A campfire ban is currently in effect for this park. For more information about campfire bans and about provincial parks with park closures and campfire bans in effect, visit the BC Parks campfire ban webpage.
6 August, 2009:
The evacuation order has been lifted and Bear Creek Provincial Park has been reopened.
Park Info
Truly a natural wonderland, Bear Creek Provincial Park is situated in the Central Okanagan Basin on the west side of Okanagan Lake. The park features lakeside camping, over 400 metres of sandy beaches and 5 km of spectacular, well-marked hiking trails. A picturesque canyon has been carved into the bedrock by Bear Creek tumbling onto a cottonwood-lined delta. This park is extremely busy during the summer season and reservations are recommended. For your convenience, during the summer season the park has a concession located at the gatehouse and managed by the Park Facility Operator.
Park Size: 178 hectares
Campground Hours of Operation
All dates are subject to change without notice
Opening and Closing Campground Dates:
(campground is accessible but may not offer full services such as water,
security, etc.)
April 1 – Oct 13, 2009 approx (gates locked
during off-season)
Campground Dates with Full Services and Fees:
April 1 – Oct 13, 2009 approx
Campground Reservable Dates:
May 14 – September 6 2009
Total Number of Vehicle Accessible Campsites:
122
Number of Reservable Campsites, if applicable:
(all remaining sites are first-come, first-served)
80
Note: The above information is
for the campground only. Park users can still walk into the park
if conditions such as weather permit. Check the "Attention Visitor
Notice" above for park alerts.
The park is located on Westside Road, 9 km off Highway 97, west of Kelowna. From Highway 97, travelling south, leave the city of Kelowna, cross floating bridge on Highway 97 out of Kelowna, travel 2 km and turn west onto Westside Road at the main intersection and follow for 7 km. The entrance to the park is just past the bridge over the Lambly (Bear) Creek. The closest community, towns and cities are Kelowna, Westbank and small housing developments on Westside Road.
Nature & Culture
Conservation - Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir proliferate in the dry, rocky hills above the canyon, balsam-root and prickly-pear cactus compete for the area's meager rainfall. The canyon floor below is home to maple and birch, saskatoon and buffalo berry, wild rose, horsetail and mosses. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park's natural heritage, please don't damage or remove them.
Wildlife - Wildlife abounds from the swallows and hawks that swoop through the canyon to the owls and coyotes that enliven the night. Noisy tree-frogs can be heard in the spring, crickets are active in the summer. Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife.
All reserveable, vehicle accessible
campsites must be reserved through Discover Camping.
Campsite Reservations: Campsite reservations are accepted and first-come, first-served sites are also available. Reservation sites are pre-assigned by the Park Facility Operator.
Please note:
When booking a reservation for multiple parties, please advise Discover
Camping of the specific details (ie number of parties, names of parties,
dates required to be reserved etc) if you wish to have sites
booked that are adjacent to each other.
The Park Facility Operator will accommodate special requests or requests for adjacent sites whenever possible, but cannot offer any guarantee that sites will be available.
Factors considered by PFO when pre-assigning sites for reservations:
Groups assigned sites close or next to each other.
Filling of 'Special Requests.'
Date when reservation first booked.
Length/type of RV and/or tents.
If children or other special concerns are present.
Contact Info
Kaloya Contracting Ltd.
E-mail address: info@campokanagan.com
Phone: (250) 548-0076 (This is not a campsite reservations number)
Please specify PARK NAME when sending/leaving a message.
For Employment opportunities, contact Kaloya Contracting Ltd.
For information about Camp Host opportunities, contact Kaloya Contracting Ltd.
Cycling on roadways in the park; helmets required. No mountain biking trails.
Fishing
Various freshwater fish available in Okanagan Lake. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence and observe the following restrictions: there is a daily quota of 2 rainbow trout (only one over 50cm), no fishing for kokanee and single barbless hooks only.
Hiking
Gentle trails take hikers around the campsites and along the creek as it passes through the campground. The Bear Creek Canyon trail is a popular, more demanding hike offering spectacular views of the creek and the surrounding area. The trail leaves the parking lot and makes a loop of the canyon. Hikers can cross the creek on a footbridge to the north side of the canyon and begin their ascent of the slope. A sturdy staircase of milled lumber makes the climb a little easier and reduces impact on the plant life and soil structure. A viewpoint after the first flight of stairs offers a place to rest and look down at the creek.
The wide, hard-packed trail continues up the rim of the canyon with two more viewpoints perched on the edge of the canyon wall and hemmed in by chainlink fence. The view of the creek, as it meanders through the steep-walled canyon forming various ripples and small waterfalls, is fantastic. Gradually the trail levels out and then begins a descent to the creek. A pit toilet is located here. The trail follows the creek for a short distance before crossing to the south side.
