RV RENTALS SCOTCH CREEK

Scotch Creek BC is located on the northern shores of the northern arm of Shuswap Lake, and it is the closest community to the Shuswap Lake Provincial Campground. Almost entirely dependent upon the summer tourism seasons, Scotch Creek sits on the shores of the Shuswap where its namesake creek joins the lake, and it enjoys some of the best wilderness and lake vistas in the area. A history of indigenous cultures pre-dates the 1800 discovery of the area, and the first settlements dating back to 1895.

Travelers to Scotch Creek will exit the TransCanada Hwy1 at Squilax, crossing the Shuswap River using the Squilax-Anglemont Road bridge, and continue along the Squilax-Anglemont road to Scotch Creek. As the road name implies, this road runs along the scenic northern shores of Shuswap Lake from Squilax to Anglemont, 43 kilometers away and also connects with Celista and Magna Bay.

As a recreational area, Scotch Creek has several camping options in and around the area, but only the one provincial campground on this arm of the Shuswap system.

Shuswap Lake Provincial Park covers a total over 149 hectares, including the entirety of Copper Island which is just 1.3km off shore. The mainland park on the delta of Scotch Creek offers one kilometer of sandy and pebbly beaches, a large paved boat launch, and self-guided hiking trails. Boaters can visit Copper Island during the day, but overnight stays or tenting are not permitted.

This lakeside park is great for persons enjoying all manner of watersports, both motorized and active. Listed activities include swimming, canoeing, waterskiing and windsurfing, as well as scuba. Divers will find a sunken barge at 60ft playing host to the local species which can be accessed by divers right from the beach.

According to the provincial website, nearby businesses offer supplies, groceries and other recreational activities such as bumper boats, driving range, go-karts, para-sailing, horseback tours and white water rafting.

This provincial park campsite does offer electrical hookups at over thirty of their sites, with water taps located around the park. 44 of the sites are considered ‘double sites’, and there is also a group camping facility that can be reserved with a covered shelter and large grassy area. To keep your tanks empty, use the flush toilet and hot shower facilities located around the park. At the end of your stay, take advantage of the sani-dump offered on site.

Other resorts in the same area offer cabin facilities, but no pads available for rental RVs or trailers.

Heading back towards the main highway, travelers will find Cottonwood Cove, advertised as Shuswap’s Luxury RV Resort, with vacation rentals and waterfront ownership options. Bordering the Tsutswecw Provincial Park, Cottonwood Cove lines the shores of an inland waterway just before the Squilax Narrows. The resort offers 3000 feet of secluded sandy beach, and a trail system that takes hikers right into the adjoining provincial park. Boat mooring and trailer parking makes this a great option for those bringing their boats with them for fun on the lake. They also offer pools and a hot tub for those that prefer those modern luxuries, and on on-site restaurant for convenience. With dozen of sites to choose from, all of which are fully-serviced, this property is one of the largest and most-manicured RV parks on the Shuswap, with pricing to match.

As a fairly remote and smaller community, Scotch Creek does not offer the same shopping and entertainment options as nearby city centers. The closest town would be Chase to the west along Hwy1, and the largest city is Salmon Arm to the south-east. Similarly, the top attractions of the area are the provincial parks and Shuswap Lake itself.

A worthy day trip along Squilax-Anglemont Road takes visitors along the northern shore to other communities such as Celista and Magna Bay. Past Anglemont, the road continues to smaller provincial park hubs such as Horseshoe Bay Marine Park, and St Ives Marine Park, which is the current end of the road, becoming the forest service main road to access points further along the shoreline.

These are two points of a greater network of marine parks scattered around the lake known as the Shuswap Lake Marine Provincial Park, which are 23 sites located around the shores of Shuswap Lake that when added together become a 900-ha nature preserve. Most sites are only accessible by boat, and have no amenities other than pit toilets with some offering small tenting sites, so day trips to these spots need to be self-contained. Other nodes of this chain of parks include Wood’s Landing, Cottonwood Beach, Encounter Point, and Cinnemousun Narrows Park, which spans both sides of the narrows that connect the four arms of  Shuswap Lake and offers tent camping, shelters, and an extensive beach. Anglers take note – this lake system is home to 19 species of fish!