Kootenay. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
- Mountain and lake weather can change rapidly, be prepared. Visitors should be aware that high winds can come up quickly.
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Getting there
This park is located in south eastern British Columbia, 40 km north of Cranbrook or 102 km south of Radium Hot Springs and 1 km east of Highway 93/95. The closest communities are Kimberley located 35 km north west and Cranbrook located 40 km south of Wasa Lake.
Camping
Frontcountry camping
Wasa Lake campground is located on the east side of the lake 1 km from Highway 93/95. Campsite reservations are accepted and first come, first served sites are also available.
The campsites accommodate both long recreation vehicles and tents. There are no drive-through sites. Information shelters and telephone are located at the entrance to the campground.
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $30 per party per night |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $15 per senior party per night |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Things to do
Forest of the Rainshadow self-guided Interpretive Trail is a 2.7 km loop, one hour long, nature walk for the whole family. It starts at the amphitheatre located in the campground. There is an 8 km “Wasa Lions Way” paved path and secondary road trail around the lake that accommodates hikers and cyclists.
For your personal safety and the preservation of the Wasa Park grasslands, please obey posted signs and keep to designated trails as shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
There are four buoyed swimming access areas in the day-use areas of the park. Warm waters and 2000 metres of developed, gently sloping beaches provide excellent sunbathing and swimming areas. Change rooms, picnic tables and washrooms are provided.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Canoeing is possible. Caution must be used due to power boats on the lake.
Kayaking is possible. Caution must be used due to power boats on the lake.
Perch and bass fishing is available in this freshwater lake.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Find fun summer outdoor learning experiences with Discover Parks Ambassadors here all summer long. For specific dates, along with many more seasonal and year-round activities, visit discoverparks.ca.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas, day-use areas or park buildings with the exception noted below. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.
Exceptions: Wasa Lake Park now has a dog friendly day-use area. The dog beach is located at the south end of Campers beach. This area is user-maintained. Owners are required to clean up after their pets. Signage is present and dog waste disposal-bags are provided on site.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
There is an 8 km “Wasa Lions Way” paved path and secondary road trail around the lake that accommodates cyclists and pedestrians. A self guided mountain bike loop takes you from Wasa Lake to Lazy Lake.
The “Lazy Lake Bike Loop” is a 33 km ride which takes you up Wolf Creek Road to Lazy Lake and back to Wasa Lake on Lazy Lake Road. Mountain bikes are recommended.
A Children’s bike park is located within the campground at the south end, near site 89, for the use and enjoyment of families staying in the campground.
For details on e-biking within Wasa Lake Park, see the e-biking section.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are permitted on signed or designated trails within Wasa Lake Park, provided they meet the definitions and criteria for e-bike use as outlined in the BC Parks cycling guidelines.
Wasa Lake provides waterskiing opportunities. Waterskiiers are not allowed in the buoyed swimming areas of the lake but a skier’s beach is accessed via the Horseshoe day-use areas.
There are windsurfing opportunities on Wasa Lake.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park, as well as these areas of the park:
A children’s bike park is located within the campground at the south end, near site 89, for the use and enjoyment of families staying in the campground.
A boat launch is located on the east shore across from the campground at Camper’s Beach. It consists of a concrete pad capable of launching a large boat.
Firewood can be purchased from the park operator in some parks or you can bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please do not gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Bring a portable stove for cooking.
Ten cold water taps are located randomly throughout the campground. Each day-use area of the park also has a cold water tap. Taps are shut off during the off-season.
This park has four day-use and picnic areas, including 45 picnic sites.
Camper’s Beach
Camper’s Beach is located across from the campground and has a pit toilet, change house, picnic tables, sandy beach and a grassed area.
Horseshoe Beach
Horseshoe Beach is located 2 km north of the campground and has picnic tables, sandy beach, grassed area and a flush toilet building.
Grey Change Beach
Adjacent to Horseshoe Beach, Grey Change Beach has a day-use area, picnic tables, grassed area, a pebbly beach and one pit toilet. At the very north end of the lake is another day-use area. The Grey Change day-use area is open year-round.
Main Beach
Main Beach has a large sandy beach, grassed area, picnic tables, paved parking, and two pit toilets.
Pit and flush toilets are located throughout the park. Change houses are located at each day-use area.
There is an adventure playground located within Camper’s Beach day-use area. A children’s bike park is located within the campground at the south end, near site 89, for the use and enjoyment of families staying in the campground.
A sani-station is located at the north end of the lake on Wasa Lake Park Drive and is available during the operating season.
Hot showers are available at Wasa Lake, located near the front entrance of campground.
About this park
Wasa Lake Park was established in 1955 to provide recreational access to the warmest swimming lake in the Kootenays. The Wasa area was logged by the railway in the early 1900s and irrigated for years through a ditch and flume system begun in 1915. Later cattle ranching became the agricultural mainstay. Wasa village provides tourist facilities and services.
Wasa Lake Park is situated in the gentle terrain of the widening Rocky Mountain Trench. This 144 hectare park protects a representative area of fire maintained temperate grasslands which is the most threatened ecosystem type in the world. Of the seemingly endless ocean of native grasslands that greeted the early settlers to our country, less than five percent remains and only a fraction is protected. These bunchgrass meadows host unique species such as curlews and sharp tailed grouse. During June and July, enjoy a spectacular diversity of wildflowers and birds. Intensive grassland restoration is occurring on two land blocks within this park.
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.
Contact
| Reservations, changes, and cancellations | Our call centre is open from 7 am to 7 pm Pacific Time. There is a $5 fee for reservations, changes, or cancellations made by phone.
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| Park operator | This park is operated by EK Parks Ltd. |
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
