Mackenzie & Parsnip / Full trip pack
Canty Lake
- Round trip
- 5.8 km
- Elevation gain
- Not established The source lists 590 m with the outward route. Any climbing on the return is not established; this is not a verified complete-return total.
- Walking time
- 2 hours (source does not clarify one way/return)
- Difficulty
- Moderate out-and-back
one way to lake
A steep forest climb reaches a small recreation site beside a lake between mountain ridges. Peace Peak is an additional ascent beyond the lake, with a different distance and commitment.
1. Getting there and parking
From Prince George follow Highway 97 north for approximately 154 km to Highway 39, then continue through Mackenzie. About 9 km beyond town, go through the four-way junction onto Parsnip West FSR. Roughly 38 km beyond that junction, stay right where the main road bends sharply rather than continuing straight. After another approximately 49 km, take the right-hand access and continue 1.8 km to the parking area. These are long resource-road legs; verify the current road and final access before departure and carry enough fuel for the return.
Parking: The club describes parking 1.8 km along the final right-hand branch off the long Parsnip West FSR approach.
2. Walking the route
Locate the signed or marked trail and climb through the steep, switchbacking sections toward Canty Lake. The published approach is approximately 2.9 km to the lake, so a return visit is longer than the headline one-way distance. The lake’s recreation site is the natural turnaround for this outing. Continuing toward Peace Peak adds about 2.5 km of outward travel and a further climb; that summit is a separate objective, not included in the lake approach. Note the descent line before exploring the lakeshore and retrace the same route to the vehicle. The public source does not provide current campsite facilities or a recent trail-condition inspection.
The return
The lake lies approximately 2.9 km from the start, making about 5.8 km if you retrace the same route. Peace Peak adds roughly 2.5 km outward beyond the lake and is a separate summit extension.
3. Route map
Government reference trail
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia. · Line source · Open Government Licence – British Columbia
Partial elevation profile
Partial elevation profile
This chart covers only part of the route. It does not establish the full hike or a return journey.
4.86 km along source section 1 of 1, in its mapped direction.
Approximate 90 m terrain model along this mapped section. Separate sections are not joined. This chart does not measure total trail ascent or establish current access; use the guide’s published outing measurements.
Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Government Licence – British Columbia
Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/whse/bcgw_pub_whse_forest_tenure/MapServer/9. Sampled and rounded for display.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Government Licence – British Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Canty Lake recreation project location | 55.954847 -123.756203 | Source-published recreation project point; not verified parking or trailhead. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/mpcm/bcgwpub/MapServer/404 |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
Small recreation site at Canty Lake is documented; site facilities and current restrictions are not stated.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
2.9 km
590 m
Your trip notes
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