Kokanee Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park on the west shore of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Highway 3A bisects the park 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Nelson.
Contact
Phone Toll free: 1-800-689-9025
Reservations: www.discovercamping.ca
Location: Kokanee Creek Provincial Park
Established as a BC Provincial Park in 1955, it encompasses 260 hectares of sandy beaches, deltas, and coniferous forest.
Kokanee Creek Provincial Park is situated in the Slocan Range of the Selkirk Mountain Range and borders the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, 19 kms from Nelson on Hwy 3A. With 257 hectares, the park has over a kilometer of sandy beaches and a large delta area. It protects the active alluvial creek fan with its marshes and extensive sand spit. Kokanee Creek bisects the landscape to form a steep canyon that can be viewed from an observation platform. The area received park status in 1955 thanks to the forward thinking of local land planners who saw value in the many attributes on both sides of Kokanee Creek. The establishment of the campgrounds, the visitor center and other amenities quickly followed under the watchful eye of local interest groups.
Kokanee (the Sinixt name for the redfish that swim upstream to spawn) has been a West Kootenay landmark popular with tourists and locals alike ever since. When staying at the park there is always something to do with a network of walking and hiking trails in and around the park, two adventure playgrounds, the Kokanee Visitor Centre, Kokanee spawning channel, boat launch and of course some required beach time. And that is just within the park boundary!
The Kokanee Creek Nature Centre
The Kokanee Creek Nature Centre located beside the Kokanee Spawning channel was built in the mid-1970s to encourage an appreciation of nature and to educate campers and residents on the unique ecosystems plus the importance of good environmental stewardship in the preservation of the park. The Redfish Coffee Bar and Gift Shop, located in the Nature Centre, serves up Oso coffee, fresh baking, ice cream and treats. The Gift shop offers custom t-shirts, nature guides and more with all proceeds going to support the educational programs. Wifi is available.