Jones Lake Forest Service Road

Of Note: A very rough and badly potholed road - 40 km/h speed limit is hardly attainable. High clearance 4x4 vehicle recommended. 2WD vehicles with regular clearance may be fine until the washout at the 11.6 km mark – ATVs and short wheelbase high-clearance 4x4s would likely make it through. The road is popular. Logging truck traffic is possible. Some garbage left behind by the lake.

Other Forest Service Roads Trips: Chehalis (by Harrison Mills), Chilliwack Bench, Chilliwack Foley, Chilliwack Lake, Chuchinka-Colbourne (North of Prince George), Clear Creek (off Harrison East), Florence Lake (access to Stave Lake by Mission), Harrison East, Harrison East Second Trip, Harrison West, Lost Creek (by Mission), Lost Creek (by Mission), Mamquam River (by Squamish), Nahatlatch (near Boston Bar), Parsnip West (near Mackenzie), Scuzzy (by Boston Bar), Shovel Creek (off Harrison East), Sowaqua Creek (by Hope), Squamish River Main, Squamish River Ashlu, Squamish River E-Main, Squamish River FSR Washout, Windfall Creek (by Tumbler Ridge).

Jones Lake Forest Service Road is located close to the town of Hope, and leads to a picturesque Jones (Wahleach) Lake. There are two BC Hydro campgrounds by the lake (closed due to coronavirus COVID-19 during our visit), as well as several non-regulated camping spots right by the lake. The road is very rough, with numerous deep potholes. It is also fairly steep for the first 6.5 kilometers. It’s a good thing, in a way - otherwise, this place, so close to the Lower Mainland, would be simply overrun with people, while now only those brave enough to tackle this road can make it to the lake.

Aside from the BC Hydro campgrounds, there are also some residences near the lake. It takes 7.5 km to get to the first campground, and just over one kilometer more to get to the second one. After that, starting at about the 10 km mark, there are several good unregulated lake access points, with fine, if rocky, camping areas. Mountain views are all around. Some garbage may be present to taint an otherwise idyllic camping environment.

Zero your odometer at the Jones Lake FSR sign seen in photo #5, if you want to follow the table of the points of interest. There are good mileage markers too, but they are off by 200-400 meters (too late).
 

1. We are Eastbound on TransCanada Highway 1, approximately 130 kilometers East of Vancouver, and are approaching Exit 153 (Laidlaw Rd / Jones Lake). The town of Hope (major stores, gas, hospital) is about 16 kilometers further East.

TransCanada Highway 1 East near Exit 153 Laidlaw Rd/Jones Lake

2. Now taking Exit 153. Make a right turn onto Laidlaw Road after the exit, as indicated by the sign on the right side in the photo below.

Exit 153 Jones Lake/Laidlaw Road near Hope BC

3. About 800 meters after making the right turn, make another right turn onto the gravel road after crossing the bridge seen below.

Laidlaw Road near Hope British Columbia

4. Here is that gravel road.

Laidlaw Road British Columbia

5. Having made the right turn onto the gravel road, you reach the start of Jones Lake FSR, 1.1 km after exiting Highway 1. Coordinates: N 49⁰18.772’ W 121⁰37.476’. Elevation: 30 meters. The road climbs to about 650 meters above the sea level, prior to levelling, more or less. Zero your odometer at the FSR sign, if you want to follow the table of points of interest above.

6. The first two kilometers of Jones Creek Forest Service Road are especially steep and rough, with several switchbacks.

Jones Lake Forest Service Road

7. And the first good view arrives at the 1.2 km mark.

View from Jones Lake FSR near Laidlaw BC

8. Here is Jones Lake FSR at the 1.9 km mark, closer to the end of the initial quite steep and rough stretch. The rest of the road is by no means an autobahn, but a bit better, nonetheless.

Jones Lake FSR near Hope BC Canada

9. There are several logged areas along Jones Lake FSR, and logging truck traffic should be expected. Logging trucks have a priority on all FSRs.

Logged Area by Jones Lake Forest Service Road

10. A small but fairly picturesque waterfall is on the left side at the 2.4 km mark, about 100 meters past the logged area seen above.

Jones Lake FSR Waterfall

Here is our video of the Jones Lake FSR waterfall.

