2019 – First Adventures

Stemwinder and Alice Lake Provincial Parks

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

So with 2019 upon us, the Profil came out of storage and got de-winterized, some post-winter love, and prepped for our new camping season.

Stemwinder Provincial Park. May long weekend. An amazing backdrop of the Similkameen River, our site had a lovely 20 foot drop off that had us worried about Jacob all weekend – lol. We celebrated Maddy’s 6th birthday and promptly took off for our 2019 camping season. A beautiful park east of Princeton, it lacked a few things we would look for in a family campground – a playground or beach, open fields, or safe running areas for the kids. The Similkameen River runs on the south side of the park, and the Crowsnest Highway immediately to the north. While an amazing park, it is definitely suited to adult couples looking for adventure (kayaking, hiking), or those with older kids who can run and adventure without fear of being swept away.

Tip: for those RVing at Stemwinder, there is no suitable water connection here, get your freshwater filled at Manning Provincial Park about 45 minutes to the west or find somewhere with good potable water in Princeton.

We quickly realized one thing, with Jacob now 21 months, he was ready and wanting to rip and roar to his own adventure, and utilize his growing desire for independence. While working, we found him in our feet, climbing up and down, in and out, and generally just impeding us in any way that he could. While not having many kid-friendly amenities, I would still give this campground a solid 8 out of 10 for overall activities, location, views, ease-of-access, and privacy.

Alice Lake Provincial Park – What can I say here, I’ve loved this campground and provincial park since my teen days as a cadet. Many fond memories of adventure expeditions here and it is as amazing as the first time I rolled in as a teen. Alice Lake has serviced campsites, many of them, which makes RVing much more convenient. It is also one of few provincial campgrounds in the coastal region with electrical hookups. A great network of hiking trails, a (summertime) warm lake suitable for swimming, along with a network of mountain biking trails and easy access to area attractions make for a great base for adventure seekers. The Chief, Sea-to-Sky gondola, Whistler, and many more attractions make this campground a cheap alternative to expensive hotels.

This campground has something for all ages! A nice adventure playground, to expansive campsites, the kids were able to run, climb, and play, without constant supervision – yes, even Jacob! We truly felt that there were few to no neighbours around us. The older kids were climbing up the backside of the campsite, with toddlers in tow as well. Electrical hookup meant we could utilize our microwave to heat up the evening milk quickly, and while not needed this time, could have made use of the fans and heater without fearing of killing our 12V battery.

Overall, I would give this campground a solid 10 out of 10, it continues to wow and impress after many years. An abundance of nearby, world-class attractions, kid-friendly amenities, space, privacy, convenience of on-site sani-dump, available electrical hookup, and location proximity make it a great choice for those looking for coastal family adventures!