Park overview
The shining waters of two mountain lakes, Whiteswan and Alces, and a natural hot springs are the focal points of Whiteswan Lake Park. Five lakeside or riverside campgrounds, three boat launches, an historic lakeside hiking trail, and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities makes this a perfect setting for a camping holiday.
Visitors may watch a moose feeding in the fog-shrouded water of Alces Lake, admire spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains and enjoy angling in some of the most productive lakes in the region for trophy rainbow trout. After a day in the backcountry or on the lake, relax in the soothing waters of Lussier Hot Springs located near the park entrance at the 17.5km marker on the Whiteswan forest service road.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Open to public access year-round
Current status:
Open to public access
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: May 1 to September 30
- Facility type
- Backcountry camping
- Number of campsites
- Wilderness sites: 6
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: Year-round
- Off season dates
- 2023: Year-round
- Winter note
- Winter camping available; dependant on snow levels and Whiteswan Lake ice conditions.
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: May 1 to September 30
- Service note
- Snowfall dependant
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: Year-round
- Service note
- May 1 to after Labour Day (actual date depends on weather and visitation)
- Winter note
- Winter camping is available.
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: May 1 to September 30
- Facility type
- Vehicle-accessible camping
- Main camping season dates
- 2023: May 1 to September 30
- Service note
- May 1 to after Labour Day (actual date depends on weather and visitation)
- Winter note
- With exception of Inlet Creek Campground, vehicle-access campground gates are closed during the off-season; walk-in camping is permitted. Backcountry camping at Cave Creek Campground is permitted year-round but access is dependant on snow and ice levels.
Safety info
- Use extreme caution on the Whiteswan Lake road at all times. Extreme care must be taken when driving the canyon portion (15km to 18km) of the access road to the park. For improved safety turn your headlights on. Be aware that mine ore trucks and oversized loaded logging trucks are on the route. Always give them the right of way.
- Mountain and lake weather can change rapidly, be prepared. Visitors should be aware that high winds can come up quickly, use caution while boating.
- There is no public phone or cell phone service at Whiteswan Park.
Boating and Fishing
- No towing is allowed on the lakes and no power boats are allowed on Alces Lake.
- Read the current fishing regulations.
- Snowmobiles are allowed only on Whiteswan Lake for access to the winter fishery. Snowmobile use is prohibited everywhere else in the park, including Alces Lake.
- Read the fishing and boat launch information below
Lussier Hot Springs
- Compact snow and ice may be present on the access trail and at the parking area. Access is not recommended when conditions are icy. The use of shoe or boat traction devices is recommended.
Camping
- Total number of campsites
- Total vehicle-accessible sites: 114
- Total wilderness sites: 6
Backcountry camping facilities are provided at Cave Creek Campground which is about halfway along the north shore of Whiteswan Lake.
The site can be accessed:
- By boat or canoe from boat launches provided at Packrat Point or Home Basin.
- By hiking in on the North Shore trail from the trailhead at the east end of Alces Lake (3.5km) or from the Home Basin campground (2.5km).
Facilities include six graveled tent pads, five picnic tables, two pit toilets, several fire rings, and food storage lockers. Please practice low-impact camping techniques: Leave No Trace. If you pack it in, pack it out.
If firewood is not provided please use dead trees and branches from the forest floor and do not cut live trees. Persons visiting Whiteswan Park are reminded that the park is a wilderness area, without supplies or equipment of any kind. All arrangements for supplies and transportation must be made beforehand.
Camping registration and fees
Backcountry camping fee: $5 per person per night (age 6+)
The BC Parks backcountry permit registration service allows you to purchase a backcountry camping permit before leaving home. Although this does not reserve a campsite, it provides the convenience of prepaying for your trip and not having to carry cash. We encourage all visitors to register online so we can reduce the need to collect fees in the field.
Backcountry camping facilities are provided at Cave Creek Campground which is about halfway along the north shore of Whiteswan Lake.
The site can be accessed:
- By boat or canoe from boat launches provided at Packrat Point or Home Basin.
- By hiking in on the North Shore trail from the trailhead at the east end of Alces Lake (3.5km) or from the Home Basin Campground (2.5km).
Facilities include six graveled tent pads, five picnic tables, two pit toilets, several fire rings, and food storage lockers. Please practice low-impact camping techniques, Leave No Trace. If you pack it in, pack it out.
If firewood is not provided please use dead trees and branches from the forest floor and do not cut live trees! Persons visiting Whiteswan Park are reminded that the park is a wilderness area, without supplies or equipment of any kind. All arrangements for supplies and transportation must be made beforehand.
Camping registration and fees
Backcountry camping fee: $5 per person per night (age 6+)
The BC Parks backcountry permit registration service allows you to purchase a backcountry camping permit before leaving home. Although this does not reserve a campsite, it provides the convenience of prepaying for your trip and not having to carry cash. We encourage all visitors to register online so we can reduce the need to collect fees in the field.
The park offers vehicle accessible campsites on a first come, first served basis, campsite reservations are not accepted. There are 114 campsites located at five campgrounds
- Alces Lake (28 campsites) at 21km offers sunny lakefront campsites
- Packrat Point (16 campsites) at 24km and Inlet Creek (16 campsites) at 28km are located on the east side of the road across from Whiteswan Lake
- White River (17 campsites) is located near the northeastern entrance of the park alongside the White River
- Home Basin (37 campsites) is located at the northwestern corner of Whiteswan Lake accessed by the Moscow Creek forest road and offers some lakefront campsites.
