Deer Lake

Statistics

Details

Trail leading along part of the shore of Deer Lake. The lake is difficult traverse around due to some marshlands and creeks without bridges along portions of the lake.

* Drive to Sasquatch park, continue straight at Hicks Lake junction (follow signs for "Lakeside" or "Bench" campsites)

* Continue straight at Bench campsite junction, head toward lakeside. Continue to Day Use parking lot

* Trail starts immediately to right of boat launch

* First part of trail is on a beautiful new boardwalk leading over a little bit of marshland

* After the boardwalk, a junction with a playing field /grass field for the bench campsite is reached.

* Trail continues through the forest along the south side of the lake a short distance before reaching another junction with the playing field /campsite.

* Past this point the trail is unmaintained and rough. It leads up along the hillside above the lake, crossing a talus slope. There are lots of slippery rocks along the route and deadfall to navigate through.

* At the far end of the lake, the trail decends to lake-level and leads through some reeds with cattails, pussy willow, marshland, mud etc.

* Through the reeds thet rail ends at the lake's outflow creek. Here, there is no bridge. Jump across (it's wide!) or climb over on the large log. It's not trivial and many people will have trouble.

* On the other side there is no trail. Continue through the muddy marshland at the edge of the lake a short distance before reaching the rough eastern beach. It's used occasionally by fisherman.

* At the far end of the beach an inflow creek is reached. Jump across or find a log laying across it. On the otherside is a bit of marsh and mud (skunk cabbage patch). Continue to the base of the mountain and follow it to the right before a well defined trail is reached.

* The well defined trail switchbacks uphill steeply for a short distance before emerging on an old road. Turn left

* Follow the old road (now nothing more than a wide trail) along the north side of the lake before it exits on the park's main road, right at the "Lakeside campsite" enterance sign where the road turns right and into the campsite area. Turn left and follow the road back to the dayuse area.

GPS Waypoints

Trailhead	N49.36686 W121.68129	10U 595742 5469075
Boardwalk	N49.36634 W121.68111	10U 595756 5469018
West Beach	N49.36578 W121.67857	10U 595942 5468959
Talus	N49.36419 W121.67354	10U 596310 5468788
Trail begins to descend to Lake	N49.36455 W121.66862	10U 596667 5468835
First creek crossing	N49.36455 W121.66782	10U 596725 5468836
Outflow creek crossing (difficult)	N49.36583 W121.66382	10U 597012 5468983
East Beach (rough)	N49.36726 W121.66663	10U 596806 5469139
Creek crossing at north-east end of lake (muddy)	N49.36971 W121.66889	10U 596637 5469408
Connector trail leading up to old road	N49.36997 W121.66862	10U 596656 5469437
Trail junction with old road to Ruby Creek	N49.37051 W121.66876	10U 596645 5469497
Old road to Ruby Creek junction with main road	N49.36774 W121.68534	10U 595446 5469168