McDougall Lake

McDougall Lake
Location	British Columbia
Coordinates	52°13′N 119°55′W / 52.22°N 119.91°W / 52.22; -119.91Coordinates: 52°13′N 119°55′W / 52.22°N 119.91°W / 52.22; -119.91
Primary inflows	File Creek
Primary outflows	File Creek
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	6.7 km (4.2 mi)
Max. width	1.2 km (0.7 mi)
Surface elevation	1,152 m (3,780 ft)
Islands	none
Settlements	none

McDougall Lake is a lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It drains through File Creek into Murtle Lake.^[1]

Naming

McDougall Lake and McDougall Falls on the Murtle River were named for Pete McDougal who homesteaded in the Clearwater River Valley from 1913 to 1936. The different spelling of these names has evolved over the years.^[2]

Access

There is no road or trail to McDougall Lake. Some maps show a trail from Murtle Lake up File Creek, but it is now overgrown and impassable. The Kostal Lake trail from Clearwater Lake is also overgrown and seldom maintained; east of Kostal Lake, the route is cross-country over the lava flows from Kostal Volcano. Float planes and helicopters are allowed to land at McDougall Lake with a permit from B.C. Parks.^[2]

Canoes and kayaks can be portaged from Murtle Lake around some outlet rapids on File Creek, then one can paddle 4 km (2.5 mi) upstream. The creek is impassable at a log jam, and a flagged route starts here. The hike to McDougall Lake is 6 km (3.7 mi) and takes about 3 hours.^[2]

References

1. ^ "McDougall Lake". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/16367.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Neave, Roland (2004). Exploring Wells Gray Park, 5th edition. Wells Gray Tours, Kamloops, BC. ISBN 0-9681932-1-8.