Friends Campground And Day Use

Campgrounds in this park

• Friends Campground
• Groupsite G1
• Osprey Point Campground (G2)
• Osprey Point Campground
• Redfish Campground
• Sandspit Campground lanes 1-3, sites 1-52
• Sandspit Campground lanes 4-6, sites 53-113

Activities the source lists

• Hiking
• Swimming
• Fishing
• Canoeing
• Interpretive programs
• Wildlife viewing
• Pets on leash
• Cycling
• Waterskiing
• Windsurfing
• Winter recreation

Facilities as published

• The Holt Shelter is a designated rest spot for cycle tourers and through-hikers, available on a first come, first served basis. Guests may need to share the space with fellow hikers and cyclists. Registration is required upon arrival at the gatehouse.
• There are two day-use and picnic areas both located on Kootenay Lake. The most popular is situated beside the north end of Sandspit campground. The beach is sandy, 1km long and has a wonderful large sandbar at its south-eastern tip. There are several picnic tables along the shore line, 60 feet from the waters edge, evenly spaced among cotton wood and pine trees. The trees offer limited shade and the beach can become very hot during mid day. Behind the tables is a large, open grassy area suitable for recreational sports and family gatherings. Nearby and conveniently located are an adventure playground, toilet change house, pit toilet and two barbeque stands. Parking is available for 120 vehicles. If you want tables by the beach, come early as this beach is popular with local residents. The smaller day-use and picnic area is the Redfish site. The access road is directly across from the Redfish campground entrance on the opposite side of Highway 3. A short drive will bring you to the 40 vehicle parking lot. This location is also where you will find the group picnic and group campsite with the shelter and grassy area. The beach is just a short walk from here and is approximately 300 metres long, described as a mixture of rough sand and gravel. There is no recognized swimming area or change house. A universal pit toilet is close to the beach and a water tap is in the adjacent Osprey Campground. Both these day-use and picnic areas are popular but please remember there are no fire p
• Sandspit campground has three toilet buildings, the day-use and picnic area has one toilet and change house and a pit toilet. Redfish campground has one toilet building and a pit toilet. Redfish day-use and picnic area shares the pit toilets with the group sites.
• Showers are available at the central toilet building in Sandspit campground located between Osprey and Chipmunk Lanes and at the toilet building in the Friends campground.
• Cold well water is available for cooking and drinking. Nine taps are randomly located in both campgrounds. Sandspit day-use and picnic area has two water fountains. Redfish day-use and picnic area shares a water tap with the group sites. Taps are shut off during the off-season.
• Accessibility information is available for this park.
• A large adventure playground with swing set, monkey bars, slide, spring horses, and platforms is located between the Sandspit campground and day-use area. The equipment is set in pea gravel with benches and tables nearby for resting or picnicking. On one edge is a large grassy area suitable for other recreational opportunities.
• A wharf to assist with launching and singlewide concrete boat launch can be found at the north-east end of the Sandspit day-use and picnic area. The 20 unit day-use parking lot can accommodate vehicles or boat trailers; no overnight parking except for registered campers. A nearby marina will keep your boat overnight. Both water skiing and windsurfing are popular activities on Kootenay Lake. Note: Low water levels preclude boat launch use in March and April.
• A sani-station is available during the collecting season is located at the Sandspit campground. The entrance is to the right of campsite #70. Sani-station use fee: $5.00 per discharge
• Electrical service is available in 13 sites at the Friends campground. An additional service charge of $7.00, per night, applies to these sites regardless of whether electrical service is used. Please note: There are no fire rings in sites 137-145.
• 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. 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.

Camping information as published

• Kokanee Creek Park has four campgrounds, Sandspit, Redfish, Osprey Point, and the Friends campground, that offer vehicle-accessible sites. Sandspit, the largest, is located just east of the Kokanee Creek bridge on Highway 3A, while Redfish is located just west of the bridge. The Friends campground is located by the Sandspit day-use and picnic area. Sandspit campgound is where the majority of the facilities are concentrated. After you exit Highway 3 turn right to the park gatehouse. Staff are available to check reservations and direct you to a campsite. This campground is situated in a diverse forest of both conifers (cedar, hemlock, pine) and deciduous (cottonwood, birch, aspen) trees. The mixed forest provides plenty of shade. A blend of medium to large sites can accommodate large rigs and extra vehicles. The campsites, with 18 doubles, are evenly spaced on four parallel lanes called Gopher, Osprey, Chipmunk and Porcupine. These lanes bisect the outer lane referred to as Park Lane. Redfish campground has intimate, mostly shaded, small vehicle accessible sites within a cedar hemlock forest. Two of the sites have tent pads but there are no pull through or doubles. Osprey Point has a mix of sun and shaded sites, equipped with tent pads, picnic tables and fire pits and is situated within a cedar, hemlock, birch and cottonwood forest. A communal picnic shelter with running water, dish pit, picnic tables and an air-tight stove is available for all to use. The adjacent Redfish Beach is easily accessed for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. There is a dog beach in the south west corner. Please respect the Park boundary and keep dogs under control at all times. Friends campground offers 39 sites close to the main beach, 13 sites have electrical service. Sites 137 to 145 have 30 Amp service and sites 147, 149, 151 and 153 have 30 and 50 Amp service. Please note: There are no fire rings at sites 137 to 145. Services are offered in the high use season between May and September.
• Group sites can be reserved through the BC Parks reservation system . Groupsite G1 Groupsite G1 is located adjacent to the Redfish day-use parking lot and can accommodate 50 visitors for camping and picnicking (must be reserved for both activities) This site is a large circle of 8 picnic tables, large fire pit, water taps, grey water pit and can accommodate up to 8 trailers and multiple tents. Easy access to the Redfish beach. Osprey Point Campground G2 Osprey Point Campground is available as individual campsites during the peak season, but the entire campground can be booked as a groupsite (G2) in the shoulder seasons. There is a communal enclosed picnic shelter equipped with running water, dish pit, steel counter, an air tight stove and picnic tables. Group camping fees Regular group rate (per night) $120 base fee $5 per adult (16+) for minimum 15 adults $1 per youth (6-15) Free for children under 6 Youth group rate (per night) $1 per person for minimum 12 people $50 minimum, $150 maximum Non-resident fee $20 per group per stay Additional fees apply for reservations. For more information on fees and on qualifying for different rates, visit the camping fees page. To qualify for youth group camping, your party must be associated with a school, recreation centre, or non-profit youth organization located in B.C. To learn more, see the group camping page.

Official maps

Source confidence

Low

Confidence describes how well the ingested sources agree for this record. Verification is a separate state: Unverified.