Fernie, BC : Kikomun Creek Provincial Park
East Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada
( camping, hiking, picnicking, canoeing, kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing )

Kikomun Creek Provincial Park is a recreation destination, popular for its sandy beaches, lakes and trails, located west of Fernie, BC in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. The 682 hectare park was established in 1972 on the eastern shores of Koocanusa Lake.

Koocanusa Lake is a 144 reservoir lake created by the Libby Dam on the Kootenay River located in Montana, U.S.A. The Kikomun Creek Provincial Park is home to fields of grasslands and wetlands surrounded by Ponderosa pine and Douglas Fir trees. The park is designed to protect the grassland habitat and wildlife population in the region.

A series of trails in the park connect hikers to beaches and lakes including the Koocanusa, Surveyor and Hidden Lakes. Venture further into the backcountry there are more lakes to fish and explore like the Muskrat, Fisher, Skunk and Engineer Lakes. Bass and Rainbow Trout can be fished in the fresh water lakes. Kokanee Salmon is fished in Lake Koocanusa. Must have a fishing licence.

A recreation trail system connects all the activity destinations together in the park. Surveyors Lake Trail is a 45 minute loop trail connecting Saunders Beach, the Day Use Area and Surveyors Lake. The Kalispell Trail is the campground trail on Koocanusa Lake. Hidden Lake Trail is a 30 minute loop trail exploring the shores of, what else, Hidden Lake. Great Northern Rail Trail is a 1.5 hour hiking and mountain biking route.

This park has a day-use/picnic area on Saunders Beach. The sandy beach, large swimming pier, plenty of picnic tables, washrooms and hiking trails attract many to the park. In between the day-use area and the Surveyors Lake Campground is an adventure playground for children.

The Surveyors Lake Campground is situated on a high ridge looking down on Koocanusa Lake. It is a full service RV friendly campground with amenities like hot showers, flush toilets, picnic tables, fire pits, a concrete boat launch and a sani station. It is a popular campground, a paying campground where reservations are highly recommended during the peak seasons.

During the summer months the activities enjoyed in the park include canoeing, biking, swimming, birdwatching, fishing, boating, camping and hiking. During the winter months the trails in the park are used for cross country skiing.

The Kikomun Creek Provincial Park is home to many species of wildlife. Visitors, especially birdwatchers, will enjoy the wetland areas in the park observing Bald Eagles, owls, loons, osprey, blue herons, red-tailed hawks and ducks living amongst painted turtles, muskrats, salamanders and beavers. Some of the other wildlife in the park include elk, black bears, coyotes and deer.

How to Get to Kikomun Creek Provincial Park:

Travel east on Hwy #3 from the community of Cranbrook towards the community of Fernie. In Jaffray turn south onto the Jaffray-Baynes Lake Road. Continue traveling another 16.5 kilometres to the park gates and a parking lot.