Wasa Lake Provincial Park in BC’s Kootenay Region

Last summer we spent ten days motorcycle touring through southeastern British Columbia. One of our favourite destinations between Golden and Nelson was Wasa Lake Provincial Park in the Kootenay region.

Wasa Lake Provincial Park is unlike any provincial park I have visited previously – and I have visited a lot! Located approximately 200 kilometres south of Golden and just 40 kilometres north of Cranbrook, the Wasa Lake Provincial Park campground actually caused me a bit of concern when we were arriving. Despite the fact that I had made a reservation at a campground with around 100 sites, the arrival route to the campsite made me feel like there must somehow be two Wasa Lake Provincial Parks in BC (spoiler: there’s not).

After driving through numerous small communities along the Columbia River, enjoying beautiful views while driving along Columbia Lake, relaxing with a late afternoon dip at Fairmont Hot Springs, then heading for Wasa Lake late in the day, we followed Google’s directions and turned off the highway at Wasa Lake Gas and Food. We saw the main beach area, lovely grassy areas with tell-tale BC Parks picnic tables, a nice looking bike path, and a sani station – so far so good. Then we turned left and were suddenly in the middle of what appeared to be a residential area. Houses and summer cabins flanked both sides of the road and I was left wondering where exactly 100 campsites were going to fit! Fortunately for us, before long it all became clear: Wasa Lake Provincial Park is actually made up of several smaller, disconnected sections. There is a campground set back from the lake, a large day use area with a playground and boat launch, and two smaller protected areas on the opposite side of the lake with no facilities.

With that sorted, we set about preparing our campsite. Our site was similar to most in the loop: a standard BC Parks gravel pad surrounded by grassland and light tree cover. The site offers both pit and flush toilets throughout the campground and has a shower building near the entrance. A walk around the campsite to orient ourselves uncovered a children’s bike park, an amphitheatre, and a self guided interpretive trail called the Forest of the Rainshadow.

The Forest of the Rainshadow is a 3 or so kilometre, hour-long loop hiking trail departing from near the campground amphitheatre. The sign at the trailhead invites hikers to “wander through a Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forest as you make your way gradually uphill to open grasslands… Along the way investigate how the forces of nature and the influence of humans have shaped the Forest of the Rainshadow.” As we did our hike, we saw numerous markers with numbers, which leads me to believe that at one time there was a brochure with information about each marker similar to the Otter Marsh Interpretive Trail we did at Big Bar Lake Provincial Park (see blog). Unfortunately, I was not able to find any information to accompany The Forest of the Rainshadow. Despite this, I would recommend The Forest of the Rainshadow as it is a lovely walk with great views of Wasa Lake.

The next morning we set out to explore the other sections of Wasa Lake Provincial Park. A great way to do this is by cycling or walking the Wasa Lions Way – an 8 kilometre paved loop around Wasa Lake that connects all the parts of Wasa Lake Provincial Park. Our trip around the lake took us to two sections of Wasa Lake Provincial Park on the west side of the lake without any developed facilities. These areas have undergone significant grassland restoration and it was really interesting to learn about fire maintained temperate grasslands and how fire suppression since the 1940s has negatively impacted these ecosystems.

As we rounded the north end of Wasa Lake we entered back into the largest area of the park. Wasa Lake Provincial Park has four day-use areas with buoyed swimming areas, which provide safe access to the warmest swimming lake in the Kootenays and over 2,000 metres of beaches. There are 45 picnic sites, a change house, a boat launch, and an adventure playground.

Wasa Lake Provincial Park is an absolute gem for family camping. We observed that most campers seemed to have their bicycles, and between the many trails to explore, the great beaches, and the laid back vibe, I can see how Wasa Lake Provincial Park would be a great place to unwind.

For other places to camp in this area or elsewhere in British Columbia go to the Camping Map.

Share your BC travel and camping photos using hashtags #campinbc #explorebc.

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, British Columbia

On a recent trip through the Kootenays we spent a few nights at one of my favourite campsites in the area: Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park is a large and popular campground 20 minutes east of Nelson. The park has four separate campgrounds, accepts reservations for 132 of its 189 vehicle-accessible sites, and has many things to see and do during your stay.

On our last stay, we camped at the Sandspit Campground, which is by far the largest campsite area. Other campground areas include the Redfish Campground, the Osprey Point Campground, and the Friends Campground, which offers 13 sites with electrical hook ups. Kokanee Creek Provincial Park has all the facilities you would expect in such a large and popular provincial park: water taps, a large adventure playground, a sani-station, both pit and flush toilets, and shower buildings at both the Sandspit and Friends campgrounds.

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park has quite an interesting history. Archaeological evidence indicates that areas within the park were used as seasonal campsites by Indigenous peoples. In the late 1800s, a wealthy Englishman named Charles W. Busk moved to the Nelson area and established the “Busk Estate” – which included a large mansion where he entertained guests. By 1913 Busk was disenchanted with his new lifestyle and he died only a few years later. Today, all that remains of the original Busk Estate are some stone walls and an oval concrete swimming pool – but these are generally well hidden! One hiking trail in the park is called the Historic Busk Estate Trail and that is where you might start if you wanted to try to find the ruins.

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park has an excellent nature centre open daily from 8am to 8pm.  There are many programs for all ages run out of the nature centre and it is highly advisable to see what programs are being offered while you are there.

One of the reasons Kokanee Creek Provincial Park is so popular is that it provides access to more than a kilometre of sandy beaches. There is a boat launch and wharf and watersports including swimming, paddling, waterskiing, and windsurfing are popular.

