Park overview
Shelter Bay Site is one of four small sites in Arrow Lake. Park management of the other three sites (Burton, Eagle Creek and Fauqier) is by local community groups.
Upper Arrow and Lower Arrow Lakes are a widening of the Columbia River and lie between the imposing Selkirk Mountains on the east and the Monashee Mountains on the west.
Narrow strips of beachland varying in width from a few metres to several thousand metres are interspersed with rocky headlands and steep cliffs along both shorelines of the lakes. These give way to heavily forested mountain sides that rise rapidly to elevations averaging 2,500 metres on the west and 2,700 metres on the east.
Water-oriented activities dominate the scene. Angling for kokanee, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout is a popular pastime.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Open to public access year-round
Current status:
Open to public access
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Number of campsites
- Vehicle-accessible sites: 17
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: Year-round
Camping
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Drinking water will not be available at Shelter Bay for the foreseeable future. Free water and $5 sani-dump is available at Blanket Creek Provincial Park, 15 minutes North of Shelter Bay. If water is needed for washing purposes, visitors may want to bring a small container to carry water from the lake.
While campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead. Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary from park to park. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented. To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act ). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Activities
Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Arrow Lakes Provincial Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.
Maps and location
Highway 6 traffic crosses the lake by ferry between Fauqier and Needles and Highway 23 traffic by ferry between Galena Bay and Shelter Bay where the park is located. Ferry information »
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: May 8, 1981
- Size: 121.1 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
West Kootenay Park Management Inc.
info@westkootenayparks.com
Nature and culture
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.