We were late making plans for a summer camping trip in our Airstream, so I suggested to my husband that we seek out a remote destination. “Why not north of Whistler?” I asked, having enjoyed our short stay at Porteau Cove State Park near Squamish last spring. While finishing up a school year, I was very excited about our out-of-the-way destination with glamping amenities: Tyax Lodge, a two hour drive from Lilloett, BC down a gravel road. In addition to a lodge, a spa that produced its own massage oils made out of mountain wildflowers, and restaurant, there was a campground on site. The difficulty of reaching it meant that there was still space available when we were searching for reservations at the end of June. This campground was only “down the road” for a population smaller than what you might find in the Bellingham, WA Costco on a Saturday afternoon.
We left from Chilliwack, BC on July 26 and drove about 4 hours along the Frasier River to Lilloet, BC. It was a cloudy, rainy day. The first rain we experienced since a record breaking heat in June and early July. We stopped for lunch in Lilloet and shopped at the town’s only grocery store.
We drove about 10 miles out of town. The road was still paved. My husband had purchased two inexpensive blue camping pads . To start our drive down the gravel road, he duct taped them to the front of the Airstream to protect it from flying gravel.
I did none of the driving, but the road was fine and not really harrowing. It was definitely do-able with a trailer or in your average commuter car. We met our goal and arrived at our destination before sundown. The lodge and campground were next to Lake Tyaughton. In the late evening, mist rose off the lake and I heard my first loon calls.