Your best bet for a combination of camping and fishing is at Blanket Creek Provincial Park, midway between Shelter Bay and Revelstoke. This 316-hectare park is located on an old homestead where Blanket Creek enters the Columbia River. From here, the mighty river empties into Upper Arrow Lake on its way south.
In the fall, kokanee spawn at the mouth of the creek. Thick stands of western hemlock, western red cedar and white pine cover the slopes of the neighbouring Monashee Mountains, which rise and roll off to the west. This park is also handy to the Shelter Bay ferry, which takes travellers into the West Kootenays.
Remnants of the old Domke homestead still remain, as it is one of the few properties unaffected by the flooding of the Arrow Reservoir. The original 1920s log home still stands today, while most of the other structures have been destroyed. Once the Hugh Keenleyside Dam near Castlegar and the flooding of the Arrow Reservoir was completed in the 1960s, the homestead was abandoned.
The park offers good lake and stream fishing for Dolly Varden, kokanee and rainbow trout. A brief five-minute walk leads from the campground to the delightful and beautiful 12-metre high Sutherland Falls. Swimming in the quiet manmade lagoon is also popular, and there is a children’s playground nearby. During the summer, educational interpretive programs are offered on the weekends, including guided walks, slide shows and children’s programs.
There are 63 vehicle/tent campsites at this park, as well as a day-use/picnicking area situated around the swimming lagoon. Basic facilities – picnic table, pit toilets, fire pits, firewood and water – are provided, as well as flush toilets. Some facilities are also wheelchair accessible. There are no boat launch facilities, but small boats such as canoes and kayaks may be launched from the beach after a short portage from the parking lot. The park is open May to October and campsite reservations are accepted and first-come, first-served sites are also available.
Blanket Creek Provincial Park is located 16 miles (25 km) south of Revelstoke on Highway 23.
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