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Hikes · Vanderhoof & Fraser Lake · Vanderhoof

Waterlily Lake Trail

A seven-loop community-forest network reaches Waterlily and Homestead lakes, an old trapper’s cabin and viewpoints near Logan’s Point. Loop lengths vary widely, so the network offers both short walks and more demanding outings.

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

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Distance
Seven loops, 1.2–12.6 kmTrip basis unconfirmed
Elevation gain
Not establishedCumulative ascent for this outing has not been established.
Walking time
Not published
Difficulty
Not rated

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Elevation profile

A full-route elevation profile is not available yet. The mapped paths have not been verified as one continuous outing.

Choose a specific route where available. Individual map fragments are not shown as separate hike stages.

Mapped trail network. The source contains several Waterlily Lake sections. They form a network rather than one measured lake outing. Line source (opens original source).

Getting there & parking

  1. From Northside Road, take Sturgeon Point Road, then Smedley Road.

  2. The trail entrance is approximately 2.4 km along Smedley Road, about 13 km from the visitor centre.

Full access notes

From Vanderhoof follow Northside Road to Sturgeon Point Road, then take Smedley Road. The published entrance is 2.4 km along Smedley Road, approximately 13 km from the visitor centre. Choose the loop at the trailhead before starting; a navigation destination for the lake itself is not necessarily the parking access.

Map position: 54.08031, -123.92314 · recreation project location. PROJECT_NAME=Waterlily Lake Trail; FOREST_FILE_ID=REC1342; official source point [-123.92313979990143, 54.08030600494326]

On the trail

Use the network map and triangular orange markers to follow your chosen loop. The seven published options range from 1.2 km to 12.6 km, and their difficulty varies accordingly. Possible objectives include the two lakes, the old cabin and Logan’s Point, where the Moose Mountain survey marker and views toward Blue Mountain and Stuart Lake are noted. Those landmarks belong to different branches, so do not assume a short loop visits them all. The district warns that summer maintenance is limited; expect a rougher footpath than a groomed winter ski trail and be ready to retrace your route at an unclear junction.

The way back

Choose a named loop on the trailhead map before starting. The seven options span 1.2–12.6 km, so there is no single network-wide outing distance.

Conditions & seasons

Used for hiking in summer and cross-country skiing in winter. Summer trail upkeep is described as limited; winter track-setting does not establish summer footpath condition.

Winter route

The district describes winter cross-country skiing and cautions that summer paths are not well maintained. Orange triangular markers identify much of the network.

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

On-route camping permission has not been established for this outing. Check the relevant land manager before planning an overnight stay; a mapped lake, cabin or previous tent location does not confirm permission.

Photos of Waterlily Lake Trail

A photograph with confirmed reuse permission has not yet been added to this guide.

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 mapSource lines and published locationsSave 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://vanderhoof.ca/visit/trails/ (opens original source)
  2. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/mpcm/bcgwpub/MapServer/280 (opens original source)
OpenStreetMap line references (17)

These contributor-mapped features support the map geometry. They are separate from the written access and route sources.

  1. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709265 (opens original source)
  2. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709266 (opens original source)
  3. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709268 (opens original source)
  4. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709269 (opens original source)
  5. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709272 (opens original source)
  6. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709276 (opens original source)
  7. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709279 (opens original source)
  8. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709280 (opens original source)
  9. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709283 (opens original source)
  10. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709286 (opens original source)
  11. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709287 (opens original source)
  12. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197709288 (opens original source)
  13. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1146401923 (opens original source)
  14. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1146401933 (opens original source)
  15. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1146401935 (opens original source)
  16. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1146401936 (opens original source)
  17. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1146401937 (opens original source)
Details still being researched
  • gainM
  • distanceKm
  • dogs
  • accessibility
  • camping

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