Blanket Creek Provincial Park near Revelstoke, BC (Park Guide)
Everything you need to know about Blanket Creek Provincial Park in BC.
Blanket Creek Provincial Park is a beautiful camping area near Revelstoke, BC.
Set on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake, you can enjoy picturesque sandy beaches, breathtaking snow-capped mountains, a historic homestead, access to Sutherland Falls, relaxful camping, and more.
Blanket Creek features a campground that’s great for families, couples, and anyone that loves outdoor adventures. The Blanket Creek campground has 105 vehicle-accessible campsites that offer plenty of privacy, free hot showers, flush toilets, drinking water, and firewood.
It’s also a great base for exploring. Besides the many things you can do in the park itself, you can also take a ferry to soak in Nakusp, Halcyon, and Halfway hot springs. If you’re up for a hike, Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks are only a short drive away.
Quick Stats
From camping and day-use to hiking and paddling, there’s lots to do when you stay at Blanket Creek Provincial Park!
- Campsites: 105
- Camping type: Front-country
- Park size: 318 hectares
- Fees: Day use: free | Camping: $28/night
- Dates: Day use: year-round | Camping: mid May to late September (make a reservation)
Where is Blanket Creek Provincial Park?
Blanket Creek Provincial Park is located on Highway 23, 30 km from Revelstoke and 81 km from Nakusp. It sits on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake, a man-made reservoir on the Columbia River.
Highway 23, which connects Blanket Creek to the surrounding area, is paved and well-maintained — you can easily bring a trailer or RV. The highway follows the Columbia River from Revelstoke all the way to Nakusp.
Blanket Creek is on the outer edge of the Kootenays region of BC. The Kootenays is a laid-back area with countless outdoor adventures and is a wonderful place to go if you want to escape the craziness of the Okanagan!
I highly recommend using Backroad Mapbooks to find nearby parks, camping, hikes, and other outdoor adventures! The Kootenay Rockies, Canadian Rockies, and Thompson Okanagan editions would serve you well while exploring Blanket Creek.
Camping at Blanket Creek
Blanket Creek Provincial Park is most well known for camping. With 105 well-maintained, easy-to-access campsites and a central location to a slew of outdoor activities, Blanket Creek is an ideal camping spot in the west Kootenays.
Camping at Blanket Creek is only available from early May to late September. There are 98 single sites, seven double sites, and two group sites (the group sites aren’t vehicle-accessible). Sites are generally very private and shaded.
How to Get a Campsite
Wondering how to get a campsite at Blanket Creek? Even though it can be hard, it’s certainly not impossible. There are a few different ways you can nab a campsite during the peak season: reservations, first-come-first-served, and overflow.
Types of Camping
Blanket Creek is exclusively front-country camping, yet it still feels like you’re out in nature. Sites are surrounded by white pine, cedar, and hemlock, as well as thick underbrush. The campsites are well spaced, large, and offer plenty of privacy.
Everyone from tents to RVs are welcome. However, there are no pull-through sites, hookups, or tent pads. Many of the sites are quite large and can accommodate extra vehicles or large RVs/trailers, but please double-check the site size before reserving. Site-specific information is available on Discover Camping.
PS: Sites 63, 64, 66, 68, 71, 72, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, and 82 have wonderful views of the lake, but a walking/biking path cuts through the very end of the sites.
Do you need an RV rental in Revelstoke? Try Outdoorsy — it’s sorta like Airbnb for RVs and trailers. AND you can save $50 by using this link!
Camping Fees
Blanket Creek accepts cash or credit only.
- Regular Campsites: $28/night
- Reservation Fee: $6/night
- Seniors: $14 per party/night *Applies from the day after Labour Day to June 14
- Group Campsite: $120/night + $5 per adult/night & $1 per child/night
- Youth Group: $1 per person/night with a $50 minimum and $150 maximum
- Second Vehicle: $12/night
- Firewood: $10/bundle
- Sani Station: $5/discharge (coins or tokens)
*While I do my best to provide up-to-date fees, there may be a discrepancy between what’s posted here and the actual cost.