11. Jones Lake Forest Service Road after the waterfall.

Jones Lake FSR

12. There is a T-junction at the 2.6 km mark. Lorenzeta FSR is to the left, and Jones Lake FSR continues to the right.

Jones Lake FSR / Lorenzeta FSR Split

13. Jones Lake FSR after the T-junction.

Jones Lake Forest Service Road near Hope British Columbia Canada

14. A good view at the 3.9 km mark.

View from Jones Lake FSR near Laidlaw BC Canada

15. View of a creek from the bridge at the 4.0 km mark.

Creek across Jones Lake FSR

16. Now at 4.1 km of Jones Creek Forest Service Road near Hope BC.

Jones Lake Forest Service Road

17a. Approaching BC Hydro Recreation Area access at the 7.5 km mark of Jones Lake FSR. Coordinates: N 49⁰15.635’ W 121⁰36.294’. Elevation: 650 meters. At the split in the photo below, go left to continue on Jones Lake FSR, or go right to start on Jones Lake West FSR and to reach the Recreation Area in 1.2 km.

Jones Lake FSR near Hope BC

17b. The same area 3 years later, when we returned to check out the Recreation Area and Jones Lake West FSR (covered on the next page).

18. Here is the situation in 2020. Closed due to coronavirus COVID-19.

Jones Lake-West FSR Start and BC Hydro Jones Lake Recreation Area Access

Here is our June 29, 2023 video of driving on Jones Lake FSR up to this point.

And here is our October 5, 2023 video of driving on Jones Lake FSR from this point to 13 km mark.

19. We carried on by taking the left road to stay on Jones Lake FSR, and here is a view from a small bridge at the 9.0 km mark, just around BC Hydro Campground access off Jones Lake FSR - Main.

View from Jones Lake FSR near Hope BC

20. There is a note (seen at the bottom left corner) at the 9.7 km mark, advising of active logging Monday-Friday, and requesting not to park vehicles from 9 to 12 km. We have not observed any logging trucks (there was an excavator heading to Jones Lake East FSR, though), and some folks did park their vehicles between 9 and 12 km. Perhaps, an old note? But, still, heads up.

Jones Lake Forest Service Road

21. Despite closed BC Hydro recreation areas, there are several unregulated camping spots by Jones Lake, with access starting at about 10 km mark of the FSR. Here is one.

Jones Lake seen from Jones Lake FSR

22-24. Jones Lake is quite pretty. Looking left to right from the spot accessed as seen above.

Jones Lake

Jones Lake British Columbia

Jones Lake near Hope BC Canada

Here is our video of Jones Lake.

More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel.

25. Apparently, this is Foley Glacier. Zoomed view.

Foley Glacier above Jones Lake

26. Camping by Jones Lake.

Jones Lake Camping near Hope BC Canada

27. A very large camping area, suitable for dozens of vehicles, is at the 10.3 km of Jones Lake FSR.

Jones Lake FSR at Jones Lake near Hope BC

28. Looking right/straight.

Jones Lake Camping Area

29. Looking left (October 2023 photo).

Jones Lake British Columbia

30. A panorama of the place (October 2023 photo).

Jones Lake Panorama - near Hope BC Canada

31. And here are the vehicles which parked between the 9 and 12 km of the FSR, at the 11.2 km mark.

Jones Lake Forest Service Road British Columbia Canada

32. Chances are, there are no logging trucks running here - just look at this washout 100 meters later.

Jones Lake FSR Washout

33. This photograph can't reflect the actual depth, but there is a quite a drop there - definitely only for ATVs and high-clearance short wheelbase 4x4s. This is obviously going to only get worse, with this creek flowing here.

Jones Lake Forest Service Road Washout

34. Mayhem.

Washout at Jones Lake FSR

35. October 2023 Update: the washout has been fixed, and the road is now passable much further. In 1.2 km (at 12.5 km of Jones Lake FSR) there is a split, where on the right side the main FSR continues along the lake and then goes elsewhere for many more kilometers - conditions unknown, and a rough road on the left leads to Lucky 4 Mine trailhead).

36. And this is how we saw Jones Lake from above during our Mt. Cheam hike.

Jones Lake seen from Mount Cheam

Jones Lake Forest Service Road near Hope is very rough, but leads to a neat lake. Recommended.

On June 29, 2023, we returned to Jones Lake FSR and checked out Jones Lake West FSR and BC Hydro Campground - covered on Page 2 of this trip report.

Other Trips in Hope BC Area:

Town of Hope Visit

Silver Skagit Road

Yak Peak Trail

HBC Heritage Trail	Sowaqua Creek FSR	Zoa Peak Trail Hike
Skagit River Trail	Skyline II Trail Hike	Mount Outram Trail
Othello Tunnels Visit	Eaton Lake Trail Hike	Mt Hope Lookout Trail
Flat Iron Peak Hike	Dog Mountain Trail	Thacker Mtn Hike
Sowerby Creek FSR		Needle Peak Trail

Other Trips:

ihikebc.com Trip 184 - Jones Lake Forest Service Road (Near Hope BC) Page 1 of 2