Trail Overview
This is a nice, easy loop trail that goes past the peaceful Mud Lake. The lake is small and might be considered more of a pond. There is a single, lovely, larger campsite right on the pond's edge. Two swans were spotted lazily paddling around the clear waters. Other wildlife can be spotted in the area, especially since this is such a pleasant and quiet trail. Most of the trail runs through a forest of well-thinned trees, offering ample opportunity to spot wildlife as you travel along. Downed trees and mud might be encountered early in the season. Or after large storms. There is one bar of Verizon cell service. To ensure you have consistent map coverage, please download your offline maps before exploring the area. Crown Land Camping: Canadian Crown Land is open to Canadian residents for free camping. Out-of-country visitors, particularly from the US, will need to obtain a camping permit from the nearest FrontCounter BC office in Cranbrook before camping on Crown land if camping outside of the paid campsite.
History
Historically, it has been part of the territory of the Ktunaxa people, who have inhabited the region for thousands of years. A local family owned the rights to the land until the late 1900s, when it was sold to the local government. As with much of the Lake Koocanusa region, logging played a significant role in the history. The surrounding forests would have been harvested for timber.
