Kootenay. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Special notes
- Camp in designated sites only along established trails and on the Slocan Lake beaches.
- Pets allowed in designated areas only. Pets are allowed on the Slocan lakefront sites, the Slocan to Evans Beach Trail and the trail to Cahill and Beatrice lakes. They must be leashed at all times. Pets are not allowed in any other backcountry areas of the park.
- In the Gimli area, use the backcountry toilet for all toilet needs. Mountain goats are habituated to people and are attracted to human urine on the ground as an alternative source of salt. Use the backcountry toilet for urinating and brushing teeth. Use the food cache to store all food, odorous items, boots, and sweaty clothing. Thank you for helping us protect the goats and the safety of all visitors.
- Trail Report [PDF] (July 5, 2024)
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
The park is located on the west shore of Slocan Lake, north of both Slocan and Castlegar. It encompasses most of the Valhalla Range of the Selkirk Mountains. The park can be accessed by water, forest industrial roads or by trail. The nearest community to the park is Slocan and Highway 6 provides access to the town as well as other population centres in the vicinity. Public boat launches exist in a number of towns, including Slocan, Silverton and New Denver, by which trailheads can be easily reached.
Camping
Cabins and huts
Evans Lake Cabin, Cove Creek Cabin, Evans Beach Shelter and Iron Creek Shelter serve as public shelters and offer accommodation in each for a maximum of four persons. A full range of commercial facilities is available at Slocan, Silverton and New Denver.
Wilderness camping
Wilderness camping is allowed. Keep in mind that there are no services provided. The campsites are open year-round when accessible and are available on a first come, first served basis. There are facilities at Gwillim, Wicca, Drinnon, Emerald, and Cahill Lakes.
Things to do
There are extensive hiking areas in this park. During the winter season, the trails are under snow. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
- Trail Report [PDF] (July 26, 2023)
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Higher elevation lakes have been stocked to provide additional opportunities for fishing enthusiasts.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Hunting is allowed in Valhalla Park from September 1 to June 30 during a lawful game hunting season. Please check the Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for specific details.
Note: There is no hunting allowed in the Evans Lake Ecological Reserve, which is located within the park boundaries.
Facilities
Campfire pits are provided at established Slocan Lakeshore sites.
Drinnon, Wicca and Gwillim lakes campgrounds have cooking areas but campfires are not allowed there.
Where campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead.
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.
Boat accessible beach areas provide day-use and picnic opportunities.
This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
About this park
Pictographs in the park are evidence of early native habitation in the region. It was not until the 1850’s that prospectors and surveyors came into the area. Slocan Lake became a highway of commerce for early towns in the Kootenays and remnants of the logging flumes and other transportation routes may still be seen in the park.
The park was designated March 3, 1983.
The park is unique in its varying topography. Both Evans Lake and Beatrice Lake are uncommonly large for high elevation lakes in British Columbia. Surrounding the lakes are numerous mountains with castellated peaks. Other than forests of western red cedar and western hemlock, the higher elevations contain subalpine and alpine vegetation.
A variety of wildlife exists, such as the grizzly and black bear, mountain goat, mule, white-tail deer, cougar, golden eagle and alpine ptarmigan.
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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