Category: activities

Catherine Lake Rec Site

Catherine Lake is a popular fishing lake best suited to cartop boats and canoes. Camping is popular at Catherine too, with a choice of grassy or treed sites. Most of the campsites are quite private, being hidden along the shoreline amongst the trees. Each of the 4 campsite has a trail going down to the shore.

Driving Directions: Access from Arrow Park Ferry: At the ferry terminus set your odometer. Your odometer readings will not conform to the km signs on the road. Within 200 meters of leaving the ferry, turn right onto the road marked “Saddle Mountain Road Revelstoke”. Follow this road, past the “Saddle Lookout” road, for 11.6 km to the junction with the “Low Pass Road”. Reset your odometer. Stay right following the lake on the “Blackie Rogers Road” for another 12.9 km to a major intersection marked “Fostall Point”, “Fostall Road”, “Blackie Road” and “Cameron Lake Road”. Continue straight ahead on the “Fostall Road”. Reset your odometer. Travel 5.2 km up the “Fostall Road” to a junction with “North Fostall Revelstoke”. Turn right onto the “North Fostall Revelstoke” road. Reset your odometer. Continue along this road for 3.6 km. At the junction with “Middle Fostall Road”, stay right on “North Fostall Revelstoke”.Travel another 2 km to a junction with “Vanstone Road”. Turn right onto “Vanstone Road” and proceed 4.2 km to the “17 km” road marker. Turn right onto a narrow, dirt, 2 wheel drive road. Travel 1.7 km to the Catherine Lake Recreation Site.

Cedar Grove Trail

This is one of the few pure stands of old growth Western Red Cedar in the area. The loop trail through these giants is easy enough for toddlers through to “opals” – older people with active lifestyles. The height of these western red cedar trees will have you craning your neck as your eyes follow the massive trunks towards the sky. The understorey is dominated by Lady fern and Devil’s club, so beware if you venture off the trail. This is a pleasant retreat on a hot day. Bring a picnic and enjoy the stillness and quiet of this special place.

Driving Directions:From the junction of Highway 6 and 23 in Nakusp, travel north on Highway 23 for 3 km to the Nakusp Hot Springs turn off. Take the Hot Springs road for 10.8 km. Turn left onto the “Kuskanax Creek Forest Service Road”. Follow this steep, rough, loose surface, high clearance, 2 wheel drive road for 4.2 km. Turn left onto a dirt road, signed “Cedar Grove Trail 0.8 km”. Park at the “Large Western Red Cedar Grove” sign.

Hadow Creek Rec Site

This is a beautiful campsite right at the mouth of Hadow Creek. There are six campsites suitable for tenting or small RVs . Great opportunities for camping, fishing, and boating are available here. 6 campsites.

Driving Directions:Heading from Nakusp, take a right at the junction near the Galena Bay Ferry and follow the highway sings towards Trout Lake (this would be a left coming off the ferry from Revelstoke). Zero your odometer here. Follow this Hwy for 17.7 Km where you cross a bridge and follow the signs to Beaton. Take a right on Fish River Road at 22.7 KM. Follow Fish River Road to 26.3 KM where you will find a bridge crossing the Fish River. Cross the bridge and take the immediate left. Zero your odometer again here. Travel the main line to 5.7KM, stay left at this junction. At 8.3 KM stay left on the main line. At 9.1KM, just after a bridge, take the left fork heading down towards the lake (Whiskey FSR). Follow the Whiskey FSR to 11 Km and find the Recreation site. You could also access the site by boat on the Beaton Arm.

Horseshoe Lake Rec Site

You will often have this quiet little lake all to yourself. Although it is known for good fishing, it is often eclipsed by Wilson Lake. From the road side recreation site near the bridge, one looks across the lake to a small island. A perfect lake to put your canoe into for a paddle and a bit of fishing. This is also a good base camp for exploring the forestry roads beyond by ATV or bike. 2 campsites

Driving Directions: From the junction of Highway 6 and 23 in Nakusp, travel east on Highway 6 towards New Denver for 6.3 km. Turn left onto the “Wilson Lake Road”. Take this good 2 wheel drive, gravel road up Wensley Creek, past the sawmill. Stay left at the “Wilson Lake Forest Service Road” junction. Turn left past the access road to the Wilson Lake West Recreation Site. Continue up the hill. Horseshoe Lake Recreation Site is 400 meters past the 8 km marker.

Larson Lake

This unique aquamarine coloured shallow lake makes a perfect mirror for the surrounding mountains and the forest edge. It is a quiet spot visited by loons and migrating water fowl. The 2 campsite tables are set on the edge of the lake in a small clearing.

Driving Directions:Access from Arrow Park Ferry: At the ferry terminus set your odometer. Your odometer readings will not conform to the km signs on the road. From the ferry terminus travel straight ahead on the “Lower Mosquito Road”. Continue up this road for 6 km. Just after crossing the bridge over Arrow Park (Mosquito) Creek, turn right onto the “Branch 20” road. Follow this road for 3 km. At the junction with the “West Mosquito Road”. Reset your odometer continue straight ahead. Travel north on the “West Mosquito Road” for 11.6 km, to the “27 km” road marker and the junctions of the “West Mosquito Road” with the “Caribou Pass Road” and the “Fostall Road”. Reset your odometer. Continue straight ahead on the “Fostall Road” for another 1.5 km, just after the “20 km” road marker, turn right onto a dirt road. Follow this for 800 meters to the Larson Lake Recreation Site.

