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Pilot Bay Provincial Park · Pilot Bay Park Photo: BC Parks

Pilot Bay Provincial Park

BC Parks inside Pilot Bay Park
Pilot Bay Park · British Columbia

what to expect

Pilot Bay Park is the safest harbour on Kootenay Lake, where boaters often gather to weather out the summer storms. The water is warm in the bay for swimming and some of the best fishing for trophy “gerrard” trout is nearby.  There is an extensive network of hiking trails through the park and along the Pilot Peninsula. It is an easy walk to the historic Pilot Bay lighthouse which has been restored by area volunteer groups. Even though it is primarily marine accessed, the park can be reached by road.

Description: BC Parks

the basics

At the campground
Picnic tables
Drive from Calgary
252 km
Get directions ↗
Drive from Vancouver
454 km
Get directions ↗
Drive from Edmonton
493 km
Get directions ↗

the campsites

Longest site
32 ft
Toilets
pit / vault toilets

things to do here

Activities you can do at Pilot Bay Provincial Park.

HikingSwimmingFishingCanoeing & kayakingBoatingWildlife viewingHunting

things to do nearby

Within 5 km — trails, viewpoints, beaches, boat launches you can reach without packing up camp.

Plus 2 user-tagged viewpoints, 1 user-tagged boat launch on OpenStreetMap — visible as pins on the map below.

what's around

Pilot Bay Provincial Park plus 4 named places to see and do nearby — trails, beaches, viewpoints, water, and services.

water + services

what to know

Updated each morning from provincial parks and Environment Canada.

Partial Prohibition in effect
Campfire restrictions were in effect for this area (Southeast area) as of Jul 11, 2026. Fire status changes fast — confirm the current restriction on the official bulletin before you travel. Official fire bulletin →
Anchorage: Mooring Buoys in Pilot Bay are not suitable for use by house boats or large vessels
BC Parks has this advisory posted for the park. Effective 2020-06-10. Check the official advisory for the current status before you travel. BC Parks advisory →
Ecosystem protection: Attention pleasure craft operators
BC Parks has this advisory posted for the park. Effective 2020-06-10. Check the official advisory for the current status before you travel. BC Parks advisory →
1 more advisories posted
BC Parks lists additional advisories for this park. All BC Parks advisories →
When you can reserve
Reservable through BC Parks. Sites open on a rolling 3-month window — book up to 3 months before arrival, with new dates released daily at 7am PT. BC Parks reservation details →

other campgrounds nearby

Other places to stay within 25 km.

Plus 3 user-tagged dispersed sites on OpenStreetMap — often genuine wild-pitches; check access rights before relying on one.

Page generated 2026-07-12. Sources: Camis reservation system + Google Places. Neighbourhood joins 12 named anchors.