While on a roadtrip in the Kootenay Lakes area we stumbled across Lockhart Beach Provincial Park. A lovely, small campground with easy access to the lake and a beach. After a long day on the road, this was the perfect peaceful spot to spend the night before continuing on our way.
You could easily set up basecamp at Lockhart Beach Provincial Park, bring your paddle sports and enjoy relaxing on the lake every day, or explore the local area.
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The Lockhart Beach Campground
The campground at Lockhart Beach Provincial Park is fairly small, tucked away in a forest. While most sites have fairly good privacy, a few do back on to the highway. These are also mostly the sites which also offer lake views.
There are 18 sites in total, many can be reserved ahead of time on the BC Parks reservation site. Around half the sites are reservable while the other half are offered on a first come first serve basis. We managed to show up and find a spot in early July, however I’d recommend booking to guarantee your spot.
There are three double sites and one pull through site, the rest are fairly average size single sites. Each site at the Lockhart Beach Provincial Park campground has a bench and firepit. Firewood is available to buy at the campground. There are also a number of outhouses located around the campground and hand pumps for water, although they recommend treating the water prior to consumption. Along with this there are garbage and recycling bins.
The Lockhart Beach Provincial Park campground operates from mid May to the end of September, outside of these times the campground gate is closed.
Staying at the Lockhart Beach Provincial Park campground is $23 per night.
Things To Do At Lockhart Beach Provincial Park
When we stayed at the Lockhart Beach Provincial Park, we spent most of our time at the beach which is located on the other side of the road to the campground. The beach is mostly sand and fine gravel. There are a few picnic benches for day use and you can set up on the lakeshore.
It is possible to paddleboard, canoe and kayak easily from the beach, making for a great, relaxing day on the water. There are also opportunities for fishing on Kootenay Lake but make sure you have your provincial fishing license and know the rules before heading out.
There is also a hike which starts from the campground and follows Lockhart creek, it heads up through the forest for a long way, however most people stop at the old cabin and turn around. A worthwhile way to spend a few hours and stretch your legs.
On our way to Lockhart Beach Provincial Park from Nelson, we took a short detour to the Ainsworth Hot Springs for a relaxing soak. The real highlight of these hot springs though, is the cave where the hot spring originates, it’s hot but a fun spot to explore. From here, you cross Kootenay Lake on the Balfour Ferry to reach Lockhart Beach which is also a lot of fun.
Just short of an hour north of Lockhart Beach is Crawford Bay, which is a sweet small town. There is a golf course and hiking opportunities to a lighthouse on the lake nearby. This is a great spot to spend a day exploring.
Items You Need
Tent – We love our spacious and weather resilient Marmot Tungsten tent, it gives up plenty of room for two people, we love that it has two doors and two vestibules for storage.
Paddleboard – Is there anything better than to spend a day on the lake relaxing and paddling round on the water.
Sandals – My Chaco sandals are the perfect do anything, go anywhere footwear for summer. They are super comfortable and great for around camp or in the water.