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We are travelling from
West to East (Houston to Burns Lake)
To travel
East to West(Burns Lake to Houston) click
here
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 Come
along as we drive the north shore of Ootsa Lake along
Highway 35 and the Wistaria Road from
Houston to Burns Lake.
We have 24 photos to show the route.
We'll see miles of lakeshore, farms,
aspen, spruce and pine forest and hopefully some wildlife.
You can stop to fish or hike or stay at one of the
small resorts. It will take over 4 hours to drive the
route but allow
extra time to stop and explore. The
road and logging traffic make this route unsuitable
for very large RV vehicles.
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Looking southwest from the Wistaria Hall along Ootsa Lake |
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KM 0
MILE 0
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It's best to fuel up in Houston. There are few
service stations on our route. Let's start at the intersection
of Highway 16 and the Morice River
Forest
Service
Road, a few
kilometres
west
of Houston on Highway 16, near Finning Tractor. Please set
your odometer to zero. Keep your headlights on at all times
and give
right-of-way if you encounter logging trucks. It's best to
travel this route on the weekend or on holidays to avoid logging
truck traffic. |
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KM 3.3
MILE 2.1
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End of pavement and you have passed two large
sawmill complexes, Canfor and Houston Forest Products. The
larger mill was the largest sawmill complex under one roof
in Canada,
when built in 1971. |
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KM 22.2
MILE 13.8
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You will notice the dead trees on hills close
by, the result of the Swiss
Fire in 1983. A display at the turnout explains the story
of the fire and how it threatened Houston before a shift in
the winds saved the town. We are following the Morice River
from Houston. The Morice is a world famous Steelhead stream
and attracts fishers from around the world. We will pass the
Morice Lake Road turnoff at 27.9 km on the right., but we will
keep straight ahead. |
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KM 28.4
MILE 17.7
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Morice Mountain is to the east and is also visible
from Houston.  |
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KM 40.4
MILE 25.2
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To visit picturesque Owen Lake, close to the
road, turn off west to the Owen Lake campsite and access to
the
Nadina
Mountain Trail. |
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KM 45.3
MILE 28.3
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There are many open meadows on the hills above
Owen Lake. They are natural and unusual in our forested region.
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KM 47.3
MILE 29.5
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To the west is Owen Lake and Nadina Mountain
beyond it. |
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KM 54
MILE 33.6
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Turn east (left) on the Owen East Road. This
part of the road is the roughest section but it will end after
14
km. It is seldom graded and only a connector road. |
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KM 58.6
MILE 36.5
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Here you can see an old growth pine forest to
the south and and a replanted cut block to the north (left).
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KM 66.5
MILE 41.3
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At the intersection, we will turn right on the
Ootsa Nadina road and cross the Nadina River bridge just 1
km to the south.. There is
a Moose
Habitat
site
along the river and a view of Nadina Mountain in the distance.
There is a sign at the intersection (If
we continued straight through the intersection, we would join
the Francois Lake Circle Tour on the way to Burns Lake) |
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KM 70.8
MILE 44
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Side trip - watch for a small dirt road on the
left to the West Francois Recreation Site, one of the best
views
of
Francois
Lake and Nadina Mountain to the west. |
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KM 87.1
MILE 54.1
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Side trip - turn left on a small dirt road for
about one kilometer to Lund Lake Recreation Site. There are
picnic
tables
and a great view of the lake. |
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KM 87.8
MILE 54.5
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Our route goes straight but you could turn right
(south) and drive 22 km to Little Andrews Bay Provincial Park
along the shore of Ootsa Lake. |
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KM 97.3
MILE 60.5
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The view of Ootsa lake begins and we will be
out of forest lands for a while. |
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KM 110.5
MILE 68.6
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There is a Forest Service Campsite at 111 km
and an intersection with the new Ootsa Nadina Forest Road.
We
want to turn right and keep close to the Ootsa Lake shoreline.
The forest along Ootsa lake varies from pine to
aspen (poplar) This
is open range for cattle so give the right of way to any you
may see. |
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KM 118.3
MILE 73.5
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We're at the intersection of the Eakin Settlement Road and
the Wistaria Highway along the north shore of Ootsa Lake
Turn left to continue on our route but let's go straight
briefly to see the Skins Spillway a short one kilometre away. Park
just before the bridge over the spillway. The view across
Ootsa Lake is great on a sunny day. There
is a park on the lakeshore with picnic tables, a boat launch
and RV parking for your convenience. Return on the road and
turn right at the intersection on to the Eakin Settlement
Road.
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KM 119.3
MILE 74.1
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On the right is a small dirt road down to the
Cheslatta River. There is an odd sign that warns of sudden
flooding and a siren. We're just downstream from a major spillway
on Ootsa Lake, the Skins Spillway. Sometimes the flood gates
are opened to lower the level of the lake. If you hear a siren,
head for higher ground. |
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KM 125.3
MILE 77.8
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Keep right and close to the lake on the most
travelled road, at the intersection at Woods Lake. |
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KM 132.3
MILE 82.2
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We'll bear left (north) at the intersection with
the Cheslatta Road. Try
your hand at fishing in the numerous small lakes. |
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KM 142.6
MILE 88.6
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Beginning of the pavement. We will now be on
better roads until we reach Burns Lake. Count on about
80 km'hour
on the pavement. The road is now known as Highway 35. |
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KM 143.7
MILE 89.3
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Takysie Lake has a store, cafe, gas and two resorts.
It's one of many lakes in this area. |
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KM 153.3
MILE 95.2
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The small village of Grassy Plains has a store,
school, church and fuel. Rolling ranch land stretches
away to distant mountains. and
an old steam tractor stands in the school yard. |
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KM 160.9
MILE 100
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The small
settlement of Danskin at 160 km has few services. We will
soon start down the hill to Southbank and the ferry terminal
where we will cross to the north shore of Francois Lake.
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KM 168.7
MILE 104.8
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When you depart the ferry terminal, turn right
then after 1.3 km, turn left to stay on Highway 35 to Burns
Lake. |
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KM 181.7
MILE 112.9
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We're passing Tchesinkut Lake, a very clean deep-water
lake, popular for fishing.
Coming up to the east is the turnoff to the trails
of the Omineca Ski Club, one of the oldest cross-country ski
clubs in BC and home to many national champions. |
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KM 187.7
MILE 116.6
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To the east is Burns Lake. The small island is
named Dead Man's island and was once the smallest Provincial
Park in BC. |
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KM 191.3
MILE 118.9
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The road meets Highway 16 at Burns Lake . Turn
west (left) to Houston. For more information on Highway 16,
click here. |
| It is 80.5 km (50 miles) back to Houston on Highway
16. Enjoy the rest of your stay in our region. |
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| Local BCNorth Group members who provide automotive
parts and service include: |
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Circle Tours
