A Day At The Lake
A fun itinerary
It’s time to escape. Now that you've had that first cup of coffee and everyone is loaded into the car, it’s time to make your way to the lake! Escape from the mundane and a step into the sublime.
Map Locations

"When the people that live in Cumberland go to their cabins up the lake, they are not far away from their home as the crow flies, but the atmosphere at the cabins, particularly on a sunny tranquil day, is such that a person feels that he or she is hundred of miles away from their daily routine."
Joe Franceschini (2008)
Directions: Head west on Dunsmuir Avenue, only five kilometres from downtown Cumberland, leaving the hustle and bustle of the Village centre. When you reach the junction, hang a left down Sutton Road before it turns to the right and joins into Comox Lake Road. Cruise down this twisting and undulating picturesque road to reach the lake.

Why not stop by historic Chinatown or the No. 1 Japanese townsite on your way and stretch your legs?
Take a wander through these historic townsites and immerse yourself in their histories, reading interpretive panels hidden amongst the heritage trees and the Coal Creek Historic Park wetlands. Enjoy the dappling sunlight peering between the evergreens.

Once you’ve explored these beautiful townsites, jump back into your car (or onto your bicycle), and carry on down Comox Lake Road. You’ll skirt the lake's edges, passing cabins on your right, before arriving at the lake’s main parking lot and boat launching wharf. Unpack to the rustle of the trees and lap of the lake; your adventure awaits.
Welcome to the Lake!


While visitors on the Cumberland side can explore as far as ‘Devil's Ladder’, those who wish to go further must either cross to the far side where the Puntledge flows or take to the water. Kayaking, Stand-Up paddle boarding, sailing, boating and jet skiing are popular ways to enjoy the lake.
Gently paddle, drop the motor, or hoist the sails and head towards the glacier.
Once upon a time, the lake teemed with fish. Fishing boats were a common sight, and logging camps dotted the shores. One logging camp was located at Cruickshank River, near the Glacier end of the lake. While the other, known as Lake Camp, was based near the mouth of the Puntledge River.
On your way, you’ll be greeted by sweeping mountainside vistas and herds of Roosevelt Elk. You may even be lucky enough to see a bear skirting the lake’s edge in search of salmon!

Is there anything quite as liberating as diving into a lake on the wilds of Vancouver Island?
In the peak of the summer heat, locals and visitors flock to the lake in search of relief from the swelling temperatures. With a designated swimming area at the main campground, families of all ages can paddle around in the glacier-fed water. Although predominantly enjoyed in summer, you can swim in the lake during any season. The ‘Cumberland Dippers’ are a brave bunch who swim all year round! The group was formed during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and members take to the water whether it is snow, rain, or shine.
We have always taken to the water for a host of different reasons. For some, it's purely recreational; for others, the cold water has immense health benefits, from physical to mental well-being. Swimming in the lake is something that transcends understanding and continues to provide salvation to the people of today as much as to those who came before.

Driving down the side of Comox Lake are some of the most technical and adrenaline-filled mountain bike trails on Vancouver Island!
Cumberland has emerged in recent years as a mountain biking mecca—people from all over the world flock to the Village to experience the richness and variety of trails. With a network that comprises of endless trails maintained and managed by the United Riders of Cumberland (UROC), it really is a mountain biker's dream.
On the other side of the lake, flowing from the top of Forbidden Plateau and finishing at the lakes’ shores, are several mountain bike trails that will cause even the most experienced riders to have sweaty palms.
Built in the early 2000s by a group of pioneering mountain bikers from the Comox Valley, the Forbidden Plateau trails are maintained by local mountain bikers.

