Crown Land in the Nicola Valley

12 crown land sites 8 fishing spots 8 campgrounds

The Nicola Valley around Merritt is open grassland and pine plateau where the Coquihalla, the Okanagan Connector and Highway 5A meet, and it is one of the best places in the interior for drive-in lake camping. Fourteen recreation site campgrounds lie within 25 km of Merritt, with about 230 campsites, and 70 within 50 km. The closest are on fishing lakes in the hills south and east of town: Marquart and Lundbom lakes (11 to 12 km), Lundbom alone with 102 sites, then Kane Lake (16 km, 23 sites) and Harmon Lake (17 km, 32 sites). Monck Park, on Nicola Lake, is 19 km away and Kentucky-Alleyne Park 28 km, and the Lundbom Grasslands and the Swakum and Iron Mountain bike trail areas are Crown land within 11 km. The Coldwater River runs through town. This page rounds up the region's public land, fishing spots and campgrounds.

Map

Crown Land Nearby

🌲
SWAKUM MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL AREA
Recreation Reserve
3 km
🌲
GodeyCreek
Recreation Site
4 km
🌲
Coutlee Mountain Bike Trail Area
Recreation Site
5 km
🌲
Iron Mountain Mtn Bike Trail Area
Recreation Site
6 km
🌲
GRASSLANDS INTERPRETIVE AREA
Recreation Reserve
10 km
🌲
Lundbom Grasslands
Recreation Site
11 km
🌲
Marquart Lake
Recreation Site
11 km
🌲
CENTRE LAKE
Recreation Reserve
12 km
🌲
Gwen Lake
Recreation Site
12 km
🌲
Lundbom Lake
Recreation Site
13 km
🌲
LUNDBOM LAKE EAST
Recreation Reserve
13 km
🌲
STUMBLES CREEK
Recreation Site
13 km

Nearest Fishing Spots

🎣
Coldwater River
1 km
🎣
Godey Creek
2 km
🎣
Spanish Creek
2 km
🎣
Hamilton Creek
3 km
🎣
Lindley Creek
6 km
🎣
Jesse Creek
6 km
🎣
Stirling Creek
7 km
🎣
Pye Creek
7 km

Nearest Campgrounds

🏕️
Marquart Lake
Merritt
11 km
🏕️
Gwen Lake
Merritt
12 km
🏕️
Lundbom Lake
Merritt
12 km
🏕️
Lily Lake
Merritt
14 km
🏕️
Promontory Lookout
Merritt
16 km
🏕️
Kane Lake
Merritt
16 km
🏕️
Harmon Lake
Merritt
17 km
🏕️
Nkwala
Merritt
19 km

Crown land by city in the Nicola Valley

Kamloops Kelowna Vernon Penticton Salmon Arm Revelstoke

Explore the region

Similkameen Okanagan Shuswap Wells Gray Boundary Country

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The Lundbom Grasslands are about 10 km from Merritt, the Swakum, Coutlee and Iron Mountain bike trail areas 3 to 6 km, and Monck and Kentucky-Alleyne parks 19 and 28 km out; much of the remaining hill country is Crown range.

There are 14 recreation site campgrounds within 25 km, with about 230 sites. Lundbom Lake, with 102, is the largest, and the Kane Valley sites at Kane and Harmon lakes are about 16 km out. Crown land camping is limited to 14 days at one site.

Only from October 1 to December 31: the river is closed from January 1 to September 30, trout under 25 cm must be released, and bull trout are catch and release.

Two rainbow trout a day, and only single hooks are allowed.

Offline maps around Nicola Valley

Public land near Nicola Valley runs well past the last cell tower. Export the area as a geo-referenced PDF and read it in BorealMaps to keep your GPS position on the map when the signal drops.

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Regulations

A valid BC freshwater fishing licence is required; Merritt is in fishing Region 3 (Thompson-Nicola), and many of the small lakes have single-hook rules or two-trout limits. Recreation site and Crown land camping is limited to 14 days at one site. The valley is cattle range, so close gates behind you and keep dogs under control around livestock.

Explore the interactive map

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