Herald Provincial Park

• November 3, 2017: Slash Burning at Herald Provincial Park

  The public is advised that slash burning from brush created during the current Capital Trail reconstruction will take place over the next week. Please obey all closure signs within the park and avoid equipment, workers, or burn piles if they are visiting the area. Your patience is appreciated.

• June 2, 2017: Margaret Falls Trail closed indefinitely

  Spring run-off conditions and mudslides in the canyon have completely destroyed sections of this trail. Bridges have been torn from their footings and the river course has been re-routed in many sections. The trail and facilities will require an engineers assessment and estimate prior to any remedial work being completed, which will take place once current water levels begin to recede. There is a high likelihood that the trail will not be available for public use this season. Please be advised that we will post future updates as they become available.

Know Before You Go

Special Notes:

• There are three separate campgrounds that make up Herald Provincial Park: Bastion Campground, Reinecker Campground and Homestead Campground. A few of the sites in Bastion Campground, and many sites in the middle of Homestead Campground are sunny and unshaded. If the campground is busy, you may be assigned one of these campsites.

• Boat traffic is heavy on Shuswap Lake; swim only in designated areas.
• Theft is a recurring problem; lock all valuables in vehicles.

About This Park

Herald Provincial Park is a popular destination campground and day-use area. The park covers 79 hectares of beautiful beach and forested uplands, and boasts a 119-site campground, boat launch and large day-use area.

Swimming, fishing and bird-watching are popular activities, as is the self-guided nature walk to Margaret Falls. Just 14 kilometres from the Trans Canada Highway along the western shore of the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake, Herald is a great spot to use as a base camp for visiting the many attractions of the Shuswap area.

Established Date: September 11, 1975
Park Size: 79.1 hectares (65.6 hectares of upland and 13.5 hectares of foreshore)

Reservations

Location and Maps

• Location Map

Maps and Brochures

• Park Map [PDF 387KB]
• Brochure [PDF 237KB]

Nature and Culture

• History: Established in 1975, this park was part of a farm owned from 1905 by Dr. Dundas and Edith Herald and their children. Canoes carried the first Europeans here, but by the 1870s paddle-wheelers frequently transported people between Kamloops and communities on the lake. The Canadian Pacific railway, and later an expanded road system, resulted in a much easier movement of people and goods. Starting in the 1950s, the increase of private cars brought a new industry to Shuswap Lake: summer recreation.
• Cultural Heritage: Contact the Campground Hosts for a copy of the in-park handout: it provides information for the self-guided nature trail, and about the human and natural history of this lovely place.
• Conservation: The canyon leading to Margaret Falls protects a unique ecosystem. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park’s natural heritage, please don’t damage or remove them.
• Wildlife: Birders take note: 70 species are documented in Herald Park! Cougars, bears and other wildlife are seen on occasion – keep children close by when hiking.

Management Planning

• Management Planning Information
• Approved Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan [PDF 134.78KB] for Herald Park is available online in pdf format.

Activities Available at this Park

Canoeing

Cycling

Fishing

Hiking

Pets on Leash

Scuba Diving

Swimming

Waterskiing

Windsurfing

Facilities Available at this Park

Boat Launch

Campfires

Drinking Water

Picnic Areas

Pit or Flush Toilets

Playground

Sani-Station/Dump

Showers

Vehicle Accessible Camping

Wheelchair Access