Okanagan. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Special notes
- Mushroom picking or harvesting is prohibited in parks.
- No motorized boats or other propulsion devices (such as efoil electric surfboads) on Vaseux Lake under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations, Section 8.
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
About 25 km south of Penticton on Highway 97. The closest communities are Okanagan Falls and Oliver.
Camping
Frontcountry camping
This park offers 12 vehicle-accessible campsites on a first come, first served basis. Campsite reservations are not accepted. Fees are cash only and are self-registration.
Most of the campsites are right on the lake. They are large with gravel pads and are fairly private. Open grassy areas separate some of the sites. If the campground is full, campers may be able to find a spot at Inkaneep Park located minutes away.
| 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 |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Winter camping
Camping is permitted in the off season, but as the gates are closed, this would be on a walk-in basis as long as the weather allows. Please note, no services are provided.
Winter vehicle-accessible camping fee: $11 per party per night
Things to do
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.
There are over a thousand square meters of beach extending the length of the entire campground. It continues along the lakeshore to the wildlife center in a narrow band of coarse sand and grass.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
The lake provides promising fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and carp. The two Vaseux “Lagoons” on the west side of Okanagan River above McIntyre dam are included in the April 1 to June 30 spring closure.
For information about freshwater fishing, including regulations, restrictions and limits, please check the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
There are viewing platforms in the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada Waterfowl Sanctuary just north of the campground. The platforms are at ground level along the boardwalk overlooking openings in the thick rushes. They are equipped with benches for bird watching and taking in the beautiful scenery. There is an enclosed two-storey viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk, also for bird watching. It affords a protected vantage point for viewing the variety of waterfowl on the lake.
Though outside the park, the boardwalk and viewing platform are commonly used by park visitors since the gravel parking area is within the park boundary. The Vaseux Lake area is managed cooperatively by the Ministry of Environment and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada along with the Nature Trust of British Columbia for its immense wildlife values.
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 Vaseux 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.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park, as well as the park's Wildlife Centre.
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.
A hand pump is available in the park. Interior Health has issued a permanent boil-water advisory on this source.
This park has a day-use and picnic area located off the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada Waterfowl Sanctuary parking lot. There are two pit toilets visible from the gravel parking lot. The two picnic tables are down a short path to the lake in a small grassy area surrounded by thick shrubs. There is an information kiosk here with facts about the wildlife in the area.
This park has four pit toilets, no flush toilets.
About this park
The park protects 10 red listed plant ecosystems the cover the whole spectrum from desert to wetland. These are: antelope brush, big sage, bluebunch wheatgrass, water birch, balsamroot, pinegrass, threetip sagebrush, red osier dogwood, Idaho fescue, and marsilea.
There is an astounding number of rare wildlife species in this small park. There are seven blue and two red listed mammals known in the park, including California bighorn sheep, badger, and pallid bat. The park is a birder’s paradise with 11 red listed species and nine blue listed species present. Five blue listed reptiles are found in the park, as well as the red listed night snake, which is the rarest snake in Canada. Common waterfowl are Canada geese, trumpeter swans, blue-winged teal, widgeons and wood ducks. Lazuli bunting are spotted in the spring, sharing the area with toads, turtles, beavers, muskrats, rabbits, and deer.
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
| Park operator | This park is operated by Quality Recreation Ltd. |
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| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
