Upper
Arrow Lake is a man-made reservoir
lake on the Columbia River which connects to the community of
Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. It is a long and narrow
lake surrounded by mountains, trails, marshlands and wetlands.
It is an ideal lake setting for bird wildlife and recreational
opportunities.
Upper Arrow Lake is part of a network of waterways
with a series of dams connecting the Columbia River with Lake
Revelstoke in the north and Lower Arrow Lake in the south.
In its entirety, Upper Arrow Lake stretches from the community
of Nakusp, BC in the south
near East Arrow Park to the inner streets and walkways of Revelstoke,
BC.
Upper Arrow Lake is a popular destination in
the summer months for boating, swimming camping, bird watching
and fishing. It is a lake known for gusts of wind and for floating
debris. So be aware and prepared when exploring. The lake is well
stocked with fish including rainbow, gerrard, kokanee and bull
trout plus barbot and whitefish.
On the east side of Upper Arrow Lake the community
of Revelstoke, BC has grown along it's banks. Many streets and
paved walkways in the community provide water views of the Columbia
& Illecillewaet Rivers. Airport Way Road provides the best
views and a few boat launches accessing Upper Arrow Lake.
On the west side of Upper Arrow Lake, south of
Revelstoke, is a scenic highway (Hwy 23S) leading to a lake ferry.
The highway provides very little views of the lake except near
the parks and the lake ferry crossing.
There are a few trails and parks that lead to
the shores of Upper Arrow Lake from the hwy, but you must get
active to get there. Begbie Falls
Trail and the Begbie Creek
Trail provide good access to the lake and each trail leads
you to the viewing platform looking out over Begbie Waterfall.
The Blanket Creek and
Arrow Lakes Provincial Campgrounds are two popular campsites visited
on Upper Arrow Lake. It is a much easier to access the lake from
the campground's boat launches and beaches.
How to Get to Upper Arrow
Lake:
Access available to the Columbia River and the
northern most point of Upper Arrow Lake from city streets in Revelstoke,
BC. Or else, follow Hwy 23 south towards the Lake Ferry. Access
lake from Begbie Falls Trail and/or Blanket Creek Provincial Park.
Or access from Airport Way Road on the east side of the lake via
boat launches and pull outs. |