Kalamalka Lake

The park’s name, Kekuli, refers to the semi-subterranean homes built and inhabited by the Interior Salish natives. Archeological evidence of Kekuli pits can still be found in the park.

A word of advice; Kalamalka Lake was an artillery range during the Second World War, so give any suspicious, bombshell-shaped objects a wide berth and report these objects to a park official.

A newly developed campground has been added to the park and the boat launch is already deemed the best on Kalamalka Lake. The grassy areas between the campsites are beautifully landscaped, and many young shade trees have been planted. There are 70 vehicle accessible campsites including 4 large double sites. The campsites are arranged in three terraced loops to give all sites an unobstructed view of Kalalmalka Lake. The sites have large gravel pads great for big RVs. Visitors should be aware that an active train track separates the campground from the beach and boat launch area, so caution should be exercised.

The 57-hectare park has 2.6 kilometres of pleasant gravel walking trails through the grasslands around the campground, and a sandy beach lures visitors to the park. Canoeing, kayaking, boating, waterskiing, and swimming are popular in the park, but no lifeguards are on duty. Kalamalka Lake has a solid reputation for its fishing.

The grasslands surrounding the campground provide habitat for field mice and other food sources for raptors like the red listed Prairie falcon. There is a nest platform north of the playground visible on the drive into the park. Also found in the park is the blue listed Western rattlesnake and two red listed plants, Bluebunch wheatgrass and Black cottonwood.

Kekuli Bay Provincial Park is located off Highway 97 on the west side of Kalamalka Lake, 11 km south of Vernon in the North Okanagan region of BC. The park boundary is 2 km from the Highway 97 turnoff, and the campground is 1 km beyond that.