When we visited, we spent most of our time at the park exploring some of the 9.5 kilometres of hiking and walking trails. We started our hike at the nature centre and set out to explore the spawning channel. Lots of interesting interpretive signage teaches about Kokanee – landlocked Sockeye Salmon. It is interesting to read about how human impacts such as mining in nearby Kimberley and the construction of the Duncan Dam have impacted Kokanee over the years and lead to hatcheries and spawning channels being built. After leaving the spawning channel area we headed uphill along the Canyon Trail to the Canyon Lookout. This is a beautiful trail following the creek with a viewing platform at the end. From there, we took the previously mentioned Historic Busk Estate Trail (no luck finding the swimming pool for us!) all the way back down to Kootenay Lake near the edge of the park. We found the dog beach, then followed a trail along the lakeshore past the Friends Campground, past the Sandspit Campground, and then connected with the Grassland Trail where we found a beautiful and much less busy sandy beach, before completing our loop and re-emerging back at the nature centre for an ice cold drink at their coffee shop. This loop was about 5.5 kilometres long and took us approximately an hour and a half to hike.

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park is a West Kootenay favourite – and for good reason. With lovely campsites, great services, and lots to explore, this certainly won’t be our last trip to Kokanee Creek.

For other camping and RV accommodations in British Columbia check out the Camping Map.

Share your BC travel and camping photos at hashtag #CampinBC, #exploreBC

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Exploring History in New Denver, British Columbia

Not only is B.C. wild and beautiful, it’s rich in history too. Last summer we took a road trip through the Kootenay Rockies region, hoping to get a taste of some of the wildest camping Canada has to offer.

Along our route, between major stops Nelson and Revelstoke, we decided to explore the area around New Denver. We had heard of a ghost town in Sandon.

Historic Sandon

Just 13 kilometers east of New Denver lies Sandon. The town is lovingly preserved by its residents––which you can pretty much count on one hand!

A good place to start your tour is The Prospector’s Pick which functions as the Visitor’s Centre and Gift Shop. With any luck you’ll get to meet Vida Turok, a Sandon resident, while taking a look at the memorabilia and vintage collectibles. Vida is warm and friendly, and will tell you all about the town of Sandon. Those of you with a heart for adventure will connect with her adventurous spirit. She moved to Sandon after falling in love with the town while on a 100 days hike through B.C.

After picking up some ice-cream, or a hot coffee, take a look at the Brill Trolley Interpretive Display. These vintage buses from cities like Vancouver, Calgary, and Saskatoon found a permanent home at Sandon when they proved popular with visitors. Now you can tour the inside of Trolley #2201 during season.

As you continue down the path and up the hill you’ll see Sandon’s crown jewel, the Silversmith Power & Light Generating Station. It’s been operating since 1897, and today still runs 24 hours a day, providing green energy for Sandon and New Denver. Impressively, all of the machinery is original and it’s family-owned and operated.

At its height as a booming silver town, Sandon, was a state-of-the-art city with a population of 5,000. It was the first town in B.C. with the capability to provide electric power to every citizen. Today this hydroelectric power station is the first utility in B.C. to receive federal green hydroelectric certification.

You can round out your tour with a look at the Steam Locomotive and a visit to the Museum. The museum is the only attraction that is not free at $5 admission.

Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre

During its decline, Sandon served as a Japanese Canadian Internment Camp during WWII. We learned more about this period in history at New Denver’s Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre.

There is an admission fee of $9 per adult to tour this National Historic Site. In fact, it’s the only site in all of Canada where you can learn about this part of WWII history.

In 1942, 22,000 Japanese-Canadian citizens were forced from their homes along the coast of B.C. and relocated to internment camps. As you tour this National Historic Site you are actually walking through what once was The Orchard internment camp.

You can get a sense of what life was like under those conditions walking through the 14’ x 28’ shack that usually housed 2 families. One side shows you the conditions the Japanese families would have found it in, while the other side shows you what it looked like once it was inhabited.

As you exit the different halls holding artifacts, you’ll walk through the beautiful Peace Garden.

We love experiencing history on our travels, and in the New Denver area we found what almost feels like a forgotten history to explore. And, though sad, it was interesting to find a connection between Sandon and the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver.

Planning Your Perfect Itinerary

You can enjoy some epic camping and the historic sites above over a weekend. You can explore Sandon in the morning and New Denver in the afternoon on one day. And enjoy hiking and relaxing at your campsite on day 2. Depending on where you’re traveling from, you can also make this part of a larger BC road trip, adding in stops in Nelson, Revelstoke, and hot springs around the area.

When to Go: Between Victoria Day and Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving is the 2^nd Monday in October).

Visiting between these dates gives you access to all there is to do at Sandon and some of the best hiking weather. However, winter camping is definitely a thing in B.C., and some of Sandon is open and/or available by appointment in the winter.

Where to Stay: Be sure to check out Camping & RV in BC’s Campground Map here. We typed in New Denver and set the search radius to 50km to really get a full picture of what’s around. We chose to stay about 30 minutes from New Denver. Our favorites were Summit Lake Provincial Park and we completely fell in love with serene, waterfront Box Lake Recreation Site both near Nakusp.

Road Trip Time: For those of you making your way from Spokane or Kelowna, you’re roughly 4 hours to adventure and history. Heading in from Calgary? Plan on about 6 hours of drive time. Friends in Vancouver and Seattle, you’re about an 8-hour drive away. Note: During 2020 the border is closed to travel between the United States and Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If this area interests you, check out our drive:
Mountains, Lakes & Rivers in the West Kootenays and Boundary Country

For campgrounds in the Nakusp. New Denver and Sandon areas as well as elsewhere throughout British Columbia go to the Camping Map.

Share your BC camping and travel pictures using hashtags #campinbc, #explorebc and #BCNice.

Published: September 16th, 2020