Paul Lake Park is within a 30-minute drive of Kamloops, reached from Highway 5 by taking paved Pinantan Road for 19 kilometres to the north side of Paul Lake. BC Parks describes mixed Douglas-fir, pine, and aspen forest, easy access, scenery, fishing, and outdoor recreation.
The park has a large campground, sani-station, adventure playground, day-use beach, and cartop boat launch.
Paul Lake is a full-service Kamloops-area camping and lake park. Visitors can swim along 400 metres of sandy beach, paddle, fish for stocked blackwater and pennask-strain rainbow trout, and walk more than seven kilometres of hiking trails.
The Gibraltar Rock trail climbs through mature Douglas-fir forest to a 900-metre summit with views of Paul Lake, Harper Mountain, ospreys, swallows, and white-throated swifts. The 1996 park addition protects interior Douglas-fir forest, including old growth, and habitat for falcon, white-throated swift, bald eagle, coyote, and mule deer.
The group campsite is at the opposite end of the lake from the main campground, and no winter facilities are provided.
Camp, swim without lifeguards, canoe, kayak, fish with a licence, hike Gibraltar Rock, join summer interpretive programs, birdwatch, cycle on roads, snowshoe or cross-country ski on trails in winter, and use the day-use beach.
The campground fills quickly, so arrive early or reserve when possible. Gibraltar Rock has dangerous steep cliffs, so keep well back and supervise children. Pets must be leashed and beach access is limited to the signed area. Bicycles and e-bikes are not allowed on hiking trails.
