Shuswap Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

The Shuswap region takes its name from the local Indigenous people, the Secwépemc, known in English as the Shuswap people. The region offers unlimited opportunities for cottaging, camping, and boating/watersports.

• 50.702222-119.2722221 Salmon Arm — a summer tourist town, with many beaches, camping facilities and house boat rentals
• 50.8189-119.6842 Chase — on the shore of Little Shuswap Lake, it offers beaches, boat launches and a large pier provide access to the lake and South Thompson River
• 50.8772-119.4713 Sorrento — hosts the Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts in July, and the Sorrento Bluegrass Festival in late August
• 50.8378-118.974 Sicamous — the self-proclaimed 'houseboat capital of Canada'.

The Shuswap Country (called Secwepemcúl̓ecw in Secwepemctsín) refers to the environs of Shuswap Lake. The upper reaches of the Shuswap basin, southeast of Shuswap Lake and northeast of the Okanagan, are generally considered to be part of Okanagan or of the Monashee Country rather than "the Shuswap".

Roughly defined, the Shuswap Country begins on its west at the town of Chase, located on Little Shuswap Lake, west of which is the South Thompson area of the Thompson Country, and includes Adams Lake to the northwest of Shuswap Lake as well as communities in the Eagle River area as far as Craigellachie and/or Three Valley Gap, which is at the summit of Eagle Pass, beyond which eastwards is the Columbia Country.

Scotch Creek, a community across the lake from Sorrento, was heavily damaged by the wildfires in late summer 2023.

British Columbia roads have been vulnerable to natural disasters such as major flooding in November 2021 and wildfires in August 2023. You can check with DriveBC for up-to-date road conditions and road restrictions after clicking the Major Events tab.

Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) is the main route into the region from Vancouver in the west and from Calgary in the east.

From Seattle, in the United States, follow Highway 2 east to Highway 97 to the Canadian border, where it remains Highway 97 and goes north through the region.

The nearest airports with commercial service are in Kamloops, west on Highway 1, and Kelowna, southeast on Highway 97.

• Ebus, toll-free: +1 877-769-3287. Travels daily between Kamloops and Kelowna with stops in Chase, Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Enderby, Armstrong, and Vernon. Service provider also operates routes between Vancouver and Kamloops, and between Vancouver and Kelowna. Travel time to Salmon Arm from Kamloops is 1 hour 20 minutes, from Vernon is 50 minutes and from Kelowna is 2 hours 10 minutes. (updated Mar 2022)
• Rider Express, toll-free: +1-833-583-3636. Multiple days per week service along the Trans-Canada Highway from between Calgary and Vancouver with stops in Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Golden, Revelstoke, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, Sorrento, Chase, Kamloops, Merritt, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Surrey. In Salmon Arm, this service provider offers some trips with timed connections with its route between Salmon Arm and Kelowna. In Calgary, this service provider has routes that reach Edmonton. The service provider also has routes that allow travel as far east as Winnipeg. (updated Apr 2022)

BC Transit (Shuswap Regional Transit System), ☏ +1-250-832-0191. Salmon Arm has a basic public transit system that operates shuttle buses on half-hour or hour-long frequencies, during daytime hours. Some routes within Salmon Arm operate daily and some operate Monday to Saturday. All lines converge downtown in front of Askew's supermarket. (updated Apr 2022)

• Bus route 23 Canoe bus will bring users to the main public beach. Route operates Monday to Saturday.
• Bus route 41 operates on Wednesdays, making two round trips between Salmon Arm and Enderby. Travel time from Enderby to Salmon Arm is 30 minutes. This bus route enables connections with BC Transit (Vernon Regional Transit System) bus route 60, a more frequent route between Enderby and Vernon, that operates from Monday to Saturday. Bus route 90 operates multiple times daily between Vernon and Kelowna. Using those three routes, a traveler can travel between Salmon Arm and Kelowna in about 3 hours.
• Bus route 43 operates on Thursday, operating one trip each way between Salmon Arm and Eagle Bay via Blind Bay.
• Bus route 43 operates on Thursdays, operating one trip each way between Salmon Arm and Sorrento via Blind Bay.

• Inland Ferries. Operated under contract for British Columbia's Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, inland ferries are vehicle ferries that connect roads across rivers and lakes. Routes operate throughout the year, but some river ferries may not operate during parts of the Spring due to river conditions. Free.  Ferry in this region:
  • 50.9563-119.67211 Adam's Lake Cable Ferry. Available daily 24 hours per day, though is only available for emergencies between 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM. The ferry is near the south end of Adams Lake, about 20 km north of Hwy 1, between Chase and Sorrento. It replaced a nearby bridge that was destroyed in the 1995. Crossing time is 6 minutes. Operates on demand. 

The North Shuswap is home to many artists, craftspeople and authors. Their work can be found at markets and local festivals year-round, or at their studios, many of which display the artisan identification sign.

Craigellachie (pro. cray-gull-ah-key), 25 km east of Sicamous on Hwy 1, is where the 'last spike' in the Canadian Pacific Railway's transcontinental line was driven. There is an information centre and a gift shop.

The Three Valley Lake Chateau and Heritage Ghost Town includes a 200-room hotel, a collection of heritage buildings, an antique car museum, enclosed railway roundhouse with antique rail car exhibit, and attached grounds with helicopter tours offered. It is closed during the winter months. Located west of Revelstoke.

In October, the Adams River in Tsútswecw Provincial Park turns red with migrating Sockeye salmon. Located near Chase.

Shuswap Lake is a popular recreational destination in BC. It offers 400 km (250 mi) of beautiful shoreline, provincial parks and endless water-related recreation opportunities. The surrounding mountains provide miles of trails for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, mountain-biking and hiking. There are more than 100 hiking or mountain biking routes covering over 700 km (435 mi) of trails of all levels.

You can rent a houseboat at the Salmon Arm Wharf, or in Sicamous.

Enjoy the many beaches around Sicamous.

Salmon Arm hosts a roots blues festival every August that attracts 30,000 people.

The Shuswap grows many varieties of grapes, and its wines reflect the terroir of the region. The wineries, found just north of the 50th parallel, grow cool-hardy and quick-ripening grapes for their varietals. See Salmon Arm

If wine's not your thing, visit Canada’s first certified organic farmhouse microbrewery. See listing under Chase.

90% of the Shuswap is provincial park and undeveloped, so there is almost zero chance of being robbed while camping or house boating. The same goes for the bigger cities like Salmon Arm.

• Visit the Okanagan to the south.
• Visit the Columbia-Rockies to the east.