Kootenay. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
- Trail Report [PDF] (Scroll to the Lockhart Creek entry)
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
On the east side of Kootenay Lake, Lockhart Creek Park is located 40 km north of Creston off Highway 3A.
Things to do
The Lockhart Creek Park has a hiking trail that follows the north side of Lockhart Creek gaining about 800 metres of elevation over a three hour hike. An old cabin site about two hours up is a favourite destination. Though open to wilderness recreation, the park has no facilities or marked trails and is not regularly serviced. Check our Trail Report [PDF] for bear and safety information.
Visitors should be self-sufficient and proficient in back country travel practices. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
Cycling is permitted, but only on Lockhart Creek trail and by experienced mountain bike riders. The grade is steep and extreme caution must be used on blind corners and switchbacks.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Lockhart Creek 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.
Hunting is allowed in this park during designated hunting season. Please check the BC Hunting and Trapping Regulations for more details.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Facilities
Fires are allowed.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
About this park
The area includes significant First Nations trail systems, with access to traditional use areas, and areas of spiritual importance.
Established in 1995, Lockhart Creek Park protects one of few unroaded drainages in the region.
Lockhart Creek Park contains an intact watershed rising steeply from the slopes of Kootenay Lake to alpine meadows. The park protects old-growth cedar-hemlock forest communities. Fish species, such as rainbow trout, bull trout and kokanee inhabit Lockhart Creek.
From the lakeshore at 500 metres elevation to the height of land at 1300 metres, the biogeoclimatic zones change from Interior cedar-hemlock, through Engleman subalpine spruce to alpine tundra. Remnant stands of an old growth cedar forest remain along Lockhart Creek and add intrigue to the varied natural habitat and diversity of this interior rain forest.
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
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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