Tranquille Lake
The road to Tranquille Lake will take about one and a half hours from either Kamloops or Savona. From Kamloops, take the Red Lake Road and turn at the Heller Creek Forest Service Road at Km33. Follow the road following the Tranquille River up through the hills to the north. After about 10.5 kilometres, take the right fork to Truda Lake. This is a dammed lake, but there is fishing at Truda Lake, best accessed from the west end. The road into Tranquille Lake is a rough road best suited to high clearance vehicles.
Another route to Tranquille Lake is to take the Lac du Bois Road north from Kamloops and turn towards Pass Lake onto the Sawmill Lake Forest Service Road, following it all the way to the Heller Creek Forest Service Road. Along the way, Saul Lake is a popular 25 hectare lake with a recreation site on the south side. In the ice-free season, small rainbow are fished with flies or lake trolling.
The approach from Savona starts a short distance west of Savona by taking the Sabiston Creek Forest Service Road to Red Lake, then beyond to the Heller Creek FSR.
At the end of the road on the northeast corner of Tranquille Lake is a fishing destination for Kokanee and Kamloops trout. This higher elevation lake is suitable for fly fishing, spin casting (small lures) or trolling. There are facilities for fishermen, families, or anyone just looking for a “Tranquille retreat.” In winter the road is kept open, but four wheel drive will probably be required. It is also used as a base for snowmobiling to the high country to the north of Tranquille Lake.
Tranquille Lake is also the starting point for the Masters Sub-Alpine Trek, a four to five day backpack up over Porcupine Ridge and beyond to Tsintsunko Provincial Park, and Bonaparte Provincial Park and ends at the Jamieson Creek Road above Bonaparte Lake. It is a remote and isolated area and anyone attempting the route will need route-finding skills, maps, a good GPS and all the right equipment for the adventure.
Porcupine Ridge Provincial Park sits above Tranquille Lake. The old pack trail leads up to sub-alpine meadows, wetlands, and some old-growth forest. It is a protected area with limited recreational access (no vehicles). Snowmobile use is permitted in winter and the Kamloops Snowmobile Club maintains the trail routes.
Tranquille Lake is a destination for fishermen, snowmobilers, and a few explorers, but it is also a good stop on a tour of the high country points of interest of the area. Take the circle route and stop in Tranquille Canyon, Red Lake, the Carbine Creek Valley, Saul Lake, the Seven Lakes Road, Criss Creek, and Sabiston Creek. While you tour the backroads, bring your GPs and find the geocaches of the area too.
Nearest Community: Savona, B.C.
Altitude: 1409m
Ownership: Private Property
Accuracy: 3 meters
Parking: park at Wendego Lodge
Access and restrictions: This remote spot can be accessed off the Red Lake Road or the Sawmill Lake Road. From Hwy 1, take the Sabiston Rd for nearly 24km to the junction Tranquille, Savona, Copper Creek and Sabistion access. Follow Copper Creek Road to Tranquille Criss Creek Road and follow to Heller Creek FSR. Turn at the Wendego Lodge signs and follow the signs to the end of the road. Stop at the Lodge office before finding this geocache. Do not look for cache after dusk as this is private property.
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