Cultus Lake is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

, associated community and provincial park in the Fraser Valley region of

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, ...

, Canada. It is the source of the

Sweltzer River The Sweltzer River is a river in British Columbia, Canada, that drains the waters of Cultus Lake into the Chilliwack River. It is about long, and much of it runs through Soowahlie Indian Reserve No. 14, which is under the administration of the ...

. Cultus Lake is located south of the

Chilliwack River Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdoor ...

, near the city of Chilliwack and approximately east of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. In 1950, Cultus Lake became a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

. Cultus Lake covers an area of 656 hectares, evenly on either side of the lake. At one time the lake had a sawmill and booming ground until it became a provincial park in the 1950s.

Etymology

Cultus Lake has always been an important place for spirit quests of the Sto:lo people. However, it was named with the Chinook Jargon word meaning primarily ''bad'', ''worthless'', or ''good for nothing'', though the same word can also mean ''free'', ''without purpose'', or simply ''nothing''.

Climate

Recreation

Accommodations

British Columbia Parks has several camping sites in the area in addition to a few privately owned campgrounds.

Cultus Lake Waterpark

The Cultus Lake water park includes picnic areas, concession stands such as Pier 84' Fish and Chips, Burger Stop, Pizza 2 Go, Candy Shop, Sub shop and an Espresso Hut, a rentals booth which includes lockers, BBQs, umbrellas and loungers, and paid WiFi ($2/day). Their official website i
www.cultus.com
The waterslides at the facilities include: * Blasters n' Twisters 1989 * Radical Rapids 1988 * Valley of Fear 1997 * Free Fall 1988 * Speed Slide 1988 * Colossal Canyon 2009 * Zero-60 Raceway 2009 * Pool with a clockwise current called the Adventure River 2003 * Tubular Terror 2012 * Bazooka Bowls 2013 * Boomerang 2013 * Rattler 2016 * 5 hot tubs located throughout the park Note: The park also has smaller slides and areas for smaller children such as * Pirates Cove * Kiddie Castle * Turtle Slide and Pool They also offer life jackets for free.

Cultus Lake Adventure Park

Cultus Lake Adventure Park opened in July 2014 as the expansion of Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf adding 11 rides. After a multi phase expansion Cultus Lake Adventure Park now offers more than 18 rides and attractions. Amusement rides include: * Buckin' Bronco * Classic Carousel * Wagon Wheel – giant ferris wheel * Bucky's Bumper Boats * Balloon Adventure * Wilderness Trail – kiddie playground with caves, streams, rope bridges, tree forts and panning for gems station * Round Up 360 – Canada's only 360 pendulum ride * Runaway Mine Train – rollercoaster * Blastin' Barrels * Windmill Drop * Wave Swinger Ride * Ribbit * Honey Pots * Cloud Buster - 120 ft. free fall

Government

The Cultus Lake Parks Board includes five commissioners, of whom 3 are elected from Cultus Lake, and 2 from the City of Chilliwack (as of 2017, Darcy Bauer and David Renwick). During the early 1900s, the Cultus Lake area began to build its popularity, which then led to the formation of a joint committee between Cultus Lake and the City of Chilliwack in 1924. This then led to the formation of the Cultus Lake Park Board in 1932, which is still in effect today. As of 2014, the board chairman is David Renwick.

Education

Cultus Lake Community School has approximately 150 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The school was first opened in 1947 as a three-room schoolhouse.History of Cultus Lake Community School
(SD33 web site) It was destroyed by fire in February 1959; the current building opened in October of the same year. The school is administered by the Chilliwack School District.