Tumbler Ridge & Monkman / Full trip pack
Windfall Lake
- Round trip
- 10 km
- Elevation gain
- 414 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 5–7 hours
- Difficulty
- Unconfirmed
return to lake
Forest and meadow approach reaches the alpine lake. A higher return loop and mountain extensions require stronger navigation skills.
1. Getting there and parking
From Tumbler Ridge, drive about 25 km north on Highway 29 and turn onto Bullmoose Mine Road. After approximately 17 km, turn left onto Windfall Creek Forest Service Road. Stay straight at the kilometre 9 junction, cross the bridge and continue over the pass around kilometre 14. Turn left near kilometre 23 and follow the side road about 1.8 km to its end at the deactivated Windfall Creek crossing. The trail sign and outhouse are on the right. Use the currently posted radio channel and industrial-road procedures; the steward lists RR32 for this approach.
- Drive Highway 29 toward Chetwynd for 25 km from Tumbler Ridge, then take the former Bullmoose Mine road.
- After 17 km on the mine road, turn left onto Windfall Creek Forest Service Road.
- At the road km 9 junction, continue straight across the small bridge. Cross the pass around km 14.
- At km 23, turn left and follow the side road 1.8 km to its end and the signed trailhead.
Parking: The signed start and outhouse are on the right at the end of the side road, before the deactivated Windfall Creek crossing.
Road and vehicle: The steward lists RR32 for the forest-road radio channel; follow current roadside signs. Protect parked vehicles against porcupines with suitable mesh secured at ground level.
2. Walking the route
Follow the forest trail through occasional boggy ground, cross the creek and climb through open draws and meadows. Keep right at the signed junction around kilometre 3.5 for the direct lake approach, climbing the steps before the ground levels near the basin. Return the same way in poor visibility. The optional circular return starts near the southeast camping area and follows tall marked posts uphill beyond treeline, then northeast to a viewpoint and down left through a meadow to reconnect with the main trail. This upper return requires better navigation and weather judgement than the direct route. Pinnacle Peak, the high lake ridge and Tunnel Mountain are additional mountain trips, not automatic parts of the lake walk.
- Follow the forest trail through the damp sections, cross the creek and climb through the open draws.
- At the signed junction around 3.5 km, keep right for the direct lake approach.
- Climb the steps, then continue on the more level approach into the lake basin.
The return
For the ordinary out-and-back, return along the same trail. The posted Circular Route leaves the campsite area near the southeast end of the lake and climbs above treeline; it is a separate, more demanding option for good visibility.
Mapped outing: Windfall Lake signed trailhead → Windfall Lake shore → Windfall Lake signed trailhead. 9.2 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: Windfall Lake signed trailhead · Turn around: Windfall Lake shore (4.6 km) · Finish: Windfall Lake signed trailhead (9.2 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 signed WNMS trailhead is independently mapped28m from the source start. Source vertex249 is the named Hiking Trail’s lake-shore endpoint, on the independently mapped Windfall Lake water polygon; the next source section is the separately named Circular Route. Selecting the approach through vertex249 and retracing it implements the steward’s direct lake return.
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/643603747. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Windfall Lake recreation project location | 55.021007 -121.618598 | 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
The lake has six tent pads, food lockers, a dishwashing station and an outhouse. Campfires are prohibited at these campsites.
Toilets
An outhouse is documented at the trailhead and another at the lake camp.
Season and access
The alpine ridges are often windy and cloud can arrive quickly. In poor visibility, reverse the direct lake trail instead of attempting the circular alpine return. Snow can conceal posts and junctions early or late in the season.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
More maps & trail files
Windfall Lake direct return on AllTrails
The hosted map shows the direct lake return, about 9.6 km. The upper circular return is a separate option with different terrain and directions.
AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/windfall-lake
Comparison checked 2026-10-18.
Windfall 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/windfall-lake-jan-2025.pdf
Wolverine Nordic & Mountain Society · Publisher’s source page · checked 2026-10-17.
Windfall 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/windfall-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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