Camp Host Information
The Blanket Creek camp host and park office are located at the entrance to the campground (not the entire park). The park office accepts both cash and credit cards.
The park is operated by West Kootenay Park Management Inc. and can be contacted at 1 (866) 937-5734 and [email protected].
Facilities & Amenities at Blanket Creek Provincial Park
Blanket Creek, like most provincial parks, has plenty of facilities that will make your visit more comfortable. From numerous front-country campsites to hot showers and drinking water, you’ll find plenty of creature comforts at Blanket Creek.
Things to Do at Blanket Creek
Although Blanket Creek is well known for its campground, there’s a lot more to do at the provincial park than just camp. You’ll certainly be busy!
Nature Trails & Sutherland Falls
There are three main nature trails at Blanket Creek — Sutherland Falls, Nature Trail, and Columbia River Trail — plus a few small trails throughout the campground. All of the trails are beautiful and great places to stretch your legs while enjoying the area.
The Nature Trail and Columbia River trail are hiking and biking trails. Please practice proper trail etiquette when sharing the trail.
Swimming at Blanket Creek
There are two places you can go swimming at Blanket Creek Provincial Park: the day-use swimming lagoon and Upper Arrow Lake. Both areas are clean and have free-flowing water, but the swimming lagoon is warm whereas Upper Arrow Lake is freezing cold.
You cannot swim in Blanket Creek itself or at the base of Sutherland Falls because the water is much too fast and dangerous.
Tip: There are no lifeguards on duty. Swim at your own risk.
Sports at Blanket Creek
You can enjoy a number of different sports at Blanket Creek — some of which are more extreme than others. From SUP and canoeing to rock climbing and kayaking over waterfalls, there are plenty of sports to keep you busy!
Tip: There are no sport rentals at Blanket Creek Provincial Park. You will need to bring your own gear or rent it in Revelstoke.
Kayak, SUP & Canoe on Upper Arrow Lake
Upper Arrow Lake is a great place to enjoy water activities. It’s calm, quiet, and has gorgeous views. Plus, there are plenty of secluded beaches to relax on.
However, it’s not easy to get your kayak, SUP, or canoe to the water at Blanket Creek. There are no boat launches and water access is via narrow, bumpy (and sometimes steep) trails. It’s not a lot of fun getting your gear onto the water, but once you’re on it, it’s very enjoyable.
If you don’t have your own gear, you can rent it here:
Biking in Blanket Creek & Revelstoke
There are plenty of places you can enjoy easy, relaxing biking at Blanket Creek. Biking is allowed on all paved roads, as well as two nature trails (Columbia River Trail and Nature Trail) within the park. Helmets are required in BC; however, it’s very unlikely you’ll be ticketed for not wearing one.
If you have an e-bike, you cannot use it on the nature trails. You can, however, use it on regular paved roads — e-bikes would make it a lot easier to bike up the hill to the highway!
Because the park is nestled in the mountains, there are also plenty of mountain biking trails nearby. Check out bikerevelstoke.org for more information on mountain bike trails around Revelstoke.
Fishing on Upper Arrow Lake
You can enjoy fishing while camping at Blanket Creek Provincial Park. However, the shoreline is shallow which means you’ll need to venture into the middle of Upper Arrow Lake to catch any fish. You can fish for bull, rainbow, and kokanee salmon.
The nearest boat launch is at Arrow Lakes Provincial Park which is 25 km south of Blanket Creek. Before you set out, make sure you have the correct freshwater fishing license. If you have any questions about licensing or fishing regulations, visit the British Columbia Freshwater Fishing website.
Rock Climbing at the Blanket Creek Bridge
Although not well known, you can also enjoy rock climbing at Blanket Creek Provincial Park. The climbs are accessed (and visible) from the bridge on Highway 23, just outside of the park.
