The Spotted Lake (Kliluk)

The Spotted Lake, or Kliluk, is a strangely-patterned body of water located between the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in British Columbia’s desert.

It contains large amounts of magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulfates, along with other minerals and traces of silver and titanium. In summer when water evaporates in the desert climate, these minerals are revealed in the “spots” of the lake’s name. At that point, it would be possible to walk between the salt crystal polka dots through the dry sections of the lake. (However, a fence at the site limits access and trespassing on the delicate natural wonder is not advised.) In World War I, these salts were used in the manufacturing of explosives.

Considered a sacred medicine spot known as Kliluk by First Nations people in both Canada and the United States, the lake is surrounded by cairns — rock piles often indicating graves.