The name “Cultus Lake” encompasses a freshwater lake, tight knit community and a pristine provincial park in British Columbia.
Located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) south of the Chilliwack River in the Fraser Valley, Cultus Lake is approximately 80 kilometers (50 mi) east of Vancouver. The lake and environs covers an area of 656 hectares.
At one time the lake had a sawmill and booming ground. In the 1950s, 2,729 hectares of the lake and surrounding area was designated Cultus Lake Provincial Park. Despite this, Cultus Lake Park receives no funding on a local, provincial or federal level and is entirely self-sustaining.
The freshwater lake itself is warm, and near forest-clad mountains. Fishing, water-skiing, wind-surfing, wake-surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, and hiking make the area a popular recreation destination.
The park is almost evenly divided between the northwest and southeast sides of Cultus Lake. The northwest portion is mostly undeveloped. The southeast portion is home to the visitor-oriented facilities.
As there are only about 700 private dwellings, the cultus lake real estate market is not terribly dynamic. In October 2021, eight houses, four condos, two commercial listings and one vacant lot were listed. The homes ranged in price from $1,080,000 to $2,299,900.
A large portion of the Cultus Lake real estate market is made up of vacation homes for part-time residents.
The community of Cultus Lake numbered 1,053 as of 2016, down by 1.7 percent from 1,071 residents in 2011. By far, the greater part of the population is over 50. There are 21 commercial businesses.
As the Cultus Lake community is small and made up of mainly retirees and part-time vacationers there is only one school directly in the community. Cultus Lake Community School has students from Kindergarten through grade 5 who then go to schools in the neighbouring city of Chilliwack.
Cultus Lake is plentiful in outdoor activities. Cultus Lake beach is incredibly popular to locals and visitors alike in the summer months, both the beach and the docks are always booming with people enjoying the warm temperatures of the lake.
Cultus Lake also has Sunnyside Campground, centrally located with approximately 600 spots for trailers and tents, close to the beach, shops, tourist attractions and the Cultus Lake Golf Club.
Cultus Lake Waterpark includes picnic areas, concession stands, and a rentals booth for lockers, BBQs, umbrellas and loungers. Cultus Lake Adventure Park opened in July 2014 as the expansion of Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf. After a multi-phase expansion Cultus Lake Adventure Park now offers more than 18 rides and attractions.
Due to the small size of the community, most of the arts and culture in the area can be found in larger neighbouring towns.
Cultus Lake restaurants range from upscale lakeside dining to quaint bistro dining.
The community offers restaurants, stables, laundromat, stores and gas stations but larger department stores are located in Chilliwack.