Anahim Lake (population: 360) is a remote community located in alpine ranching country, 316km/198mi west of Williams Lake, and 135km/84mi east of Bella Coola on Highway 20.
Surrounded by the snow-capped Coastal Mountain Range, tranquil lakes and expansive grasslands, Anahim Lake has year-round outdoor adventure opportunities. These include fishing, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Nearby parks – Tweedsmuir Provincial Park to the west, Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park to the north, and Tsyl'os Provincial Park to the southeast – also provide incredible wilderness recreation terrain.
Outdoor Activities
While fishing is still tops at Anahim Lake's various waterways, canoeing is continually gaining popularity. Paddle the Turner Lake chain, the Nazko Lake chain, or virtually any of the area's hundreds of individual lakes. Floatplanes offer visitors flightseeing opportunities, as well as flights to hidden lakes for day-trip fishing and picnicking.
Anahim Lake's numerous hiking trails provide exceptional wildlife viewing and bird watching opportunities. Hikers can venture out with or without guides for multi-day trips. Heli-hiking trails are also an option for experienced adventurers. In winter, prime hiking areas are traversed by cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.
First Nations Culture and History
The South Carrier and Chilcotin First Nations inhabited Anahim Lake and the Interior Plateau centuries before European exploration. First Nations people in the area established routes known as the "Grease Trails," which stretch north to the Quesnel River, south to 100 Mile House, and west to Bella Coola. Anahim Lake is named for Chief Anu x'im (pronounced "An-no-him"), meaning "the beginning of creation," or "the dawn of time when the first light came in."
Ranching and Local Legends
Alexander Mackenzie chiefly led European exploration. Soon ranchers, including local legends Panhandle Phillips and Richmond Hobson, settled Anahim Lake. These ranchers used the Blackwater Trail, which passes between the mountains, for transporting supplies. Today, the trail is used for horseback riding. Hobson documented the lives of ranchers in his best selling books, Grass Beyond the Mountains, Nothing too Good for a Cowboy, and The Rancher Takes a Wife. The CBC television series, "Nothing Too Good for A Cowboy," is based on these stories.
Anahim Lake is the home of NHL goalie, Carey Price, who first learned to play hockey on his Anahim Lake backyard rink. Price's mother is the former Ulkatcho Band Chief and his father is a former goalie and Philadelphia Flyers NHL Amateur Draft pick in 1978.
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