100 Mile House/Interlakes

Cariboo Bonanza Resort on Horse Lake, BC

Another big group camping trip is in the books. The memories, laughter and stories will live on forever, only improving with time. We received an email to advise the campground we pre-booked for 2015, Moondance Bay Resort, was closing. It was difficult to find another campground that could give 7 families totalling 26 people lake front sites without a year’s notice. After calling several resorts I stumbled upon Cariboo Bonanza Resort which is also in BC’s Interlakes area. We were so happy they could offer us 5 lakefront sites with 2 more just behind.

Skip directly to my thought on the campground!

This week was so full of stories and events that I will break it down to a few posts and focus this one solely on the campground. Cariboo Bonanza Resort is located less than 15 minutes from 100 Mile House on Horse Lake. It is best known as a fishing lake but big enough for swimming and boating activities.

Here are my thoughts on the campground.

If you plan to camp at Bonanza remember it is a private campground and the layout is that of an RV park. The sites are very close together and offer no real privacy, but we sought this type of layout for our large group.

Recommended Sites: here is the campground map

We were in sites 39 to 43, which are lake front sites with fantastic views. FYI, we have booked them for 2016. There are some considerations for these sites along with site 44: they are only 15 amp power, and are quite short and narrow, so won’t work for bigger units
If you are traveling as a group or wanted a more treed private environment then head to the back of the campground in sites 2-6. They back onto the forest and are grouped in a small cul-de-sac area.
Sites 29-32 are also lakefront but overlook the tent sites so do not offer the same lake view feel as 39-45. They are a bit wider and, I believe, offer 30 amp power which might be a consideration.
There is an overflow camping area which offers full hookups. It is an open field areas so keep that in mind if you select this area. Large units fit nicely in these large spaces
The campground offers several cute cabins. I did not look inside any of them but several are right on the lake and a few along the creek. They were fully booked during our stay so I have a feeling they are hard to get.

A local told us that one cabin was built for Prince Andrew and Fergie’s honeymoon, although we found nothing on the internet to verify. Bonanza’s owner, Bruno Sprecher, was the Royal Family’s ski guide who once saved Prince Charles’ and other’s lives in a deadly avalanche.

Campground Highlights:

The Management/Owners: These people were so friendly and really set the tone for this trip. As soon as we arrived we could feel the hospitality. The sites we were in had a narrow entrance road and right away they offered their tractor to park the RV’s in the site.
The campground was spotlessly well maintained
Clean washrooms, shower house and laundry room
Lakefront sites and access
Full hook up options
Onsite activities including fun archery targets, and a very impressive children’s playground
Several docks & a boat launch
Basic supply store

Campground Lowlights:

Limited privacy, no different than what you expect in most RV parks
Showers were nice and clean but all of us felt they lasted less than their advertised 2 minutes, perhaps because even the cold shut off without warning making it impossible to rinse off.
Bathrooms only have 1 toilet so people have to wait occasionally.
Power and water on every second site so cords and hoses had to be run across on some sites
Forest trail behind the campground leads to a smelly sanitation pond.