Whiskers Point Provincial Park is an often-neglected gem only 120 kilometres drive north of Prince George.
For the budget-minded family wanting to escape the city for a day or a weekend and live within their means in these troubled economic times, there is no need to drive a full day or even half a day to find something suitable, for this park is only 90 minutes away.
Driving north and turning left off Highway 97 North into Whiskers Point just a few kilometres south McLeod Lake village, one suddenly enters a tiny, but surprising pearl in the wilderness.
On a hot, sunny summer's day, its forested entrance immediately provides shade and coolness which entices new arrivals to explore further. The winding road through this northern provincial park has ample spots for campers, trailers and motor homes in semi-secluded spots, all well within walking distance of its sandy beach, forests and trails.
The long, bright beach which has built up into a sandy spit over many decades is both neat and clean and juts well out into McLeod Lake.
Its southern exposure invites sun worshippers, sandcastle builders exploring their creativity, swimmers revelling in the crystal clear waters, or the more sedentary to sit on the beach and enjoy the vast expanse of lakefront before them.
Whatever the purpose, visitors can't go wrong by choosing Whiskers Point.
The feel of warm, soft sand and water beneath your feet tricks the mind into believing you have been tele-transported to somewhere more exotic.
The park is also equipped with a generous supply of tables in sun or shade for a peaceful picnic or afternoon family getaway.
For those seeking respite from sun, sand and water, visitors can take their children to the well-equipped playground, have a cookout at the covered shelter, savour a walk-about through the cool, canopied trails to enjoy the vegetation, or enjoy a variety of birds and wildlife and even a pair of golden eagles which have wisely made their summer home in the shoreline tree-tops.
If you've passed by Whiskers Point and never bothered to stop in, you will never know what enjoyment you have missed.
