual sheet for your map case.

Full trip packDirections, planning notes & available mapsTopographic mapPublished locations; no trail lineSave offline guideDownload a copy to your device
Sources, dates & research notes

Descriptions are written for this guide from the linked evidence. Source review dates, published reports and field observations can differ. Photographs and route lines retain their own attribution and reuse terms.

  1. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/purden-lake (opens original source)
  2. https://bcparks.ca/purden-lake-park/ (opens original source)
  3. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-geographical-names (opens original source)
  4. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/d92224ee-03ef-4904-be53-b677d8e01ac4/resource/69738aa8-2cc0-4975-aec6-4dc2e30990bf/download/bc-gazetteer-2026-08-12.csv (opens original source)

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