Downing Park

Facilities

Activities

Season

Opens: May 15 — Closes: October 15

About

This park is small but popular and almost encircles attractive Kelly Lake. Views of 2,245 metre Mount Bowman and a spectacular mountain ridge visible from the nearby Jesmond Road, give the park a remote atmosphere even though it is located close to Clinton. This 14 site vehicle-accessible campground was re-built in 2015. Swimming in Kelly Lake with its long sandy beach, is enjoyable. Angling for rainbow trout is a popular past time. Many visitors use the park as a stopping place as they travel the Pavilion Mountain Road, which connects the Cariboo to Lillooet. This scenic alternative to Highway 99 is unpaved, narrow and switch-backed and best suited for compact four-wheel drive vehicles. The park land was donated to the people of B.C. by C. S. Downing in 1970, and his family still owns adjacent property. Please respect this private property by keeping to the road when walking between the day-use area and campground. Nearby parks also offering campgrounds include Green Lake and Big Bar Lake. Visitors can also travel along the Jesmond Loop, by travelling north-west from the park to Jesmond Road. This scenic drive passes by the historic townsite of Jesmond, where the OK Corral, one of the oldest ranches in the area is situated, and continues past Little Big Bar Lake. The loop also accesses the Jesmond fire lookout by way of a narrow four-wheel drive road, from which adventurous visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including Marble Range and Edge Hills Parks.

Location

51.0044, -121.7797