Such a gorgeous park! With it being so close to Harrison Hot Springs, I wasn't sure how quiet/rustic it would be, but as soon as you enter the park you're deep into the woods. No phone reception, which is perfect for when you need a weekend getaway from it all.
We stayed at the Deer Lake Lakeside campground in May for one night and it was beautiful. The campground itself is smaller than it looks on the maps, and there seemed to be no bad spots. All were spacious and very close to the lake, with a good amount of shade but not too gloomy. The rangers came around frequently, and they sell firewood for $9/bundle.
There is a large grass picnic area by the lake with plenty of space - I can't imagine it ever gets too crowded. There's also a pier and boat launch, with a small day use parking lot. The lake itself is not too big - we were able to row across the entire thing in our $60 inflatable dinghy and lived to tell the tale. I'm not sure about swimming in there - the water wasn't cold, but it was a little muddy (no sandy shore).
The fishing at the far side of the lake was amazing. After trying to catch a fish for months at lakes all over the Lower Mainland, we FINALLY had luck at this place. We were reeling in trout after trout. It seems as though it's not too heavily fished, and there are no motor boats allowed, so it's the ideal spot.
We also stopped by Hicks Lake, which was beautiful and was significantly larger than Deer Lake. There were plenty of beaches and a path going right around the lake, as well as a large day use area. Motorboats are allowed up to 10hp. This was definitely the busier of the two lakes, but still plenty of open space to go around.
The campgrounds are just a 15 minute drive or so from Harrison, so it's easy to find amenities if you really need them. But the park is too nice to leave! read more