ABOUT THE TRANQUILLE VALLEY
Tranquille Road runs west from the North Shore past Kamloops Airport to Tranquille, on the northeast shore of Kamloops Lake. From there the Tranquille-Criss Creek Road, also called Red Lake Road, climbs north through ranch country toward Criss Creek and Red Lake. Much of the road is gravel, and Red Lake is about 40 minutes to an hour from Kamloops depending on conditions.
The Tranquille site has a long history. It opened in 1907 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, later became a provincial institution until 1983, and is now farmed by Tranquille Farm Fresh, with a resort community called Tranquille on the Lake approved for the future. Up the valley it is acreages, ranches and cabins, with the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area on one side and a quiet, stocked trout lake at the top.
TRANQUILLE AND RED LAKE LISTINGS
Listed by Stonehaus Realty Corp
Listed by Royal LePage Kamloops Realty (Seymour St)
Listed by HouseSigma Inc.
Listed by Royal LePage Westwin Realty
Listed by LandQuest Realty Corp. (Interior)
Listed by Royal LePage Kelowna
Tranquille Valley
Area Guide
The practical answers on the Tranquille Valley, Criss Creek and Red Lake, from a rural REALTOR who has lived at Pinantan Lake since 2008.
Contact JeremiaWhere is the Tranquille Valley?
Northwest of Kamloops. Tranquille Road runs west from the North Shore past the airport to Tranquille on Kamloops Lake, and the Tranquille-Criss Creek Road (Red Lake Road) climbs north from there toward Criss Creek and Red Lake. Much of it is gravel. Red Lake is about 40 minutes to an hour from Kamloops. The Tranquille site is inside the City of Kamloops, while Red Lake and the valley beyond the city limits are in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
Who lives here?
Ranchers, people who want real acreage and privacy within an hour of town, and buyers looking for a cabin or year-round home on a quiet trout lake. There is no transit and no local shopping, so it suits people who are comfortable driving into Kamloops for groceries and errands. For land closer to town, see acreage for sale near Kamloops.
What is the lifestyle like?
Open grassland, wildlife and fishing. The Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area covers about 15,700 hectares, with hiking and biking trails and bighorn sheep and mule deer. Red Lake is stocked with rainbow and brook trout and has a public boat launch near the south end. Closer to town, the Tranquille Wildlife Management Area and the Tranquille River Trail are known birding spots.
What are the properties like?
Mostly acreages and ranches along the valley, with cabins and year-round homes at Red Lake, where waterfront lots are smaller to give more owners lake access. The Red Lake shoreline is reedy, so many owners have long docks. Zoning varies by property under the TNRD, and docks and moorage on Crown foreshore may need provincial authorization, so check both before you buy.
Schools and services
There is school bus service into the valley. Confirm the catchment for a specific address with School District 73. Water comes from wells or lake intakes, and drawing from a lake generally needs a provincial water licence. Some homes are on grid power and others use solar, propane or a generator. Properties along Tranquille Criss Creek Road and at Red Lake were under evacuation order during the 2021 Sparks Lake fire, so wildfire preparedness is part of owning here.
Discover the Tranquille Valley
Things to Do & See
Lac du Bois Grasslands: trails, bighorn sheep and open range
View Activities
Trout fishing at Red Lake and nearby lakes
View Activities
Birding at the Tranquille Wildlife Management Area
View Activities
Tranquille history: from 1907 sanatorium to working farm
View Activities
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT THINK TO ASK
Up the Tranquille Valley the questions are about the road, the water and the power. Drive the road in winter if you can, and ask who maintains the stretch to the property. Find out whether the water comes from a well or a lake intake, and if it is a lake intake, whether there is a water licence. Ask how the house gets power and internet, and for the septic records. At Red Lake, check whether the dock has the provincial authorization it needs. After 18 years in construction, I look at the outbuildings, the wood stove and how the land drains first. Then look at wildfire: this area was under evacuation order in 2021. I am not a licensed home inspector, and a qualified professional inspection is always recommended before any purchase.
Huxley
Jeremia Huxley is a REALTOR with Stonehaus Realty Corp., based in Pinantan Lake, BC, who specializes in rural and acreage properties around Kamloops, including the Tranquille Valley and Red Lake. He has 9 years of real estate experience and 18 years prior experience in construction. He is not a licensed home inspector. Contact: 250-571-0379.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers about buying in the Tranquille Valley, Criss Creek and Red Lake.
Northwest of Kamloops. Tranquille sits on the northeast shore of Kamloops Lake past Kamloops Airport, and the Tranquille-Criss Creek Road climbs north from there through the Tranquille Valley toward Criss Creek and Red Lake.
About 40 minutes to an hour, depending on road conditions. Much of the road is gravel.
The Tranquille site on Kamloops Lake is inside the City of Kamloops. Red Lake and the valley beyond the city limits are in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, so TNRD zoning applies. Confirm the jurisdiction for each property.
Yes. Red Lake is stocked with rainbow and brook trout and has a public boat launch near the south end. There are motor restrictions, so check the current BC freshwater fishing regulations.
The water source and any water licence, the septic records, how the property gets power and internet, winter road access, and wildfire risk. Properties along Tranquille Criss Creek Road and at Red Lake were under evacuation order during the 2021 Sparks Lake fire. A qualified home inspection is recommended before any purchase.
REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
Buying or selling rural property raises questions that city listings never do: wells, septic, who plows the road, what the ALR allows.
The blog takes them one at a time, in plain language, from someone who has lived on rural property since 2008.