Park overview
Tunkwa Park contains two large, man-made trout fishing lakes, Tunkwa and Leighton. There are campgrounds on both lakes. Tunkwa is listed in the top 10 provincial rainbow trout fisheries.
This park protects mid elevation grasslands, forests, lakes, and wetlands including bogs and ponds. This is a year-round recreation area noted for camping, hunting, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Park status:
Open
The park gate is open year-round
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main operating season
- 2023: Year-round
- Winter season
- Limited services
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main operating season
- 2023: Year-round
- Winter season
- Limited services
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main operating season
- 2023: Year-round
- Winter season
- Limited services
- Service note
- Services may be available and fees charged later/earlier than this date, weather permitting. For confirmation, please use the park contact information listed on this page.
- Winter season note
- Off-season: no fee, no services. The gate will be closed from late winter until ice-free in the spring.
Special notes
- Vehicle and ATV access is limited to designated trails as fish bearing streams wetlands and grasslands need special protection and should not be crossed. There is a staging area bordering the North Leighton campground that is set aside for ATV use. ATVs are prohibited within the campground boundaries.
- Two special management areas are foot access only.
- There are populations of yellow-bellied marmots residing in and around Tunkwa Park. They are a naturally-occurring species that reside in arid grasslands with abundant rock piles. The campgrounds in the park are located in mid-elevation grasslands which provide a favourable habitat for marmots in regards to climate and food sources. Natural talus slopes and large rock outcrops are rare in the park, but numerous man-made features mimic ideal marmot burrowing grounds. As a result, Tunkwa Park has a relatively high yellow-bellied marmot population. Visitors to the park are encouraged to protect their assets as marmots are curious and have been known to carry out activities that can be detrimental to vehicles, camping equipment, etc.
- Tunkwa Lake Vegetation Management Project [PDF]
Camping
- Total number of campsites
- Total vehicle-accessible sites: 275
- Total groupsites: Informal (see Group Camping below)
Tunkwa Lake has informal clusters of campsites. Facilities range from the typical individual campsites to clusters of four, allowing camping parties to camp together. Larger groups of campers are accommodated in the cluster sites, fees are charged on the usual per-party basis.
At Tunkwa Park there are three separate campgrounds, Tunkwa, Leighton and Leighton North. Combined, the three campgrounds offer 55 traditional style sites and 220 informal sites.
The traditional sites can accommodate camping units from a tent to a large recreational vehicle. The sites are in both treed and open grassy areas. The informal sites allow for groups of camping units to camp together. Some of these group sites are in treed areas, however some are out in the open with no trees or shade. All three campgrounds offer both styles of camping.
If there are no staff at the campground upon arrival, choose a site and pay later. Staff will be at the campground at least once a day during the camping season. The entrance gates are not locked at night. The nearest pay phone is right where you enter Tunkwa campground and the nearest amenities are in Logan Lake.
Long-stay camping
Sites 54 to 66 and 70 to 79 are designated as “long-stay” sites. A minimum of four consecutive weeks must be booked. The long stay program is from May 1 to October 12 in this park. Please contact the park operator to book one of these sites.
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $18 per party per night |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $9 per senior party per night |
| Long-stay camping | $70 per week |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page. Information on long-stay camping is available on the Frontcountry Camping webpage.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park, as well as these areas of the park:
Hand pumps provide potable water. Two pumps are located at the Tunkwa campground and one pump each at both Leighton and Leighton North campgrounds.
There are two gravel boat launches, one at Tunkwa and one at Leighton. Tunkwa has a maximum 10hp restriction, and boaters on both lakes should use slow speeds to avoid damaging habitat or quiet fishing enjoyment.
Firewood can be purchased from the park operator or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. If you rely on campfires for cooking, be prepared to bring a portable stove should a campfire ban be implemented.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, it is prohibited to 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.
Activities
Visitors can hike the grasslands or do a long wander around Tunkwa Lake.
There are no lifeguards on duty.
Both lakes are popular for trout fishing. Lakes are stocked annually with rainbow trout. Fishing is from boats, float tubes, canoes and from shore. There are no fish cleaning stations. Fish must be cleaned out in the lake. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has a fun, hands on, Learn to Fish Program that will teach basic angling skills to youth under 16 years old. Check back to this page or ask the park operator for information.
The park is located midway between Savona and Logan Lake on the southern Thompson Plateau, about 40 km southwest of Kamloops. It is accessed via 24 km of paved road from Savona or 16 km from Logan Lake on the Tunkwa Lake Road.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: April 30, 1996
- Size: 5,138 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
Shuswap Adams Parks Ltd.
parkinquiries@telus.net
250 320-9305
Nature and culture
History
Established April 30, 1996.
Cultural Heritage
The area has experienced traditional First Nation use. It also has a long history of ranching.
Conservation
The park is a mosaic of grasslands and interior Douglas-fir forests. The park encompasses two large artificially created lakes named Tunkwa and Leighton, as well as numerous smaller lakes, wetlands and bog complexes. Many water-courses provide excellent opportunities to view spawning trout in May.
Wildlife
Moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer and birds such as the Canada goose, mallard, common snipe, vesper sparrow and mountain bluebird all make their home here.
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.