Topographical highs and lows create satisfying and scenic conditions for hiking, hang gliding, rock climbing, golfing and horseback riding in the Shuswap area. Herald Provincial Park, a top hiking spot, consists of upland and flat delta. Its Upper Canyon trail features beautiful views of Shuswap Lake. Margaret Falls is the highlight of its interpretive nature trail. In summer, the Larch Hill Cross Country Ski Trails offer good hiking opportunities, too. Shuswap Lake, Mt. Ida, Bastion Mountain and the Fly Hills are popular horseback riding destinations.
Cyclists will find fairly steep inclines along the Grandview Bench Loop but the rustic farm and country views are well worth the effort. The Foothills Drive Loop, at Salmon River, is level and easy by comparison. Both routes are paved. Road riding is another good cycling option as traffic flow is generally low on the area’s highways and byways.
The 18-hole, 6,738-yd, par 72, Salmon Arm Golf Club is laid out around the base of Mount Ida. The Les Furber-designed course was BCPGA’s 2001 Golf Facility of the Year.
Campgrounds tend to be located near Shuswap Lake. Herald Provincial Park has 119 vehicle-accessible campsites and Shuswap Lake Marine Provincial Park offers both vehicle-accessible and wilderness campsites.
Salmon Arm hosts many concerts, festivals and art happenings throughout the year. The Salmon Arm Public Art Gallery organizes a variety of exhibitions, aesthetic projects and educational activities. The city’s “Artwalk” highlights art on display in various businesses around town.
Historical attractions in the area include the White Post Auto Museum, Deep Creek Tool & Machinery Museum, Salmon Arm Cemetery and RJ Haney Heritage Park. The heritage park operates on the site of a pioneer farm. Some buildings were moved to the site, others were part of the original farm. A 2-km (1.2-mi) nature walk around the grounds explores how Aboriginals and pioneers made use of the native flora and fauna.
Most of the attractions in the Salmon Arm area can be enjoyed by the entire family. In particular, children will enjoy the waterslides, go cart rentals, petting zoos, corn maze and mini golf course. A cheese farm specializing in Gouda offers summer tours and tastings. U-pick farms and orchards allow you to gather your own sun-ripened apples and berries and there are even alpaca farms where you can buy raw or spun fibre and hand-knitted sweaters.
R.J. Haney Heritage Park & Museum, a collection of restored pioneer buildings and a 2-km (1.2-mi) historical nature walk, is one of the city’s most famous attractions.
Adult-oriented attractions include wineries and breweries that offer tours, tastings and retail sales.
Salmon Arm is the home of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Hockey Club (a Junior “A” team), the Salmon Arm ProWest Rodeo (July), and the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival (August). The festival presents more than 50 performers on seven outdoor stages over three days.
The Salmon Arm Arts Council organizes interesting events like Art A La Carte and Wednesdays on the Wharf, a summer concert series held in Salmon Arm Marine Park. The free, outdoor concerts celebrate a wide range of musical genres. The Salmon Arm Community Centre also organizes shows and events throughout the year.
The pedestrian mall along Alexander Street offers the best range of shopping options in the city, everything from luxurious linens to keepsakes and gift items.
Wildlife viewing opportunities exist all around Salmon Arm. The Salmon Arm Bay Nature Reserve, for example, contains one of the last, large, undeveloped marsh areas in central BC. Watch for Western grebe, great blue heron, tundra swan, pileated woodpecker, bald eagle and green-winged teal.
In early October, R. Haig-Brown Provincial Park is a good place to view large sockeye salmon runs in the Adams River. It’s also a good place to see white-tailed and mule deer, black bear, beaver, bald eagles, river otter and mink.
Herald Provincial Park, a popular camping destination, is home to at least 70 bird species. Osprey and waterfowl are common in Sunnybrae Provincial Park, a top spot for family picnics. Herald and Sunnybrae also offer day-use areas and swimming, boating and fishing in Shuswap Lake.
Beautiful views of the Shuswap area can be had from the Mount Ida Trail and the 1,220-m (4,000-ft) high Rotary Skyview Lookout. Wildflowers begin blooming in late June in the Fly Hills Recreation Area and reach their colourful peak in mid summer.
Some of the most peaceful places around Salmon Arm are McGuire Lake Park, Canoe Public Beach and the aptly named Rotary Peace Park and Public Wharf. Waterfowl is abundant in both parks and the beach is famous for its sunsets. Other serene settings include Marine Wharf Park, Blackburn Park, Coyote Park, Fletcher Park, day spas and spa retreats.
Shuswap Lake is shaped like an addled H. It’s large, warm and very scenic. If you were to explore its entire shoreline, you’d come across waterfalls, ancient petroglyphs, a large, undeveloped marsh and one of North America’s longest freshwater fishing piers. It’s known for a lot of houseboating activity, particularly in July and August but also in September, when trees around the lake are changing colour. The lake maintains an average temperature of 21 Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) from June to September, so it’s also very popular with swimmers. Canoe Public Beach, on the lake, features washrooms, change rooms, a concession stand, covered picnic tables, barbeque pits, and a play area.
There are more than 20 lakes and countless clear streams to fish in the Shuswap Lakes area. Nineteen fish species can be found in Shuswap Lake alone. The most prized local catches are kokanee, rainbow trout, lake trout, Eastern brook trout, whitefish, burbot and perch. Tours and rentals are available.
Rafting on the Adams River can be an easy paddle or a white-knuckle whitewater adventure, depending on the length of the ride. Opt for a short trip on the river’s smooth-flowing upper reaches or an extended ride through Class III rapids in its lower reaches.
Other popular water activities include Sea-Dooing, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, sailing, scuba diving, parasailing and waterskiing.
The Larch Hills Ski Area offers some of the best Nordic skiing in BC. Its 120 km (75 mi) of trails include classic, skating and backcountry/unset options. Forty km (25 mi) of its trails are track set. The Fly Hills Recreation Area maintains about 70 km (43 mi) of trails for snowmobiling. The terrain there includes open sub-alpine and alpine ridges, bowls, rolling forest and meadows. Warm-up shelters are scattered throughout the area.
Other popular winter activities include snowshoeing, ice climbing, ice fishing, ice skating, outdoor hockey and sleigh rides.