Downing Park is a small BC Parks site around Kelly Lake, 18 kilometres southwest of Clinton. BC Parks says the park has views of Mount Bowman and a mountain ridge visible from nearby Jesmond Road.
The 14 site vehicle-accessible campground was rebuilt in 2015.
Downing Park is a compact Cariboo stop for camping, swimming, fishing, paddling, and scenic backroad travel. Kelly Lake has a long sandy beach, rainbow trout fishing, and limited canoeing or kayaking on a small lake.
Many visitors use the park while travelling Pavilion Mountain Road, the unpaved, narrow, switch-backed scenic route connecting the Cariboo to Lillooet. Visitors can also explore the Jesmond Loop, the historic townsite of Jesmond, and the Jesmond fire lookout road for broader landscape views.
The park land was donated to the people of British Columbia by C.S. Downing in 1970, and his family still owns adjacent property. BC Parks asks visitors to respect private property by keeping to the road between the day-use area and campground.
Plan around vehicle-access camping, Kelly Lake beach swimming, rainbow trout fishing, limited canoeing or kayaking, roadway cycling, quiet Kelly Lake shoreline photography, scenic drives, Mount Bowman views, nearby Jesmond Loop context, and relaxed seasonal lakeside picnicking.
Kelly Lake is subject to strong winds and has a sharp lake-bottom drop-off near the beach. The swimming area is not roped off, ORVs are prohibited, maximum unit size is nine metres, and visitors should respect Downing family private property.
