Summit Lake Park
Park overview
Park visitors enjoy canoeing, fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout or swimming in the lake’s clear, refreshing mountain water.
Mountain goats can often be viewed on rocky outcroppings and in late summer a natural spectacle occurs as thousands of toads emerge from the lake and migrate to the nearby forest to hibernate for the winter.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Open to public access May 12, 2023 to September 24, 2023
Current status:Open to public access
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Number of campsites
- Reservable frontcountry sites: 23
- Vehicle-accessible sites: 35
- Double sites: 7
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: May 12 to September 24
- Reservable dates
- 2023: May 12 to September 23
- Winter note
- Gate is closed during the off-season.
- Facility type
- Picnic areas
- Main operating season dates
- 2023: May 12 to September 24
- 2024: May 10 to September 23
- Reservable dates
- 2023: May 12 to September 23
- 2024: May 10 to September 22
- Winter note
- Gate is closed during the off-season.
- Service note
- If full services are provided, full fees are in effect. If no services are provided, sites are user-maintained with no fee. For details, contact the park operator.
Camping
- Total number of campsites
- Total reservable frontcountry sites: 23
- Total vehicle-accessible sites: 35
- Total double sites: 7
- Total rv-accessible sites: 1
All campsite reservations must be made the BC Parks reservations system. When reservations are not available all campsites function as first-come, first-served.
Campsite Reservations
Campsite reservations are accepted at this park and first-come, first-served sites are also available.
Note: Sites 5, 6, 7, and 9 are now reservable..
Group Picnic Shelter Reservations
Group picnic shelter reservations are accepted for the picnic shelter through the BC Parks reservations system.
The small park and campground is located on a point of land at the south-west end of Summit Lake. The campground is circular and contains 35 vehicle-accessible sites, with a paved, one way traffic road. Seven of the sites are double sites. There are no pull-through sites, tent pads or tent sites. The sites are shady and small, in an intimate setting along the lake front or with in the cedar hemlock forest. Extra vehicles must pay the extra vehicle fee and can be parked in the day-use parking lot located near the park entrance. A pay phone is nearby at the pump house found in the centre of the campground. Services are offered in the high use season between May and September.
Reservations are accepted and first-come, first-served campsites are also available. Visitors without reservations can select any site with out a reserved sign and staff will come to collect fees.
A park gate is located just past the day-use parking lot. The closest store is in Nakusp, 18 km west on highway 6.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Upon entering the park turn right to access the day-use/picnic parking lot. Just a short walk will lead you to the lake and the day-use/picnic area. Here you will find a 100 metres long, shale/pebble type beach. At the edge of the forest, approximately 10 metres from the shoreline, on a small grassy area are 6 tables. A pit toilet and water tap is nearby. There are no fire pits or barbeque stands.
In the campground by campsite #1 is a grassy field with an open picnic shelter that does not have any cooking facilities or services however a water tap with potable water is nearby. The shelter is equipped with four picnic tables. Group picnicking is open during the main camping season and reservations are available for the picnic shelter. Reservation information »
Activities
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has a fun, hands on, Learn to Fish Program that teaches basic angling skills to youth under 16 years old. Check back to this page or ask the Park Operator for information.
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 Summit Lake 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
This park is located in the southern interior, Summit Lake Provincial Park is situated on Hwy 6, 18 kilometres southeast of Nakusp, a 15 minute drive and 26 km northwest of New Denver, a 20 minute drive.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: February 4, 1964
- Size: 5.8 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
West Kootenay Park Management Inc.
info@westkootenayparks.com
Nature and culture
- History: The park was established in 1964. The campground was constructed in 1999 to allow local and holiday destination outdoor recreation opportunities. The park helps diversify local community tourism attractions. Summit Lake Park lies in the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket, Okanagan and Shuswap first nation traditional territories.
- Conservation: This 6 hectare park lies with in the Nakusp range of the Selkirk Mountains. The park features important migration and breeding habitat for western toads, particularly on the northern end of the lake. These primarily nocturnal and terrestrial amphibians frequent the park, usually in late summer when tadpoles undergo metamorphism. In addition to the western toad habitat, a variety of ecosystems associated with wetlands and riparian areas are abundant immediately adjacent to the park. A “proposed” addition would include this area, which consists of a series of three small islands and upland forests containing mature douglas fir and western red cedar. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the parks natural heritage – please do not damage or remove them.
- Wildlife: Please note the toads in this park, like all animals are protected under the Park and Wildlife Acts. Please care for them by not disturbing their habitat and by observing them from a distance. Also, the islands near the campground present excellent nesting opportunities for shorebirds and provide perching refuge for eagles, hawks and kingfishers. If you choose to explore these areas, please be very careful where you step and leave your dog back at camp. The forests and rocky talus slopes north of the park offer suitable habit for grizzly bear, mountain goat and cougar. Mountain goats are often observed.
Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. Please view all wildlife from a distance. Please keep a clean camp and be Bear Aware.
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.