For more information on rock climbing at Blanket Creek, visit these sites:
Kayaking Blanket Creek & Sutherland Falls
Last, but certainly not least, of sports available at Blanket Creek is kayaking the creek itself, as well as over Sutherland Falls. Totally outta my comfort zone, but some people love it.
Word of warning though, only do this if you know what you’re doing!
Wildlife & Plants
While you’re visiting Blanket Creek, you’ll fall in love with the gorgeous flora and fauna in the park. You can walk among mature second-growth Western hemlocks and cedars, mossy and lush forest floors, and, if you’re lucky, maybe even spot some local wildlife.
Small Animals
Ground squirrels call the day-use area home and can often be spotted darting between their burrows or spying on you. Keep an eye out for their burrows — it would be easy to twist your ankle!
Kokanee salmon spawn in the waterways during the fall. You won’t see a huge, spectacular salmon run here, but it’s still cool to check out!
Unfortunately, bugs, particularly mosquitoes, can sometimes be quite a nuisance during the summer. Bring plenty of bug spray (my favourite natural option) and a camping fan (yes, this actually works! Mosquitos aren’t great fliers) to keep those buggers away.
Large Animals
Bears, caribou, elk, and bighorn sheep have all been spotted in the park. Park rangers will tell you if any of these animals have been seen nearby recently, but it’s still important to keep your eyes peeled even if you don’t hear about anything.
Bears are common at Blanket Creek — they love to eat from the fruit trees around the historic homestead. Because of this, they often wander through the campground. As long as you adhere to wildlife safety, though, you can live in harmony with these large animals.
Wildlife Safety
It’s important to follow the park’s wildlife rules about staying in bear country, which includes leashing your pets and keeping your food and toiletries in a vehicle or bear canister. It also doesn’t hurt to carry bear spray and brush up on your bear safety.
No matter what animal you encounter, make sure you follow these basic rules to have a wonderful experience:
- Keep a safe distance
- Don’t feed or touch the animals
- Follow the park’s wildlife rules
- Don’t scare, chase, or otherwise disturb the wildlife
- Secure your food, toiletries, and smelly items at night and while not in your campsite
To keep yourself and the wildlife safe, I highly recommend RecSafe with Wildlife’s bear safety online course. Kim’s doing amazing work educating people about bear and wildlife safety!
Plants
The forest at Blanket Creek is largely made up of white pine and mature second-growth Western cedar and hemlock. The underbrush ranges from thick and dense to open and mossy.
There are also fruit trees scattered throughout, leftover from the days of the Domke fruit orchards. If you come at the right time, you might even luck out and find some thimbleberries to snack on.
In the fall of 2020, BC Parks and CSISS began ecosystem restoration work in Blanket Creek. They’ve been working hard to remove invasive plants and replace them with indigenous trees and shrubs which the local wildlife rely on.
The project aims to encourage natural habitat regeneration so that future plants are more resilient.
FAQs
Blanket Creek Provincial Park is accessible year-round but doesn’t offer full services in the off-season. From early May to late September, full services are offered (camping, water, security, maintenance, etc). The entrance gate is closed during the off-season, but you can still walk in.
Yes, the cell service at Blanket Creek Provincial Park is quite good. However, there are no payphones or wifi.
You can use the day-use area, go for a hike, visit the beach, and access the park for free. If you want to camp at Blanket Creek, there are nightly fees.
Camping reservations can be made two months in advance, starting in mid-March (camping starts mid-May). Reservations must be made online at BCParks.ca.
Yes, Blanket Creek is great in the winter! Full services aren’t available and the park gate is locked, but you can park along Highway 23 and walk in. You can snowshoe around the park and check out a frozen Sutherland Falls.
Absolutely! Blanket Creek is a wonderful place for families to camp and explore the outdoors. There’s a safe swimming lagoon, adventure playgrounds, and plenty of room for kids to run.