Little Wilson Lake

The drive up the Wilson Creek Forest Service Road is very scenic offering views of a cascading water fall at the 28 km marker and opportunities to do a little fly fishing all along Fitzstubbs Creek, which the road parallels. Little Wilson Lake, surrounded by high peaks, is found at the base of 2350 m Mount Ferrie. This pleasant, open, grassy campsite, well off the forest road offers a quiet get away for the avid fisherman. Little Wilson Lake is ideal for small boats and canoes. Hikers will enjoy exploring old roads and trails along the lake shore. The more ambitious hiker can use this campsite as a base for a trip to the Hamling Lakes area. 3 campsites.

Driving Directions:Turn off Highway 6, at Rosebery, onto the “East Wilson Creek Road”. This road soon turns into the “Wilson Creek Forest Service Road”. Follow this good 2 wheel drive gravel road. At 5 km the road forks, stay left. Just before the orange and white 31 km marker look for a 4×4 post on your left, painted brown with white lettering, signed “Little Wilson Lake”. Turn left here, onto a rough 2 wheel drive dirt road. Follow this road for 800 meters to the campsite.

( source: rec sites and trails )

Mary Simpson Cabin ( Retallack-Reco Basin )

At Retallack follow Stinson Creek FSR ( past the Retallack Catskiing lodge ) up following the left side of the creek until the road crosses the bridge and then take the left fork, continue for another kilometer or so and the cabin is right there. There is some mountain bike activity around the area now so watch for traffic from mountain bikers in the summer and snowcat skiers in the winter. Check in with the Slocan Valley Snowmobile Association and Retallack lodge for activity and closures. Overnight stays must be booked.

The area is popular with ATV’s in the summer doing the Robb Creek Trail, McGuilvary Creek and the trail over the pass into Sandon/Cody.

Retallack Lodge does helicopter and van/truck shuttles on the mountain bike trails in the area.

There are some great summer hiking opportunities from here including the summit of Mt Reco – 2 hours, Texas Peak – 2-3 hours, spectacular ridge systems with incredible views of the Goat Range, Silver Ridge and Kokanee.  More photos

In the winter very busy with snowcat skiing.

Mosquito Lake Rec Site

This is a perfect lake for exploring in a small boat or canoe. The irregular edge has several quiet little bays accessible only by water. The lake is popular with families as it offers good fishing and swimming. The Mosquito Lake Recreation Site is well located for a base camp to explore the area and visit some of the other lakes nearby. There are 3 campsites.

Driving Directions:Access from Arrow Park Ferry: At the ferry terminus set your odometer. Your odometer readings will not conform to the km signs on the road. From the ferry terminus travel straight ahead on the “Lower Mosquito Road”. Continue up this road for 6 km. Just after crossing the bridge over Arrow Park (Mosquito) Creek, turn right onto the “Branch 20” road. Follow this road for 3 km. At the junction with the “West Mosquito Road” continue straight ahead. Reset your odometer. Travel north on the “West Mosquito Road” for 11.6 km, to the “27 km” road marker and the junction of the “West Mosquito Road” with the “Caribou Pass Road” and the “Fostall Road”. Reset your odometer. Continue straight ahead on the “Fostall Road” for 8.9 km. Between the “19 km” and “20 km” road markers, at the junction with “Plant Road”, turn left. Travel 800 meters to the recreation site.

( source: rec sites and trails )

Octopus Creek Rec Site

Octopus Creek flows into Lower Arrow Lake. The recreation site is located at the mouth of the creek in a crescent bay. Boaters find it a safe retreat for waiting out storms and sudden winds. During low water, there is an expansive sand and cobble stone beach. Kids can spend endless hours here playing in the water, and moving sand and rocks around. The water warms up later in the summer and is quite pleasant for swimming and board sailing. Arrow Lake is known for Kokanee fishing. However, if the fish are not biting, there is still lots to do at Octopus Creek. Hikers can hike up the creek searching for the natural hot springs. At low water there is miles of beach to walk.

Driving Directions:Due to private land issues this site has been changed to BOAT ACCESS ONLY

Retallack Cedars Trail

This is a short loop trail through a cedar-spruce ecosystem. An interpretive sign which describes the vegetation and wildlife along the trail is located near the start of the trail. This trail is actively used by bears; large hollow cedar trees have provided den locations in the past. Please stay on developed trails and treat the area with care. Trail may be closed seasonally due to Black Bear activity. Great one for kids. 15-30 minutes.

Driving Directions: Head west from kaslo on highway #31A for 28.6 km (measured from downtown Kaslo) to the old settlement of Retallack. On the west side of the settlement, turn left onto a dirt road and immediately cross over a bridge.  The trail starts on the right hand side of the road immediately after the bridge.

( source: rec sites and trails )

Road is also marked with a Big R sign for Retallack catskiing lodge.