The Bonaparte Plateau, in British Columbia, Canada, is a sub-plateau of the

Thompson Plateau The Thompson Plateau forms the southern portion of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, Canada, lying to the west of Okanagan Lake, south of the Thompson River and east of (although never adjoining it) the Fraser River. At its most southern p ...

which extends to the

Quesnel River The Quesnel River is a major tributary of the Fraser River in the Cariboo District of central British Columbia. It begins at the outflow of Quesnel Lake, at the town of Likely, British Columbia, Likely and flows for about northwest to its conflu ...

and lies between the

Cariboo Mountains The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of ...

on the east and the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...

on the west. The Thompson Plateau is itself a sub-plateau of the larger

Fraser Plateau The Fraser Plateau is an intermontane plateau. It is one of the main subdivisions of the Interior Plateau located in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Geography The region includes the Cariboo Plateau and Chilcotin Plateau, and the adjoi ...

Etymology

The name of the plateau comes from a chief of the Shuswap people who adopted the name Bonaparte in emulation of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, who for some reason was popular among the

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, apparently for his reputation as a chieftain and warrior.

Geography

The Bonaparte Plateau lies between the

Bonaparte River The Bonaparte River is a tributary of the Thompson River, joining it at the community of Ashcroft, British Columbia. The river is about long, including the length of Bonaparte Lake. Rising on the Silwhoiakun Plateau to the northwest of Kamloops, B ...

on the north and west, and the

Thompson River The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches, the South Thompson River and the North Thompson River. The river ...

on the east and south; on its northern edge is

Bonaparte Lake Bonaparte is an Italian surname. It derives from Italian ''bona'' (''buona'') 'good' and ''parte'' 'solution' or 'match' (a name bestowed as an expression of satisfaction at a newborn's arrival). Bonaparte may refer to: People *The House of Bo ...

, the largest in the locality and at the head of the Bonaparte River, near the edge of the plateau above the

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

. Other streams draining the plateau is the

Deadman River The Deadman River, also known as the Deadman's River, Deadman Creek or Deadman's Creek, is a tributary of the Thompson River in the British Columbia Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is about in length. Name The river's name dates back to ...

, in fur trade times known by its French name, ''Rivière Defunté'', which joins the

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

, and Loon Creek, which runs west from Loon Lake to join the

between the towns of Clinton and Cache Creek. In the SE portion of the plateau near

Kamloops Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, w ...

, both Bonaparte and Loon Lakes are known for their recreational fishing, and the plateau is covered in many lakes and ponds which attract fly-fishing aficionados from around the world (notably Hihium Lake).{{Cite web, url=https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/bib88584.pdf, title=Bonaparte Provincial Park Management Plan, access-date=May 31, 2018 Porcupine Meadows Provincial Park is also located within this quadrant. Northeast of the Bonaparte Plateau there is a semi-mountainous region near the southern boundary of

Wells Gray Provincial Park Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres (524,990 hectares or ...

that is part of the

Shuswap Highland The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area of in British Columbia, Canada. It spans the upland area between the Bonaparte and Thompson Plateaus from the area of Mahood Lake, at the southeast corner of the Cariboo Plateau, southeast towards ...

(or the

Quesnel Highland The Quesnel Highland is a geographic area in the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. As defined by BC government geographer in ''Landforms of British Columbia'', an account and analysis of British Columbia geography tha ...

, depending on which definitions are used). The plateau is a mix of wilderness, large ranch holdings, and private recreational properties. The group of hills immediately northeast of Cache Creek have been preserved as the

Arrowstone Hills Provincial Park Arrowstone Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Thompson Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located to the northeast of the town of Cache Creek. The park was established by Order-in-Council in 1996 with an area ...

. The Arrowstone Hills, the highest summit of which is 1,791 metres (5,876 ft), feature sand canyons,

hoodoos A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, or earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock formed by erosion. Hoodoos typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the ...

and other unusual landforms and a rich wildlife population, including

rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anim ...

. The highest summit of the plateau overall is Silwhoiakun Mountain 1,870 metres (6,135 ft), at the top of the Silwhoiakun Plateau, which lies between

(N) and

Kamloops Lake Kamloops Lake in British Columbia, Canada is situated on the Thompson River just west of Kamloops. The lake is 1.6 km wide, 29 km long, and up to 152 m deep. In prehistoric time, the lake was much longer, perhaps 20x, with adjacent silt ...

(S), between the

(W) and the

North Thompson River The North Thompson River is the northern branch of the Thompson River, the largest tributary of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates at the toe of the Thompson Glacier in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mou ...

(E).

Parks

Bonaparte Provincial Park Bonaparte Provincial Park is an 11,811 hectare provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located within the Bonaparte Plateau. History The park was established April 30, 1996 under the Kamloops Land and Resource Management Plan (LRM ...

Castle Rock Hoodoos Provincial Park Castle Rock Hoodoos Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward int ...

* Loon Lake Provincial Park * Porcupine Meadows Provincial Park *

Tsintsunko Lakes Provincial Park Tsintsunko Lakes Provincial Park is a 333-hectare provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located south of the Deadman River The Deadman River, also known as the Deadman's River, Deadman Creek or Deadman's Creek, is a tributary of the Thomp ...

References

Interior Plateau Thompson Country