Home Basin
Inlet Creek
Vehicle accessible camping fee: $20.00 per party per night
Alces Lake, Packrat Point, White River
Winter camping is permitted in all of the campgrounds in Whiteswan Lake Park; however with the exception of Inlet Creek Campground, the vehicle-accessed campgrounds are gated in the winter season. Winter camping in a gated campground will require a short walk to the campsites.
Inlet Creek is a large open area beside the Whiteswan forest service road with picnic tables and fire rings around the perimeter. This area is not regularly plowed so depending on the amount of snow it may not be possible to drive into the campground.
No fees are charged for camping at Whiteswan Lake Park during the off season if no services are provided.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for these areas of the park:
Each of the campgrounds in the park have water provided by ground water hand pumps. In addition, Home Basin campground has water that is provided via a surface water tap. Although sampled on a biweekly basis, water provided is untreated surface water and as such is under a permanent boil water notice.
There are four boat launches. Home Basin and Packrat Point which are concrete, Alces and Inlet Creek which are gravel. To ensure a quiet and relaxing experience, no towing is allowed on Alces or Whiteswan Lakes. Electric motors only are allowed on Alces Lake.
A sani-station is available during the operating season at the entrance to Alces Campground.
Sani-station use fee: $5.00 per discharge
Firewood can be purchased from the park operator in some parks or you can bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary. To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please do not 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. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented and some parks may use communal fire rings. Bring a portable stove for cooking.
Lussier Hot Springs is located near the park entrance at 17.5km on the Whiteswan forest service road (FSR). The springs, long a favourite of campers and wilderness enthusiasts, can be accessed from the Whiteswan FSR by a short hike down to the Lussier River. Two change room and toilet buildings are located at the parking lot. No liquor or dogs are permitted at the springs. Garbage receptacles are located up at the parking area. Bathers must wear bathing suits. Park Rangers make regular patrols to Lussier Hot Springs. Please help keep this wildland hot springs clean. Please be aware, Lussier Hot Springs are natural, and subject to climactic conditions, may sometimes run cool.
Attention winter users: The trail leading down to the hot pools can become very slippery during the winter, please use caution during your visit.
This park has 3 day-use and picnic areas located at Packrat, Home Basin, and White River campgrounds. A day-use area at Lussier Hot Springs has a parking lot and pit toilet.
Pit toilets are located centrally in each campground; Home Basin (6), Inlet Creek (2), Packrat Point (2), Alces (4), Cave Creek (2), and White River (2).
Activities
The north shore trail is a pleasant outing that travels through a Douglas-fir forest and provides views of Whiteswan Lake and surrounding mountains. The total one-way distance of the trail is 8km from the Alces Lake campground to Home Basin campground. The trail can also be accessed from a trailhead at the east end of Alces Lake, approximately 2km by trail from the Alces Lake campground. Where the trail crosses Cave Creek, a short branch trail leads to the Cave Creek campground.
There is a swimming beach area at Home Basin day-use area but this swimming area is not marked swimming area. Use caution in the area. There are no lifeguards on duty.
There are paddling, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities at this park.
The fishery at Alces and Whiteswan Lakes are of one of the highest quality rainbow trout fisheries in the East Kootenays. Whiteswan Lake also provides ice fishing opportunities.
Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
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 wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
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 Whiteswan 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.
Whiteswan Lake Park is open to hunting management unit 4-24. Please check the BC hunting and trapping regulations for more information.
Maps and location
Whiteswan Lake Park is located within the Kootenay Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, 22km southeast of the Village of Canal Flats, the nearest community. Access is from Highway 93/95, turn east 4.5 kilometres south of Canal Flats onto the gravel Whiteswan Forest Service Road. Whiteswan Lake is about 25km from the highway, the hot springs are located near the west boundary of the park at 17.5km.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: August 2, 1978
- Size: 1994 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
EK Parks Ltd.
camping@ekparks.ca
250-422-3003
Nature and culture
Cultural Heritage
Whiteswan Lake was an important seasonal hunting camp of the K’tunaxa (Kootenai) native people and their use of the area dates back at least 5,000 years. During the 1800’s and early 1900’s trappers, prospectors and guides worked in the area and soothed their work worn bodies in the hot mineral waters of Lussier Hot Springs.
The area surrounding the park is part of the Kootenay Region working forest. Logging and mining currently provides jobs for many people living in the region, as well recreation and tourism have become important aspects of the economy.
Conservation
In May and June, spawning Rainbow trout can be seen in the inlet and outlet creeks of Whiteswan Lake. In the summer of 2001, wildfires swept through the forests north and west of the park. These fires, while seemingly “destructive,” are recognized as part of a natural cycle of renewal that ensures the long term viability of diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants.
Wildlife
Exploring the back roads of the Kootenay Ranges offers sightings of mountain goats and bighorn sheep, moose, elk, deer, grizzly and black bears. Common loons, red-necked grebes, belted kingfishers, blue herons, bald and golden eagles, and many other bird species can be seen on the lakes and in the surrounding woodlands.
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.