With over one hundred and twenty climbing routes scattered around Comox Lake, climbers can scale the cliffs to get beautiful panoramas of the lake and glacier. Hidden under the evergreen Douglas Fir forest canopy are rock boulders the size of trucks!
The stone surrounding the lake is primarily basalt, an aphanitic igneous rock form with a high variety of rock compositions. This makes for excellent climbing conditions.
Often scrambled with no ropes, ‘bouldering’ is a form of climbing that involves gymnastic movements to reach the top via the hardest route possible. Due to bouldering's challenging and high-risk nature, it is essential to learn proper falling and spotting techniques while using the correct equipment.

Hiking is not escapism; it’s realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong.
Jennifer Pharr Davis
With abundant trails surrounding Comox Lake, why not take a hike and immerse yourself in the lush forest?
Skirt the edges of the lake to Whyte’s Bay and explore the old mine site of No.4; once bustling with industry, the sound of railcars hauling coal and workers dashing around is now quiet, eerie, and reclaimed by the forest.
Or wind your way up to the top of the ‘Devil’s Ladder’ and drink in the views of the sprawling Comox Valley, the Salish Sea, and the Coastal Mountain range on the horizon.

‘The pleasure and thrill of hunting there was the reward of placing food on the table, the game is shared with relatives and friends.’ - Quote needs to be found - no reference in research.
The land around the lake was once a hunting paradise. Cumberlanders would creep through the forest in search of deer, elk and cougars. Bounties were placed upon cougars due to the major threat they placed on livestock. Any person that shot a cougar was entitled to a twenty dollar reward! (need a year). While cougar hunting has no season, deer, elk and other game do. While not always the case, nowadays you are only permitted to hunt them during certain times of the year, defined as ‘seasons’.
Hunting provided Strike families, from the 1912-1912 Big Strike, vital food. Once evicted from their Company homes, and with no income, they turned to the lake to provide salvation from their dire circumstances. Hunting parties often brought back deer to feed the families and help support them during a time that held few smiles.

If you hook ‘em, you can cook ‘em!
The lake has provided many meals over the years, from time immemorial, to the ‘hungry thirties’, to those modern days. Why not try your hand at some fishing on the Comox lake? Home to Rainbow Trout, cast a line in and see if you snag yourself a bite.
Joe Naylor was a keen fisherman. He traveled up and down the lake aboard his first boat, Bessie, a fourteen foot clinker boat, fishing from the estuary of the Cruickshank River, to Mosquito Bay. He taught his daughter, Gail, how to fish. Showing them how to cast, what bait to use, and all his secret fishing hot spots. Gail became a keen fisherwomen, eventually teaching her own children the same skills her father bestowed upon her.






We enjoy spending time just watching the flames flicker and feeling the heat from the fire when the air cools off at night.
Franceschini 2008, 100
There is nothing quite like feasting in the wilderness and sleeping under the stars. The campgrounds around the lake offer the opportunity to fall asleep to the arioso wash of the water on the shore edge and gentle rustle of the coastal Douglas Firs from above.
Families travel from across BC to enjoy a peaceful camping trip usually between the months of May and September. The lake offers an array of campsites with fantastic facilities; from showers, to bbq pits, to RV hookups! By visiting the Cumberland Lake Campground website (https://cumberlandlakepark.ca/) , you can book your visit.
So why not sleep amongst the memories of the evicted mining families from the Big Strike? Forced out of their company housing for refusing to work due to abysmal work conditions, poor pay and the Company’s refusal to acknowledge the Trade Union, mining families took salvation at the lake. Camping on its edges, they built small timber cabins, and lived off the lake and land.

The lake has always been a place of inspiration for artists. Whether they be aspiring emotive poets, painters capturing breath-taking landscapes, or musicians producing gentle melodies that reverberate from its shores.
In the summer months each Friday evening there is live music at the lake. Whether it's to kickstart a weekend, or unwind at the end of a busy week, locals and visitors enjoy alike!
Tales of Ginger Goodwin and Joe Naylor passionately singing socialist songs while fishing the lake remain popular in Cumberland folklore; their baritone vocals drifting across the water to the shore in the months leading up to the eruption of the Big Strike.