Shuswap Lakes Attractions

The town of Sorrento (350 m / 1149 ft)) was given its name by J.R. Kinghorn, a pioneer who, seeing Copper Island in the distance, was reminded of the Isle of Capri and the Gulf of Naples. Houseboats can be taken out on the Shuswap Lake, where there is a fine beach for swimming. A popular summer resort, especially with senior citizens, Sorrento owes its growth primarily to the construction of the railroad in 1885 when a rail station and a little settlement were built because of the additional steam locomotives (in use until 1958) that were needed for the steep haul up Notch Hill. Farmers settled in the fertile surroundings.Interior White Water Expeditions offer whitewater rafting on the nearby Adams River or on the Clearwater River in Wells Gray Provincial Park (Yellowhead Highway 5 South).East of Sorrento the TransCanada Highway turns south.

At Squilax the road branches off to the south end of Adams Lake, which is 70 km (43 mi.) long. There are resorts, campsites and bathing beaches on the north shore of Shuswap Lake. Scotch Creek is very pleasant, as is Shuswap Lake Provincial Park, which includes a visitor center with wildlife and cultural exhibits. The reconstruction of a Kekuli pit-house is worth seeing. Shuswap Indians lived in these during the winter until about 1908. Other beauty spots include Magna Bay and Anglemont (houseboats).Adams Lake is a popular spot for boating and house boating with rentals available in the area. Book in advance.

Three Valley Gap, situated in a valley in the Monashee Mountains at the eastern end of Three Valleys Lake, with its inviting little sandy beach, is a recreation of the old Wild West, built here in the 1960s near the 19th c. gold-rush ghost town and lumbering settlement. Three Valley Gap has old buildings that were moved here from all over the region, including trappers' log cabins, Sicamous' historic Bellevue Hotel, and old barns, complete with a few donkeys and other animals in the stables. There is also a motel, restaurant and miniature railway.Three Valley Gap is a nice place to see the history of the area through these historic buildings.

Salmon Arm (358 m (1175 ft)), on the southern arm of Shuswap Lake, is the center of the Shuswap Region, and grew up when the railroad was built in the 1890s. The moderate, dry climate (1800 hours of sunshine, 140 mm (51/2 in.) of rainfall a year) has made Salmon Arm popular as a retirement haven.Houseboat rentals are available in the area. Day trips on Shuswap Lake on the little paddlewheel boat M.S. "Rockwood" is also popular. Sailing and wind-surfing are favorite past times around Salmon Arm. Also of interest are the Salmon Arm Waterslide, local market (farm produce, handicrafts), and horseback riding.

The small town of Sicamous (352 m (1155 ft)), between Shuswap Lake and Mara Lake, proudly proclaims itself Canada's "Houseboat Capital". It also has golf, hang-gliding, water sports, and fishing, and the "Phoebe Ann" takes people for cruises on the lake.Highway 97A branches off towards the south at Sicamous, past scenic Mara Lake (16 km (10 mi.)) to Vernon in the Okanagan Valley.The area is known for its lakes and camping. If you are planning on house boating be sure to book well in advance. This is a very popular summer destination.

From Sicamous the TransCanada Highway follows the route of the Canadian Pacific Railway, built in the 1880s, over Eagle Pass (discovered in 1865) through the rugged 2500-3000 m (8200-9850 ft) Monashee Mountains, where the road can be blocked at times by heavy snowfalls in winter. After 26 km (16 mi.), at Craigellachie, the place is reached where in 1885 the last spike was driven into place in the Canadian Pacific Railroad, completing the country's first trans-continental railway. Six months later the first passenger train left Montréal to arrive after six days in Port Moody, near Vancouver, making what was then the longest scheduled railway connection in the world, and the monument here commemorates the importance of this event.Craigellachie is a small town known by tourists mainly for it's location next to this historic site.

The Squilax Pow Wow on the Squilax Reserve, where Indian dance groups from all over North America come to take part, attracts thousands of visitors every year.The Squilax Pow Wow is held the third week in July and is one of the highlights of the summer. The Pow Wow is a celebration of the First Nations people with a variety of entertainment and traditional practices.