Back Country Camping with 3 under 4

We took our 3 kids, under age 4, back country camping. Here are our tips!

We had been working pretty steady and feeling that getaway itch for weeks now and decided, like many of our adventures, to leave spur of the moment. I think we realized our adventurous spirits can sometimes get us into a little trouble now that we have young kids. Bo & I want to continue to get up and go & be spontaneous but those days may call for more planning as our family has grown.

We decided a day or two before to pack it up and head out to Wells, Barkerville & Bowron, BC for a spur of the moment camping trip. If you have not ventured out this way, it is very remote. We knew we would need to find spots that are forestry camping, not provincial as COVID has lead to everything booking up months in advance. We had set our hearts on Ghost Lake. If you have not yet been to Ghost Lake, we highly suggest it. There are beautiful scenes, even more so with a kayak or canoe. The waterfalls are just incredible.

We were quick to realize COVID had changed a lot of what we expected to happen when we reached Wells, BC (2 hours 10 min from Prince George, where we rest our hats). The kids were tired and ready to get the tent setup as this was their first trip that they remember. We suggest stopping in Wells and going to the cute school playground and having lunch. We enjoyed our hour lunch and went to seek the regular fire wood spot. UH OH, the guy STOPPED selling! I am not sure why, but for years he charged $3 a bundle. So if you know of this, DO NOT EXPECT IT! We ended up needing to go to NUGGET HILLS, RV park and the nice owner helped us with 2 wheel barrows full ($40). I am not sure this is a regular thing, so make sure to pack wood! They helped us with some local spots as they told us Ghost Lake was out of question due to snow and muck. To say my heart sank, is an understatement! I wanted so badly to go to Ghost because it was where Bo and I had our first camping trip. We decided to check out their 2nd suggested location of Whisky Flats. This is a forestry camp along 3100 road off Barkerville highway. Instead of taking the fork left to Bowron, you go right.

Upon arriving at Whisky Flats Lake, we were very impressed at the beauty the campground held. Birds singing, sounds of waterfalls at the mountain fed lake, a sunken barge and water, clear as can be. The lake had some weird surprises, as there were many animal bones at the waterfront. Bo said this was a bad omen to swimming lol, but I will say with a kayak or canoe, the other side would have been amazing to jump in! The green water was so inviting, but the barge did not seem safe to walk on as there were random holes. I saw metal so suggest kayaking over. If the children were up for a hike, we would have tried to make it around the lake to jump in (despite how cold the water was, Bo has this thing about jumping in freezing cold, Canadian lakes).

So, how did the kids do back country?

Overall, the kids did pretty well and surprised us with how they handled back country. I tried to ask them today (a few days later), how they felt and Emmy asked not to take her there right now lol. We laughed pretty hard because we chalk that up to the long drive and the cold morning....

Jack (3 months), surprisingly did better than any of the older kids. He was super warm and comfortable. Many coos by the fire in his kid go pod. I will link this chair that is a lifesaver. With infants under 4-6 months, you can lay them back and use blankets to support, since they are not fully holding themselves yet.

Our middle child, Harper (almost 2), had a lot of fun with throwing rocks in the lake and roasting mellows, but she struggled the most with the night time. We did separate sleeping bags, but even in mine with hers, she was complaining of the cold. We bundles and warmed up, but she was not too comfortable away from home. She is a kid who hates blankets so I found her constantly trying to be out of them. Next time, she will need 3 layers instead lol! Lastly, Emmy (almost 4) did awesome, but felt done in the cold morning. She enjoyed the lake and the marsh mellows most. She was very excited about the birds and told us to listen to the noises around us. She is a 'threenager' and greatly enjoyed the cool tent with her lantern. She hung out a lot in the tent with her toys.

All in all, they made amazing memories, but here is what we would change:

• prepare for COVID shut downs

Do not expect to find anything open but the 2 spots in wells, BC

We really forgot a lot of little necessities and needed wood and gas. It was an issue not having a roof rack bag (linked one). Also do not forget your wool blanket for under and on top of the airmattress (x2), this is a lifesaver for air draft.

Only open spots as of June 2021:

1) Nugget Hills RV

2) Jack O' Clubs

Make sure to bring gasoline and fire wood.

• Plan ahead & have backup camping spots

We had two spots in mind and ended up not being able to access one. I suggest having booked camping at Forest Rose as backup to 2 other spots; such as, Ghost Lake and Whisky Flats. Remember that government camp grounds are booked in advance, so make sure to plan your trip!

• Do not forget your Bear Spray
• Tent heater is a must! We suggest back country to sleep off the ground, if possible, especially with little ones. We had a blanket under our air mattress and it was still very cold.
• Go in the warmest months to access Ghost Lake and sleep well. Suggest July and August, but not late August. Although, cold nights mean Northern Lights. We have seen them in late August at Forest Rose
• Remember that Barkerville, BC does not open until June 26th. Barkerville has gorgeous, brand new cabin houses for rent

If you're seeking to explore in the day, be comfy at night, we suggest Bowron Beker's Lodging Cabins or Barkerville's new cabins. Ranging from $90-$260/night. Many can host multiple families.

Copy these links to book and tour:

https://www.barkerville.ca/places-to-stay/

https://beckerslodge.ca/

If we could do it again, we would rent a cabin and stress less about the chilly nights. Another option for us is, we could sleep in the van with the air mattress and a heater. We have tested it out and vans fit a double air mattress perfect with the back seats out or stowed away.

We greatly look forward to going again this summer to Barkerville, Ghost Lake and Bowron. I am excited to access the beautiful beach, a kayak away on Bowron Lake, gold pan at a friend's claim, and log hopping at Ghost Lake. I hope this summer yields for more opportunities (prepared opportunities *chuckles*) for another Well, BC adventure.

If you have any questions or are searching for more suggestions, please feel free to use our websites "contact us" form!

I have to say, our littles always seem to add to our adventures, and never take away. Each adventure is another opportunity to learn and make memories.

Sensory outside is always FREE.

Cheers & Happy Adventuring!

-Ash

Mother, Adventurer

Second shooter @freewestphotography

freewestphotography@gmail.com