Lightning Lake is a

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

located in E. C. Manning Provincial Park,

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The lake is freshwater and is located within the Similkameen-Okanagan forest district. The lake is unusual as it drains in two directions, into Flash Lake in the south and the

Similkameen River The Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, Canada, eventually discharging into the Okanagan River near Oroville, Washington, in the United States. Through the Okanagan River, it drains to the Columbia River. The river is said ...

to the north. The current lake is not a naturally occurring lake, as at the north end, near the day-use area, there is an earthen

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

. The lake is very shallow and near the end of the summer season, the narrows under the Rainbow Bridge are either very shallow or dry.

Recreation

Lightning Lake is the mains summer tourism feature within Manning Park. Both

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

s and rowboats are available for rental from the day-use area. The lake provides a paved boat launch; however, powercraft and jet-skis are prohibited on the lake. Parking at the lake free for all vehicles, and overnight parking is permitted as there are back-country campgrounds located at multiple locations along the Lightning Lakes chain. Fishing is permitted within the park.

Hiking

The lake is skirted by a 9 km level-grade hiking-only trail, which can be halved by taking the Rainbow Bridge at the narrows of the lake. The day-use parking area serves also as a parking area for the Windy Joe, Mount Frosty, and Lightning Lakes Chain hike.

Camping

There are two drive-in camping areas, maintained by Manning Park Resort for BC Parks, on Lightning Lake. The first is Lone Duck Group Camp, which is open year-round, and the Lightning Lake Campground, which is a trailer-camping facility with flush toilets. There are no hike-in campgrounds on Lightning Lake due to its proximity to roads.

Lightning Lakes Chain

Lightning Lake is the first of the four lakes on the Lightning Lakes chain, all of which are located within E. C. Manning Provincial Park. The entire chain is accessible by maintained hiking trails and there are campgrounds on the other lakes. *Lightning Lake *

Flash Lake Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flash ...

* Strike Lake * Thunder Lake

References

External links