cabackroads--Cobb Lake BC Forest Service, Prince George, British Columbia

cabackroads--Cobb Lake BC Forest Service, Prince George, British Columbia

dates of stay: July 19th, 2016

After the delightful four night stay at Helena Lake the objective was to find a "one-night stand" where we could spend the night and hit the road at first light.

Leaving Helena Lake our objective was to finish the final supplies for the trip north at the Prince George Costco store. That meant that we would probably be looking for a campsite late into the day.

The information at hand suggested very few campsites west of  Prince George. Our backup plan of picking a Provincial Park for spending the night showed few if any in the target area. Likewise, there were few commercial campgrounds.

One lake stood out. A short distance from the highway with a BC Forest Service campground. The concerns were that given all the rainfall I really did not want to slide my way to a campsite. The road ran due north and in a fairly straight line which usually indicates a higher standard road.

At the turn-off from the highway I immediately recognized the road as a mainline timber haul route. Which is good news. Two lanes of good gravel road with no chance of getting stuck. The map showed the road coming within a 1/4 mile of the lake. So that left only a short distance of "iffy" road.

The campsite was excellent for a "one-night" stand. It was gravel all the way to the lake. There was a outhouse and boat ramp and several flat campsites overlooking the lake. A very nice spot.

Not perfect, like Helena Lake but pretty close. There were local residents that were camped there just for the fishing and relief from the traffic and hectic lifestyle of  Prince George. We were happy to join them if only for one night.


The price was right. Free. Paid for by taxpayers and commercial users of British Columbia's forest lands.

Finding a perfect place if only for one night is almost as much a art form as a skill. The ability to read and interpret maps really helps, but so does talking to everybody you meet. Helena Lake was a favorite that everybody knew about. Cobb Lake was a unknown lake.

Both were perfect.