Water Access
Trails for Creston Valley Society, maintains only Riverside Park water access. Kootenay Lake’s east shore offers stunning views but limited public access. With few developed parks and hard-to-spot access points, reaching the shoreline can be challenging. Visitors are encouraged to use crown land responsibly, pack out garbage, and help keep these natural spots clean and enjoyable for all.
About the Lake - Access Project
Kootenay Lake is BC’s largest natural freshwater lake, known for its untouched beauty and low population. While this natural state is part of its charm, public access to the lake—especially from the east shore along Highway 3A—is limited.
The highway runs from Kuskanook to Kootenay Bay, continuing north to Riondel. Although the drive offers stunning views, access to the shoreline is often blocked by cliffs, forest, or private property. https://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/search/search-result.aspx?site=REC2106&type=Site
Currently, Lockhart Beach is the only Provincial Park with vehicle camping on this side. Other options include the community-run Riondel beach campground, Garland Bay rec site, and Pilot Point Marine Park. A few private campgrounds also offer lake access.
Some crown land areas are publicly accessible, but hard to identify from the road. You can check land ownership via the RDCK mapping tool.
Several undeveloped public access points exist, but they often lack signage, trails, restrooms, and garbage bins. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead, bring garbage bags, and help maintain the sites by packing out all trash.
Each site has its own unique charm—some are even great for fishing. Let’s all do our part to keep them clean and enjoyable.
Goat River – Riverside Wilderness Park
For many years, Creston Valley residents and visitors have faced difficulty accessing Goat River near the town of Creston for recreational purposes. Although the river itself (up to high water mark) is public land, land access to the riverside is often not legally available to the public due to adjacent private landowners. Therefore, people are not able to enjoy many of the great places along the Goat River.
One of the few available river access points is the section of roadway on Highway 21 on both sides of the Goat River bridge. This is heavily used by the community during summer months. The ongoing problem with this location has been the unsafe conditions that currently exist: traffic driving at 80 km/h in both directions passing vehicles parked on both sides of the highway near the narrow bridge and pedestrians are forced into a dangerous situation alongside it all.
Trails for Creston Valley Society purchased a riverfront parcel of land, 1031 Highway 21, just off Highway 21 to provide safe, public access to our river and has turned it into a public park with a parking lot located a safe distance from the highway. TCVS has installed a public toilets for summer use, picnic tables and garbage cans.
Private properties surround the park so please be respectful of them and drive slowly after leaving Highway 21 and stay within park boundaries at all times.
This is private property, open for public use during daylight hours only. No over night camping is allowed.
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Kootenay River
Old Ferry Landing
Picnic Site
Located along the waters of likely the calmest section of the Kootenay River, the old ferry landing site has for a long time been a launching point for all sorts of water adventures, especially canoeing and kayaking. Picnic tables were installed in the grassy area beside the parking area, making it the perfect place to enjoy a sunny afternoon alongside the river. Unfortunately, there are no garbage cans at the site so please take your garbage with you when you leave.
Martell Beach
“Martell Beach” is a popular Kootenay Lake “public lake access site.” You can find this beach on Lakeside Rd, roughly 1.5km south of the Glass House. It is also known as “Dog Beach” or “Kootenay Campsite Beach.”
The site is a relatively level area, making it one of the best locations for the mobility challenged to enter the water. However, the land is rugged with rocks and has tree debris. There is a spot for launching kayaks. Unfortunately, there isn’t a wheelchair ramp.
The Trails for Creston Valley Society (TCVS) installed three concrete picnic tables for public use.
Visitors and volunteers maintain this beach. Please leave the beach better than you found it.
Enjoy Martell Beach with other beach goers and make some happy memories.
Kuskanook
Kuskanook Rest Area and Boat Launch offers the closest fully serviced access to Kootenay Lake from Creston. Its more than just a boat launch however, as there is a beautiful beach on the south side well worth visiting.
Kootenay Bay Ferry Landing
This is a beautiful pebble beach next to the Ferry Landing. It can accommodate many beach goers but few people use it. Perhaps because they have little time between ferries or because they might think it is a private beach. Washrooms, garbage cans and an eatery are all near by. To see a map with property lines click here.
Twin Bays
The main site at Twin Bays has a beautiful beach with easy access for drop-off. Its fine sandy beach makes it the most popular beach on the East Shore of Kootenay Lake. Parking is available down the road. At the parking lot is a bathroom and garbage pickup.
Riondel Park & Campground
This site is privately owned by Teck Cominco. They have granted public access to this site. It has camping facilities, bathrooms, garbage pickup, covered picnic area and a beautiful beach with fabulous views of the lake and mountains.
Garland Bay
This is a Provincial Rec Site, with camping, outhouses, and plenty of lovely pebble beach. Its well worth the drive up the forest service road north from Riondel.
Loki Point
This beach takes a bit more work to get to than most, but its well worth it. Just a few kilometers from Riondel the trailhead for Pebble Beach Rec Site is easy to spot, but the hike down takes 30min. (maybe longer on the way back). Still, its a stunning private beach.
