Fall and Winter Rides to Khartoum Lake

Viewpoint looking over Lois Lake towards the high country.

Quad riding in the Powell River area isn't limited to summer. Every season has it's own pleasures.

Fall and winter bring storms, but in between you can find some glorious days for riding. Most of the roads at lower elevations remain open and easy to ride since they are used by the logging companies.

Check on Western Forest Products' hotline at (604) 485-3100 or online to see if there are any closures or hauling activity scheduled. Or, you can check their most recent Operational Map pdf.

The bridge before you reach the Khartoum Forest Campground.

If you drive south of Powell River to Dixon Road, you enter a world of lakes and forests. Here's a link to the Recreation Sites and Trails map from the BC Ministry of Forestry. But be careful, they show you going the wrong way at the one-way slit at the south end of Lois Lake.

During the week, this area is used by loggers. But after hours and on weekends, their extensive road system is available for use by the public with care.

Roadside parking.

On one winter trip, we saw a few trucks, jeeps, and handful of other quads, but most of the time we had the roads and trails all to ourselves.

Dixon Road quickly turns into a well used and often potholed dirt road. So, we quickly selected a turnout large enough for our truck and trailer.

Don't select one at a bend in the road. Logging trucks carry long loads that can swing really wide.

Good signage along the way.

We headed up Goat Lake Main and transitioned to the Stillwater Main heading towards Khartoum Lake.

The view up Lois Lake to the snowy peaks was unbelievable. We hadn't been this way in almost a year. At that time, the devastating winter storms had washed the bridge away.

It was thankfully been replaced and so we can return to this unique spot.

The calm waters of Khartoum Lake.

Khartoum Lake has a Forest Recreation Site with a primitive campground right on the lake's shore. We first came here by kayak via Lois Lake. We returned in 2006 to host a unique book launch party for Wayne's book Up the Main.

It is one of my favorite back country campgrounds in the Powell River area. The road can be tricky for a passenger car, but for a truck it is a fairly easy drive (except for maybe the steep entrance road in snowy or muddy conditions).

We feasted on sandwiches and pop while sitting on warm, sun-baked logs along the beach. A fellow adventurer brought an inflatable boat in his jeep for a quiet row on the lake.

View from a lakeside campsite.

Do you like history? Here's a post from www.vanishinghistory.ca called Khartoum Lake - Abandon Camp. It's a great site with stories and pictures about the history and historical artifacts of the Powell River region.

Want to read more about quad riding in the Powell River region? Try Wayne's Coastal BC Stories that focus ATV adventures:

Up the Main
Farther Up the Main
Beyond the Main
And just released -- Powell Lake by Barge and Quad

All books are available in e-book and print formats at most online book sellers. Books are also available in Powell River at Coles Bookstore in the Towne Centre Mall.

If you ever have a question, don't hesitate to leave a comment or use the email link in our profile. -- Margy