Salmon Arm

Salmon Arm is a city of almost 18,000 people (2016) in the Shuswap region of British Columbia. It is a popular summer destination with its lakeside setting and beaches.

Understand

It is on the shores of Shuswap Lake, where the Salmon River empties into the Salmon Arm reach of the Lake. It is a tourist town in the summer, with many beaches, camping facilities and house boat rentals. Salmon Arm is home to the longest wooden wharf in North America.

The largest employer in the Salmon Arm area is the forest industry and related businesses; however, due to economic conditions, the former Federated Co-Op sawmill has been out of operation since 2008, although the co-located plywood production facility has generally remained operational. The city benefits from access to the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which passes through the city.

Many tourists come to Salmon Arm from Vancouver, Calgary and Asia. Most tourists arrive during the summer season, either stopping en route to other holiday destinations, or to visit Shuswap Lake, often via rental houseboats and which has recreation residential communities and campgrounds all around its shores.

History

Little is known about the history of Salmon Arm preceding the laying of the Canadian Pacific Railway in September 1885. While miners and settlers looked for gold in the surrounding areas, the beaches of Salmon Arm lay virtually untouched. By the end of the 1890s, the town had grown to include many new buildings such as two general stores, a school, and a hotel. The population had grown to over 200 people.

By 1904, Salmon Arm had acquired a reputation for having an excellent fruit harvest. The local businessmen grew fruit as a main export, sending it to the larger, more populated towns that surrounded it. The displays for their crops could be found in stores in Kamloops and New Westminster, and the Hudson's Bay Company in Vancouver often featured an entire local Salmon Arm display.

Visitor information

Get in

By car

Salmon Arm is on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), roughly halfway between Vancouver and Calgary. The nearest major cities are Kamloops, a little over an hour's drive west on Highway 1, and Kelowna, which is a little over an hour's drive southeast on Highway 97.

By bus

Get around

By public transit
  • BC Transit (Shuswap Regional Transit System), ☏ +1-250-832-0191. Salmon Arm has a basic public transit system that operates shuttle buses on half-hour or hour-long frequencies, during daytime hours. Some routes within Salmon Arm operate daily and some operate Monday to Saturday. All lines converge downtown in front of Askew's supermarket. (updated Apr 2022)
    • Bus route 23 Canoe bus will bring users to the main public beach. Route operates Monday to Saturday.
    • Bus route 41 operates on Wednesdays, making two round trips between Salmon Arm and Enderby. Travel time from Enderby to Salmon Arm is 30 minutes. This bus route enables connections with BC Transit (Vernon Regional Transit System) bus route 60, a more frequent route between Enderby and Vernon, that operates from Monday to Saturday. Bus route 90 operates multiple times daily between Vernon and Kelowna. Using those three routes, a traveller can travel between Salmon Arm and Kelowna in about 3 hours.
    • Bus route 43 operates on Thursday, operating one trip each way between Salmon Arm and Eagle Bay via Blind Bay.
    • Bus route 43 operates on Thursdays, operating one trip each way between Salmon Arm and Sorrento via Blind Bay.

By taxi

See

Nearby

Do
  • With all the water around, there are a number of beach, boating and fishing options in the area.
  • 🌍 Canoe Beach, 7720 36 St, ☏ +1 250-832-4044. An easy to reach local beach on the Shuswap Lake. A 10 km drive northeast of Salmon Arm. Also reachable by taking BC Transit bus route 23. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Sandy Point, from Salmon Arm, head westbound on Highway 1, and turn on to Sandy Point Rd. A local beach on the Shuswap Lake. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Herald Park (on Highway 1 west of Salmon Arm, turn on to Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Rd and head east). Offers swimming, fishing, bird-watching, and a nature walk to Margaret Falls. Also has a campground. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Larch Hills, from Salmon Arm, travel south on Hwy 97B, left on to Grandview Bench Rd, then left on Edgar Rd, ☏ +1 236-586-5711. Cross country skiing, 15 km east of town. 
  • Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm Fairgrounds (one block off the Trans-Canada highway in the center of town). Annual festival on the third weekend of August with folk, roots and blues music, that attracts up to 30,000 festival-goers every year. 
  • 🌍 Salmon Arm Water Slides, 1155 Lakeshore Drive W, ☏ +1 250-832-4386, . Open July and August. Located on Shuswap Lake, this waterpark features 7 waterslides, 2 hot tubs, and a toddler pool with fountain. Also has a picnic area, mini golf, and volleyball. (updated Jun 2019)

Learn

Buy

There are a number of gift and clothing stores in the downtown area, centred on 🌍 Alexander and Lakeshore.

Eat

Thanks to its location on the Trans-Canada Highway, Salmon Arm boasts a large number of fast-food and chain restaurants. Below are some local restaurants.

Drink

Wineries

The Shuswap grows many varieties of grapes, and its wines reflect the terroir of the region. The wineries, found just north of the 50th parallel, grow cool-hardy and quick-ripening grapes for their varietals. The following wineries are in or near Salmon Arm.

  • 🌍 Larch Hills Winery, 110 Timms Road, Salmon Arm, ☏ +1 250-832-0155. daily 9AM-5PM. The highest vineyard in North America. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Ovino Winery, 1577 Yankee Flats Road, Salmon Arm. Late May-Oct 15: daily 11AM-5PM, or by appointment. Located between Salmon Arm and Vernon. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Marionette Winery, 2540 40th Street NE , Salmon Arm, ☏ +1 250-832-7702. Jun-Sep: daily noon-5PM; May and Oct: Th-Su noon-5PM; otherwise Sa noon-5PM. Featuring varietals that are not typical of the Shuswap (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Zweigelt), taking advantage of their property’s unique micro-climate. About 4.5 km from downtown, which is closer than the other wineries. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Sunnybrae Vineyards and Winery,, 3849 Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road, Tappen, ☏ +1 250-835-8373, . May-Oct: daily 10AM-5:30PM. On the north of Salmon Arm, on the other side of the lake. pretty views of Shuswap Lake and Mount Ida from their outdoor patio. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Recline Ridge Winery, 2640 Skimikin Road, Tappen, ☏ +1 250-835-2212, . Daily: Apr May Oct from noon-5PM; Jun Sep: 11AM-5PM; Jul Aug 10AM-5PM. Northwest of Salmon Arm. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Celista Estate Winery, 2319 Beguelin Rd, Celista, ☏ +1 250-955-8600. May-Oct: daily 10:30AM-5:30PM. When operating, vineyard tours every Wednesday and Saturday at 11AM.. North of Salmon Arm on the north side of the lake. Call ahead if you're arriving by houseboat. (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

Cope

Go next

Going further up the Shuswap, to secluded beaches or popular tourist resorts, is possible with a private car or a boat. Check at the Visitor info centre for ideas of fun or relaxing stops on the Shuswap.

Routes through Salmon Arm
Kamloops ← Chase ←  W  E  → Sicamous → Banff
ENDS at ←   N  S  → Enderby → Vernon via


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