Secret Lakes Near Vancouver Locals Keep to Themselves

The lakes people post about are the ones you sit in traffic to reach. The lakes on this list get less attention. Some sit off Highway 99 near Squamish. Others are tucked into the Chilliwack River Valley, sit north of Harrison Hot Springs or are a short drive from downtown Hope.

They’re quieter partly because they take a little more knowing. Each one sits in a BC Parks park, a recreation site or a local day-use park, and each comes with its own gate times, seasons and rules. That’s what this guide covers: what you’ll find at each lake, how to get there, where to park, and what to check before you drive.

One note on timing. As of early November, most of the campgrounds here are past their 2026 seasons. Day-use access depends on the operator, so check gates and hours before you head out.

7. Levette Lake (north of Squamish)

Levette is a small recreation site with 9 campsites. It’s user-maintained and run by the Evans Lake Forest Education Society. This is the most rustic stop on the list. You get no beach facilities to speak of, just a lake and a handful of sites at the end of a rough road.

Bears are the story here. Recreation Sites and Trails BC flags high bear activity, and the site has been closed several times because of bears. Closures can come with little notice, so check the RSTBC Levette Lake listing before you drive up.

The last posted fee window was May 1 to October 31, 2025. 2026 dates aren’t posted yet. The 2025 rate was $18 per night per vehicle or group of 6, per site.

Turn off Highway 99 onto Squamish Valley Road, across from the Alice Lake turnoff. Take the lane signed for Evans Lake Forestry Camp and follow it about 4 km to the lake. The last half of the road can be very rough, especially in August and September, and the ministry recommends only 4x4s drive the final stretch. RSTBC recommends chains in winter. Use the bear caches.

6. Lindeman Lake (Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake Park)

Lindeman is a small mountain lake at the end of a 3.4 km return hike from the Post Creek parking lot. It’s a short trail with a real alpine payoff. The same trailhead carries on to Greendrop Lake (10.4 km return) and Flora Lake (14 km return) if you want a longer day. Past Lindeman, expect fallen trees and a re-routed section. BC Parks says the Greendrop–Flora stretch crosses landslides, is overgrown and is only for experienced backpackers.

The park is about 150 km east of Vancouver, in the Chilliwack River Valley. That distance is part of why Lindeman stays quieter than the lakes along the Sea to Sky. There are backcountry campsites at the lake, and you need to register to use them. For permits and fees, check the BC Parks Chilliwack Lake page.

Timing matters here. The park gate is closed from October to May, and the park gates are locked from 11 pm to 7 am. For the Radium Lake Trail, BC Parks says that when the gate is closed you should park on Chilliwack Lake Road at the end of the pavement, not in front of the gate. The operator, Sea to Sky Parks, lists the Lindeman and Greendrop trail as open.

BC Parks warns that the Lindeman Lake lot gets broken into. Leave nothing valuable in the car. Hunting is allowed in this park during open season, so wear bright colours in fall. BC Parks also says not to bring pets on the trails or into the backcountry.

5. Hicks Lake (Sasquatch Park)

Hicks is the biggest of the small lakes in Sasquatch Park. It has a sandy beach, a grassy day-use area, a paved boat launch and a 72-site campground. A trail follows the shoreline for about 4 km return. The islands offshore give the lake its look, and the water is calm enough for a canoe.

The park started out in 1959 as Green Point Park on Harrison Lake. The small lakes behind it were added in 1968. That history explains the layout. Green Point is on the big lake, and the quieter water is further in, away from the Harrison Hot Springs waterfront.

The Hicks Lake Campground was listed as open with full services from March 31 to October 15, 2026, and the group site from April 3 to October 15. Outside the operating season the campground gate is locked and camping isn’t allowed. Confirm dates on the BC Parks Sasquatch Park page.

Walk the Hicks Lake Trail if you have the time. BC Parks estimates about 1.5 hours for the 4 km return walk. If you swim, know that BC Parks warns swimmer’s itch may be present in Hicks Lake.

4. Deer Lake (Sasquatch Park)

Deer Lake sits next to the Lakeside campground in Sasquatch Park and has its own sandy beach. It’s smaller and calmer than Hicks. The park map limits boats here to electric motors only.

That rule is the reason to come. With no gas engines on the water, it’s a good lake for a slow paddle in a canoe or kayak. The Deer Lake Trail runs about 2 km return. BC Parks notes that it doesn’t go all the way around the lake, so plan on an out-and-back.

Summer is swimming season here. Like Hicks, Deer Lake may have swimmer’s itch, according to BC Parks. Check Lakeside campground dates on bcparks.ca before you book.

You get here the same way you get to Hicks. Follow the signs through Harrison Hot Springs along Rockwell Drive. You can see both lakes in one trip.

3. Kawkawa Lake (Hope)

Kawkawa Lake Park is a simple day-use park with the basics done right. There’s a boat launch, a roped-off swimming area, a playground, picnic tables and washrooms. That roped-off area and the playground make it a good pick for families.

There are no boat rentals and no lifeguard, so bring your own boat and watch your own swimmers. The paved single concrete ramp and dock are free to use, according to Tourism Hope Cascades & Canyons.

The lake is about 10 minutes from downtown Hope along Kawkawa Lake Road. Summer is the season. It pairs easily with a stop in Hope, so it works as a break on a longer drive east.

2. Browning Lake (Murrin Park, Howe Sound)

You may have heard it called Murrin Lake. That isn’t the official name. The swimming lake in Murrin Park is Browning Lake. It sits right off Highway 99, with granite climbing walls around it.