The canyon forms a microclimate with noticeably different vegetation on the two sides of the creek. The slope on the north is dry with Ponderosa pine and bunches of grass while the cooler south side has Douglas fir and carpets of moss, evidence of more moisture and shade. Allow 1 hour to hike Canyon and for your own safety and preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure
Interpretive Programs
An amphitheatre is located between the day-use parking and site 66.
There will no longer be an Interpretive Program at Bear Creek.
Pets on Leash
Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or 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.
Swimming
Over 400 metres of coarse sandy beach stretches the length of the campground from the day-use area to the creek. There are pebbles on the beach but no big rocks in the water. The beach is narrow and the swim area is marked with buoys. There are NO LIFEGUARDS on duty at provincial parks.
Waterskiing
Okanagan Lake provides many waterskiing and jetskiing opportunities. Jetski and boat rentals are available at Lake Okanagan Resort ten minutes north of the park on Westside Road.
Wildlife Viewing
Excellent views of the canyon and lake from the canyon trail. The cottonwoods along the creek and the delta provide habitat for a variety of birds and offer birdwatching opportunities.
Facilities Available At This Park
Campfires
While 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. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented. 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.
Drinking Water
Cold water is available for cooking and drinking and taps are located throughout the campground; from well water.
Picnic Areas
Upon entering the campground, turn left to access the large day-use/picnic area with some 59 tables, 12 with BBQ attachments, and parking for 180 vehicles. The tables are spread out on lawns overlooking the beach and shaded by well spaced mature cottonwood and oak trees. The tables have a great view across the lake to the city of Kelowna and Knox Mountain. Right next to the parking lot is bathroom/change house with flush toilets that are wheelchair accessible. A kiosk beside the changehouse has interpretive signs discussing the area and some of the issues facing the park. The large, open lawns found throughout the park offer opportunities for a variety of activities.
Day-use Area Vehicle Parking Fee:
$1.00 per vehicle / hour to a maximum of $3.00 per vehicle per/day. For information about yearly parking passes, or further information about parking fees,
click here.
Pit or Flush Toilets
Flush and pit toilets are located conveniently throughout the campground. There is a washroom building found at the park entrance just past the gatehouse with the men's and women's sides each having one regular and one wheelchair accessible shower stall. A pit toilet is located beside the shower building. Two more flush toilet buildings are found next to sites 26 and 54. These also have shower stalls, one each for the men and women with access from the back of the building. The southern campsite loop has a washroom building with flush toilets and three shower stalls each for the men's and women's sides. A pit toilet is located beside site 91. There are also two pit toilets across Westside Road by the trailhead parking.
Playground
There is a small playground located in the grassy area beside sites 30/31. It has a swingset with four swings and a small wooden platform with one slide. The equipment is set in sand.
Sani-Station/Dump
During the collecting season a sani-station/dump is available and a fee is charged for the service. The sani-station/dump is located across Westside road from the gatehouse next to the Canyon Trail parking area.
Sani-station Use Fee: $2.00 per discharge
Showers
There are hot showers in the washrooms. There is no extra charge for showers and they are for registered guests only.
Vehicle Accessible Camping
The park has one campground, though it is divided by Lambly (Bear) Creek. There are 122 vehicle accessible sites in the park, including 18 doubles.
Reservation sites are # 1-80 and are found on the north side of the creek in two loops. These medium to large sized sites are found amongst well spaced trees and irrigated lawns. The trees are well trimmed and a mix of both coniferous and deciduous with many non-native species present. The effect is of fairly open, well manicured grounds. The sites are gravel and have a fire ring and picnic table on a cement pad. There are no BBQ table attachments.Nine of these sites back onto the creek and are slightly smaller and surrounded by more dense vegetation. If these reservable sites are not required for a reservation, they may be available on a first come first served basis.
Crossing the creek within the campground leads to sites 81-122 on the south side of the creek. These sites are available on a first come first served basis; during the peak season, a wait list must usually be established. This area of the park is newly landscaped (sites were developed in 1996) and though most of the area is now shaded, some of this area is still open with newly planted saplings, irrigated lawn and raised beds of bark mulch landscaped with low growing plants and bushes between the sites. This area has its own shower/washroom building and taps.
The park is open from April 1 to October 13. A gatehouse is situated near the park entrance just off Westside Road with three payphones and an information shelter. There is a gate on Westside Road which is locked from 11:00pm to 7:00am during the operating season and then locked during the off-season, from October 14 to March 31.
