Hiking to Dog Lake, Kootenay BC

3 months ago

Our hike begins in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia. About a two hour and twenty minute drive west of Calgary one finds the start of the trail in McLeod Meadows Campground. You will notice a suspension bridge, followed by this footbridge at the trailhead. One must cross the Kootenay river to get to Dog Lake.

The Kootenay river is wide and wild, it's shallow in the middle of August when these photos were taken, while it would be raging during the Spring melt. The Kootenay river flows from Canada down to Montana, through Idaho, back into Canada, then it joins up with the Columbia river where it flows once again into USA until finally spilling into the Pacific Ocean between Washington and Oregon.

After crossing the river, you turn left and go upstream or North. There is a very good quality path that looks like it was a road at some point in the past, you can follow it for a bit to do a seven kilometer loop or cross it and go straight to the lake.

Having already done two hikes earlier in the day, we opted to go through the forest, straight to the lake. While there would be bountiful wildlife in the area, all we saw was this measly red squirrel and some birds.

The forests of BC are greener than most of those found in Alberta. The Kootenay valley is about 1200m above sea-level while neighbouring Banff and Lake Louise are closer to 1600m above sea level. Clouds spill most of their rain before making their way over the Canadian Rockies.

A storm had recently passed through the area so powerful it knocked over trees. Lucky for us, it was perfect Saturday weather for exploring the outdoors. We often go camping in British Columbia on the weekends, it gives us more time to hike and less time in the car. This area is somewhat remote and it's less touristy than Banff so one can enjoy nature in relative peace.

The walk to Dog lake is easy and worth it for the view. It's one of the best simple hikes in the area. Mount Harkin is visible prominently across the lake and one can see far down into the Kootenay valley.

The lake opens up towards the middle, we were lucky enough to be the only people in the area. No one else was hiking this late in the afternoon. The lake was as smooth as glass.

If it was earlier in the day, the shallow lake would be perfect for swimming. Fresh and clean mountain water, while chilly feels so good on the skin.

The sun was setting over the mountains as we were getting back to the campground. Our campsite was right next to the river and the blue tent is barely visible in the second photo of this blog. Securing such a good spot on a midsummer Saturday night isn't easy but it is extra rewarding getting back to it after a full day of hiking.