Ultimate Guide to Kokanee Creek Provincial Park

When you are looking for a great campground to bring your family to, don’t you want to find one with lots of amenities and things to do? If you are looking for an awesome place to camp and be close to amazing mountain biking, fishing, water-sports, hiking and even zip-lining, then this ultimate guide will help you decide to stay at the awesome Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.

About Kokanee Creek Provincial Park

History: Kokanee Creek Park is located on the old “Busk” estate site. Charles W. Busk was a wealthy English gentleman who came to Nelson in the late 1800’s. He had acquired a large tract of land with lake frontage 14 miles from Nelson. From plans drawn by English architects, Busk built a large mansion that once sat on a rise a short way up Kokanee Glacier Road.

As a country squire and gracious gentlemen, Mr. Busk enjoyed entertaining guests but also had many interests in surveying, mining, fruit ranching and Scouting. He lived an eloquent, lavish life style. After 1913 the romance of his new way of life had dulled and it is estimated he went through three fortunes. Sadly, within a few years he died, disillusioned by most of his ventures, withdrawn and ignored by friends whom he once had entertained so lavishly. The park as it is seen today was originally established in 1955.

Cultural Heritage: Archaeological evidence in the park indicates seasonal campsites used by First Nations people. Remains of European settlement include evidence of old homesteads and an early estate. Nearby are mining ghost towns and village museums displaying the Kootenay area history.

Conservation: With 257 hectares, Kokanee Creek Park has extensive sandy beaches and a large delta area. Backed by a gentle rising upland, this area gives way to the forested slopes of the Slocan Range of the Selkirk Mountains. Kokanee Creek bisects the landscape to form a steep canyon.

The park protects the active alluvial creek fan with its marshes and extensive sandspit. Both the Englemann spruce/subalpine fir and the interior cedar/hemlock biogeoclimatic zones occur here. Prime growing conditions within the park produce a diverse mix of vegetation with magnificent specimens of fir, hemlock and pine. There are both pure and mixed stands of deciduous trees as well as many of the common understory plants including wild rose, queen’s cup and skunk cabbage. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park’s natural heritage, please do not damage or remove them.

Wildlife: The Kokanee Creek Delta ecology includes many species of plants and animals. A variety of habitats support coyotes, beaver, whitetail and mule deer and a large number of birds ranging from the tiny Rufous hummingbird to the great blue heron. Many of the birds are migratory but kingfishers, woodpeckers and dippers can by seen throughout the year. The park also has important man-made and some natural spawning channels for kokanee salmon, which spawn in large numbers in the late summer.

Park visitors should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. Please view all wildlife from a distance.

When and How to Book

Camping has become a very popular getaway, especially in the last few years, so make sure you book early! Many people book as early as January so you have to plan out your camping adventures early. Gone are the days when you could just decide at the last minute and show up and get a site.

BC Provincial Parks – Bookings open two months (to the date) ahead of the day you want to camp. Visit bcparks.ca to book any provincial site in BC.

Activities to Enjoy:

Hiking
Biking
Adventure playgrounds
Mountain Biking
Windsurfing
Boating
Kayaking,Canoeing, SUP
Ziplining (At Kokanee Mountain Zipline)
Beach lounging
Fishing
Exploring nature at the Visitor’s Center and at the Spawning Channel
Exploring Kokanee Glacier
Winter activities such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing along campsite trails and roads

The Campgrounds:

There are actually four different campgrounds, Sandspit Campground, The Friends Campground, Redfish Campground and Osprey Point campground. There are also two group campsites which are perfect for things like family reunions, wedding groups, birthday parties etc. The Friends Campground has 13 sites with electrical service.

As a family, we prefer getting a site in the Sandspit Campground the majority of the time. Sandspit is the largest portion of the campground and it is where the majority of the facilities are concentrated. Some of these facilities include, showers, playgrounds, Sani station/dump, pit and flush toilets, drinking water, campfires, and are accessible for people with disabilities.

Single campsite at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park — Here is what a typical single site looks like at Sandspit.

We love the fact that many of the campsites in Sandspit are surrounded by trees and bushes and are feel very private.

Double campsite at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park — Here is a typical double site at Sandspit Campground.

Kids and families love Kokanee Creek for the abundance of paved laneways to ride bikes on. When I was a kid, this is where my parents brought us to learn how to ride bikes. We lived on a very steep road on the side of a mountain so this was perfect.

There are also two adventure playgrounds for kids to enjoy.

Playground at Kokanee Creek Provincial park — One of the adventure playgrounds near “The Friends Campground at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.

The Beach:

Kokanee Creek has over a kilometre of sandy beaches perfect for sunbathing, swimming and all sorts of watersports. The main portion of the beach is fantastic for families with small children as there are no big drop offs underwater. It is a slow and gradual descent into the water and the sand is great for building sand castles (there have been many sandcastle building contests over the years!)

There is also a boat launch at the park and Kootenay lake is great for waterskiing, wakesurfing as well as fishing. The most popular species caught here are Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, and Kokanee salmon. Please use your best judgement when determining where you can fish, and make sure you follow local rules and regulations which can be found in the synopsis HERE.

Want to know more about fishing on Kootenay lake? Read more about it here at Angler’s Atlas.

Kokanee Creek Nature Centre:

The Kokanee Creek Nature Centre is open in July and August (Check the opening dates on the Nature Centre website here.) At the nature centre you will find little coffee shop, The Kokanee Salmon School Program and several programs throughout the summer months.

These programs include evening programs perfect for families with informative talks like how a wasp builds its nest or more info on grizzly bears. There is also the Jerry’s Rangers program (ages 6-9) Outdoor hikes and activities for youngsters. Learn about plants, animals and the world around you! Junior Naturalists take kids out to explore and discover Kokanee Creek Park trails.

Kokanee Salmon Spawning Channel:

If you are visiting Kokanee Creek Park in the late summer, you might just be able to experience the wonder of nature that is the annual Kokanee salmon spawning run. Every year, thousands of these bright red and green salmon fight their way up the creek and spawning channel in order to secure a mate and lay their eggs.

Make sure to watch out for bears though as they love the chance to bulk up for the winter by enjoying the “easy pickings” at the spawning channel.

There are extensive pathways and bridges along the channel to watch and learn about this interesting and intriguing phenomenon.

Where to Explore Close By

Kokanee Creek park is located within an hours drive to Ainsworth Hot Springs, historic Nelson, Balfour Golf Club, charming Kaslo with the SS Moyie sternwheeler, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park and the longest free ferry ride in the world in Balfour B.C.

How To Get To Kokanee Creek Provincial Park:

Kokanee Creek Provincial Park is located in Southeastern British Columbia on Highway 3A. If you are coming from Nelson, head east, over the big orange bridge, 20 minutes along Kootenay Lake along highway 3A.

Map to Kokanee Creek Provincial Park