Tumbler Ridge & Monkman / Full trip pack
Bootski Lake
- Round trip
- 11 km
- Elevation gain
- 550 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- About 5 hours return
- Difficulty
- Hard
return
Logging-road approach climbs into alpine terrain beneath Wapitik Mountain. Established tent pads, food storage and toilet are described.
1. Getting there and parking
Travel south from Tumbler Ridge on Highway 52/Boundary Road for about 48 km and turn right onto Ojay Main Road. Follow this industrial road for roughly 25 km, then take the right branch onto Wapiti Forest Service Road. Cross the Wapiti River near road kilometre 5 and continue to kilometre 12.1, where a small road turns right and provides the recommended parking start. The continuation is deactivated with creek crossings and deep drainage ditches. Follow posted radio channels and road rules; do not assume a high-clearance vehicle can bypass every obstruction.
- From Tumbler Ridge, take Highway 52E south for 48 km, then turn right onto Ojay Main Road.
- Follow Ojay Main for 25 km and take the right fork onto Wapiti Forest Service Road (2500 Road).
- Cross the Wapiti River near road km 5. At km 12.1, turn right onto the small signed road and park.
Parking: Park by the signed minor-road turnoff at Wapiti Forest Service Road km 12.1. The walking route follows a deactivated road beyond this point.
Road and vehicle: Ojay Main is an active industrial road; the steward lists resource-road channel RR1 (150.080 MHz). Check current roadside channel signs. Beyond the recommended parking, deactivated-road creek crossings and deep cross-ditches require high-clearance 4WD and may be impassable.
2. Walking the route
Walk the deactivated road and assess the creek crossing about 650 m from the start; high water may require abandoning the crossing. Climb through the cutblock to the signed trail departure around kilometre 3, then ascend through forest and the old burn, watching for flagging. Above the stunted trees near kilometre 4, reach a cairn and sign on the ridge and turn left toward Bootski Lake below Wapitik Mountain. Mark this return junction before continuing. The lake basin is the normal destination. Nearby ridges involve steep loose rock and exposure; the eastern scramble cannot safely be turned into a descent toward the saddle because a cliff blocks that line. Radio-controlled Ojay Main industrial road; confirm current channels and traffic before travel. Creek at approximately 650 m may require wading during high water.
- Follow the deactivated road from parking to the unbridged creek crossing around 650 m. High water can make it impassable; turn back if there is no safe crossing. (0.65 km)
- At about 3 km, leave the road at the sign and climb through the remaining cutblock into forest. (3 km)
- Climb through the old burned area, using the route markers. Near 4 km, emerge from the trees and find the cairn and sign on the ridge. (4 km)
- Turn left along the ridge and continue to Bootski Lake below Wapitik Mountain. The lake is the ordinary turnaround.
The return
Follow the ridge back to the cairn and sign, then turn right down into the forest. Missing this turn can take you away from the approach. Retrace the road and creek crossing to parking. The eastern summit scramble is an additional exposed route, not an alternative descent.
Mapped outing: Bootski Lake trailhead at the road barrier → Bootski Lake shore → Bootski Lake trailhead at the road barrier. 11.1 km measured along the mapped line; published trip measurements may differ.
3. Route map
The highlighted line follows the documented outing.
© OpenStreetMap contributors. Route geometry is available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. · Line source · Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · Source-line database: https://hikingprincegeorge.com/data/osm-route-lines.geojson
Elevation along the outing
Full round trip
Start: Bootski Lake trailhead at the road barrier · Turn around: Bootski Lake shore (5.5 km) · Finish: Bootski Lake trailhead at the road barrier (11.1 km mapped).
Approximate ground elevation from a 90 m terrain model. Distance follows the mapped itinerary and may differ from published walking distance. This is a terrain-model profile, not a surveyed measurement. Any ascent total is identified separately with its own source or estimation method.
How the route order was checked
The source chain starts exactly at the independently tagged WNMS Bootski Lake trailhead. Its far endpoint lies on the alpine lake shoreline polygon and matches the lake objective at the end of the5.548km named trail. The steward’s11km return description establishes the retraced return via the cairn and forest junction.
Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0
Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197475936. Sampled and rounded for display.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 linework · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Profile source checked: 2026-10-18
Published locations
Numbered points match the map. Use the role beside each point. A summit or park reference point is not a parking location.
| Place and role | Coordinates | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bootski Lake trailhead | 54.587050 -120.622977 | WNMS publishes this exact coordinate pair in its Directions to Trailhead link. https://www.wnms.ca/trail/bootski-lake-hiking-route |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
Eight tent pads, a food cache, cooking table and outhouse were installed near the lake in autumn 2024, according to the January 2025 steward brochure. Use the established facilities and carry out all rubbish.
Toilets
An outhouse is documented at the lake campsite (installed autumn 2024).
Season and access
Snowmelt fills the lake in spring and its level falls through summer as it drains underground. High creek water, wind and low cloud can alter access and navigation. The exposed ridge scramble is specifically unsuitable in wet or windy weather.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
Source comparison: Bootski Lake; 11 km; 550 m ascent; return scope. This is another description of the main outing, a duplicate endpoint, an unscoped source claim, or a related facility.
More maps & trail files
Bootski Lake — publisher PDF (PDF)
Published alongside the named trail guide; check the file’s start, endpoint and branches against your selected outing.
http://assets.wnms.ca/brochures/bootski-lake-jan-2025.pdf
Wolverine Nordic & Mountain Society · Publisher’s source page · checked 2026-10-17.
Bootski Lake — publisher GPX (GPX)
Published alongside the named trail guide; check the file’s start, endpoint and branches against your selected outing.
http://assets.wnms.ca/gpx-files/bootski-lake.gpx
Wolverine Nordic & Mountain Society · Publisher’s source page · checked 2026-10-17.
These links open files and maps maintained by their publishers. They require an internet connection and are not included in this saved guide.
Additional source maps
Map 1: https://investtumblerridge.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/TR_Map_insert2018_web.pdf
Your trip notes
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