The rock is what makes this place. BC Parks counts about 250 climbing routes in the park, which was established in 1962. On a summer day you can swim and watch climbers working the walls above the water. There’s an easy trail around the lake and a sandy beach. There’s no roped-off swimming area, so keep an eye on kids.

The park is 2 km north of Britannia Beach and 9 km south of Squamish on Highway 99. It’s open year-round, but overnight parking is prohibited. Park only in the marked lots. BC Parks tows illegally parked cars here, and it’s an easy spot to get caught on a busy Sea to Sky weekend.

Dogs are strictly prohibited from the main beach and picnic area. The rules are on the BC Parks Murrin Park page.

1. Rolley Lake (Mission)

Rolley is a small, warm lake surrounded by tall second-growth forest. People come to swim, fish and canoe. BC Parks lists the Lakeside Loop at about 40 minutes return. The walk to Rolley Falls takes about 10 minutes.

The park changed in 2026. The Province added 32 drive-in sites, bringing the campground to 92 drive-in sites, according to the Province, and describes it as open year-round. A new fishing dock went in too, separate from the day-use area, so anglers and swimmers aren’t sharing the same stretch of shore. Details are in the provincial news release.

BC Parks says the park is under an hour from Vancouver. Take Highway 7 to Maple Ridge, go north on 287th Street, turn right on Dewdney Trunk Road, then left on Bell Street. The park is about 23 km northwest of Mission, in the Stave Falls area.

If you bring an e-bike, keep it on the park roads. E-bikes aren’t allowed on the trails. For fees and bookings, check the Rolley Lake park page before you go.

When to go

Summer is swimming season at Deer Lake and Kawkawa Lake. Rolley’s campground is open year-round, according to the Province, and Browning Lake in Murrin Park is open year-round for day use.

Right now, in November, a lot of gates are shut. The Chilliwack Lake Park gate is closed from October to May. The Sasquatch campground gates are locked outside the season. Levette Lake’s 2026 dates aren’t posted yet. If you’re heading into Chilliwack Lake Park while the gate is closed, BC Parks says to park at the end of the pavement on Chilliwack Lake Road, not in front of the gate. Hunting is allowed there in open season.

What to bring

• Your own boat or paddleboard. Kawkawa has no rentals.
• A food storage plan for Levette. Use the bear caches.
• Chains if you’re driving to Levette in winter, as RSTBC recommends.
• Layers and water for Lindeman. It’s short, but it’s a mountain lake.
• A car with nothing valuable left in it at the Lindeman lot.

Etiquette and safety

• Park only in marked lots at Murrin Park. BC Parks tows illegally parked cars, and overnight parking is prohibited.
• Keep dogs off the main beach and picnic area at Murrin Park.
• Keep e-bikes on the roads at Rolley Lake, not the trails.
• Swimmer’s itch may be present in Hicks and Deer lakes and at Green Point on Harrison Lake.
• Winds can come up quickly on Harrison Lake. Watch the sky if you launch at Green Point.
• Kawkawa has no lifeguard, and Browning has no roped-off swim area. Watch your own swimmers.

Go prepared: check the operator’s page the morning you leave, since gate times and bear closures can change.

Getting there

Plan on driving to all of these lakes. The Sasquatch lakes are off Highway 7 through Harrison Hot Springs, about 6 km north of town. Rolley is about 23 km northwest of Mission via Maple Ridge, and BC Parks says it’s under an hour from Vancouver. Lindeman is about 150 km east of Vancouver on Chilliwack Lake Road. Browning Lake and Levette Lake are both off Highway 99 on the Sea to Sky. Kawkawa Lake is about 10 minutes from downtown Hope.

Lake trails at a glance

Lake	Trail	Length or time	Note
Hicks Lake	Hicks Lake Trail	About 4 km return, about 1.5 hours	Follows the shore
Deer Lake	Deer Lake Trail	About 2 km return	Doesn’t go all the way around
Lindeman Lake	From Post Creek lot	3.4 km return	Backcountry sites need registration
Greendrop Lake	From Post Creek lot	10.4 km return	Same trailhead as Lindeman
Flora Lake	From Post Creek lot	14 km return	Same trailhead as Lindeman
Rolley Lake	Lakeside Loop	About 40 minutes return	No e-bikes on trails
Rolley Lake	Rolley Falls	About 10 minutes	Short walk
Browning Lake	Trail around the lake	Easy	No dogs on main beach or picnic area

None of these lakes are secret in the sense of being unknown. They’re quieter because they ask a bit more of you: a gate to time, a rough road, a bear cache, a lot you shouldn’t leave your laptop in. Do the checking first and you’ll often have the shoreline mostly to yourself. Check the operator’s page before you drive, park where you’re told, and leave the place the way you found it.

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Photo credits

• Deer Lake, Sasquatch Provincial Park.jpg by mmmmngai@rogers.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sasquatch Provincial Park (4293361427).jpg by Hardo Müller from Bonn, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hicks Lake.jpg by AndrewEnns, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Southern Island on Hicks Lake in Sasquatch Provincial Park.jpg by AndrewEnns (talk) 22:22, 18 June 2009 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolley Lake Boardwalk.jpg by Kaden Van Buren, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hicks Lake rocks.jpg by AndrewEnns, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Deer Lake in the morning of 27 July 2009 – panoramio.jpg by B&B-Traveller, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lindeman Lake.jpg by Jonhall (talk), CC BY 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Murrin PP.JPG by Radiowallah, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Levette Lake.jpg by Cameron, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canoes at Kawkawa Lake BC.jpg by Loneshieling, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.