If you are looking for a fantastic camping spot in the Shuswap, you have to try Herald Campground in the Provincial Park. This large, family friendly campground located right on the lake is the perfect base for exploring the area and offers a relaxing place to spend a sunny day to recover from all your adventures.
The park has something for everyone, hiking trails, boat launch, swimming area, to name a few things. Plus the Herald campground is also one of the nicest kept campgrounds I’ve ever stayed at.
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The Herald Campground
The Herald campground is large, with 128 reservable sites across three separate areas. The campground is split into three separate campgrounds, although they all share the same entrance. The Bastion campground is the smallest with only 15 sites, all with no services. There is the Reinecker campground with 35 spots, again all unserviced, however this area does offer a shower block. The biggest area is the Homestead campground, this is where we stayed, there are 67 sites here, again with no services but a shower block.
All the campsites at Herald campground are reservable from late April to early October typically. I’d recommend reserving a spot here as soon as possible if you are planning on visiting as it is a popular spot! This can be done up to four months prior to arrival through the BC Parks reservation website.
Each individual site at Herald campground has the usual firepit and large wooden bench. Our site was spacious but with limited privacy. However lots of sites offered more privacy between sites. Some, like ours, offer easy access to the lake trail and lakeshore, perfect to set out your chair and enjoy the sunset.
One of the highlights of staying at the Herald campground was how incredibly nicely it is maintained. The paths are raked and easy to find and follow. The outhouses look like standard drop toilets from the outside but when you open the door, you are greeted with a clean flush toilet and hand sinks with running water! Running water also means there is potable water available at taps throughout the park.
There are a number of shower buildings dotted around the Herald campground too, I’ve never seen shower buildings like this before, there are doors for each individual shower around the outside of the building. I did find the rooms a little chilly because of this but the showers were powerful and had plenty of hot water. Plus this set up meant there were way more showers than you typically find at a campground, so it felt less rushed knowing there wasn’t a line waiting to use the two showers in the women’s washroom.
A large day use area is available at the Herald Campground and this has a lot of green open space, picnic benches and a children’s adventure playground. It’s the perfect spot to spend the day relaxing while staying at the Herald campground. There is also a cordoned off swimming area at the day use, as well as a boat launch. There are a few other designated swimming spots along the lake shore which the Herald campground borders.
Where Is The Herald Campground
The Herald campground is located a short drive off of Highway 1, it is clearly signposted but it is a busy junction, so be patient. It is around a 26 kilometer drive from Salmon Arm, heading West on Highway 1, before turning off onto the Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Rd.
What To Do Nearby
There are plenty of awesome things to do while staying at the Herald campground. If you are into watersports, the easy lake access from the day use area makes this an ideal spot. If swimming is more your thing, make sure to stick within the designated roped off areas for safety.
There are a number of hiking trails in the park too. An easy stroll beside the lake along the path through the park is a great way to spend a quiet evening. Otherwise the popular Margret Falls trail is open year round and an easy hike to the falls through a canyon. For those looking for something a little harder, there is also a loop trail which takes you above the canyon and stops at a viewpoint for a pretty view of the lake.
If you are looking for a bit more of an adventure, check out the viewpoint on Bastion Mountain. This involves a rough 11km drive up a forestry road, so you’ll likely want a four wheel drive vehicle or check road conditions before you head out. At the end of the road, a short walk takes you to an open view of the Shuswap Lake and surrounding areas.
Things You Might Need
When we stayed at the Herald campground, we camped in a tent, used our queen inflatable air mattress and double sleeping bag for a comfortable sleep.
For anyone looking to enjoy the water you’ll want a bathing suit and we always love to use inflatables when we are relaxing at the lake, nothing beats floating on the water on a hot day.
If you are thinking of hiking while you are staying at the Herald campground, make sure to take some comfortable shoes. I always like wearing my On Cloudventure running shoes for easy hikes. They are light and comfortable.