Peace. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Special notes
- Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) are prohibited in this park. ORVs include ATVs, off-road motorcycles, snowmobiles and side-by-sides.
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
- Campground Map [PDF] (Dec. 5, 2018)
Getting there
This park is located 35 km southeast of Dawson Creek, 2 km gravel access off Highway 2.
Camping
Frontcountry camping
Campsite reservations are accepted and first come, first served sites are also available.
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $20 per party per night |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $10 per senior party per night |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Things to do
There are developed trails at this park. For your own safety and preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroy plant life and soil structure.
There are swimming opportunities in this park.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Swan Lake provides excellent opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. Watch out for motorized boats. No rentals available in or near the park.
Swan Lake provides excellent opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. Watch out for motorized boats. No rentals available in or near the park.
Anglers can try their luck fishing for walleye, northern pike, yellow perch and burbot. The lake is too shallow and too warm to support cold water salmonid species such as trout and char.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to the potential for problems with bears and other wildlife.
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 Swan Lake 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.
There are waterskiing opportunities on the lake.
There are windsurfing opportunities on the lake.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
There is a boat launch and dock at Swan Lake Park that is open year-round. Be aware that during the camping season the gates are closed from 11 pm to 7 am, daily.
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.
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.
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.
Cold water taps are located throughout the park. Taps are shut off during the off-season.
Swan Lake day-use area
This park has a day-use and picnic area.
Swan Lake picnic shelter
You can make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally). For detailed information, see the picnic shelters page.
There are pit toilets in the campground, and also in the day-use area.
There are playground facilities at this park.
About this park
Established in 1918, it has the distinction of being British Columbia’s third oldest park.
Swan Lake Park provides representation of the Kiskatinaw Plateau ecosection and is covered by the boreal white and black spruce biogeoclimatic zone. Vegetation consists predominately of trembling aspen, balsam poplar, white spruce and willows.
Swan Lake is the largest water body in the Alberta plateau. The maximum depth is 7.6 metres and the mean depth is 3.1 metres.
The occasional moose and white tail or mule deer may pass through the park. However, black bears do frequent the area. Muskrat and beaver can be seen around the lakeshore and the Tupper River which drains into the lake through the park.
If you are interested in bird watching, an abundance of waterfowl and migratory bird populations congregate at Swan Lake. An example of birds that frequent Swan Lake include common loon, red-necked grebe, western grebe, trumpeter swan, American widgeon, sandpipers, bufflehead, coot, gulls, eastern kingbird, warblers, blackbirds, killdeer, hooded merganser, red-eyed and warbling vireo, hermit thrush, swallows, yellowlegs, scoters, lesser scaup and goldeneyes, just to name a few.
Swan Lake is popular with local anglers. Sport fish include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch and burbot. Northern pike spawn in the spring among lakeshore weeds. Yellow perch, which have been stocked, are also weed spawners, but spawn later in spring. The lake is too shallow and too warm to support cold water salmonid species such as trout and char.
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 Sandstorm North Contracting. |
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
