We have only been lucky enough to book into this campground once. It is likely the most popular provincial campground there is and if you want a site you will have to get up before 8:00, 3 months before the date you want to camp and start trying to book it, even then you are lucky if you get in. We were able to get the site because I logged on about the same time as someone was cancelling their reservation and I scooped it up. Otherwise, good luck!
We were there at the end of August and stayed in site 10. It was not a lake front site but we took what we could get. Osoyoos is always very hot, but the good thing is there is often a wind coming off the lake. It’s a hot wind but at least it’ a wind. The downfall with the wind, you can’t really tarp for shade and sometimes it is even risky to leave your awnings up . That being said, if you don’t like the hot sun, you likely are not booked in Osoyoos. One of the most unique things about the campground were the quails. They were everywhere and they very tame. The kids loved to watch them scurry around the site.
Haynes point has water on 3 sides but if you aren’t lucky enough to get one of the lake front site then you have to walk to the campground beach or drive into the great city beach. It is not a long drive into the city beach (Gyro Park) and there is also a great tourist strip with mini golf, ice cream stores and lots of other tourist attractions. There is not shortage of things to do in Osoyoos and being a desert climate there is always great weather to enjoy.
Here is my advise for this campground.
Recommended Sites: It has been 10 years since we camped at Haynes point so may notes are limited and likely very old. I will write what notes I have and update them the next time we are in the area. I noted double sites 22/23 as well as 27/28 as good. Best on their location they have the best chance as some shade and you can position your camping vehicle to increase the shade. They also had reasonable access to the lake. (that may have changed over the years.) For single sites I would try to get 20 or 25. They had good privacy, access to the lake and you could position your vehicles to increase your shade.
Campground Highlights:
Dry hot weather is very dependable
Large warm lake that is great for swimming or boating
Otter Lake Provincial Park is located about 30 minutes northwest of Princeton and is well marked. It is a paved road but is has lots of twist and turns and when the signs say, “watch for rocks on road” or “no stopping due to falling rocks” they are not kidding. Watch for wildlife too; we have seen deer and bears along the way. Although it is not the greatest road once there it is worth the trip. The lake is pristine clear and the campground is truly a get away.
This summer our family and 6 other families are booked for a week at Bonanza Resort near 100 Mile House in BC. It is right on a great fishing and swimming lake and we were lucky enough to get lake front sites. I can’t wait for camping season to start. I will write a review but here is the link if you want to check it out. Let me. Know if you have stayed there and if you have any tips.
Located about 45 kilometers down a rural, sometimes bumpy road, east of Chilliwack lies Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. Due to its remoteness, and its beautiful mountain valley location, its a true “Beautiful BC” provincial park camping experience. Most sites cannot be reserved ahead of time, which means they don’t fill-up 3 months in advance like nearby Cultus Lake Provincial Park. This makes Chilliwack Lake often the only option for spontaneous camping trips for summer weekends. Continue reading →
Could a Lower Mainland-based campsite blog not include Cultus Lake? Cultus is one of the few lakes in the region large enough to water ski, and its just inland far enough to escape Vancouver’s cool marine climate. As such, its a very popular day trip and camping destination.
Cultus Lake is only a 20 minute drive from the TransCanada Hwy at Chilliwack. A small village hosts a good waterslide park, a public wharf complex designed into a great swimming area, ice cream stands, a putting golf course and other tourist activities. If Cultus’ weather does get wet, then that 20 minute drive finds Chilliwack’s shopping malls, indoor municipal pools, movie theaters or restaurants. Continue reading →
For 2 years now we have camped at Magna Bay Campground in July to kick off summer. I have family with a cabin nearby and it is a tradition for everyone to head there for the long weekend. The campground is not right on the lake but it does have piece of property across the highway that has a small beach and dock.
This campground drastically changed from the first year we went in 2013 to the next year. It appears Magna Bays main business is selling RV lots or long term rentals so the set up is geared to get the maximum number of trailers into one space. You can see by the resort map that it is no longer a campground but a RV resort. At this time you can still rent a campsite for a night or two but as they sell more and take on long term rental I am sure the selection of sites will get slimmer and slimmer. When we stayed last year we had sites 70 & 71. Each site has a gravel pad that backs onto another gravel pad so when you are parked the back of your trailer is only feet away from the trailer behind you. You also get a small grass area with a picnic table and another gravel area for your fire pit.
The grass areas are lined with cedar trees but at this time they are very small and offer no privacy. I was in site 70 and my sister and her family were in 71 but now that we have seen the new set up we should have booked her into site 25. This way when she backed her trailer in we would have shared the same green space area. It was interesting because her families site had a very wide gravel trailer pad and fellow campers would just walk through her site as if it was a path. I found it interesting to see the typical camping etiquette not followed here, I am thinking because it was more of a resort community than a campground. Either way I was not a fan. All the sites from 2 to 79 are pull through sites so they back onto another site. If you are traveling with other families keep that in mind when booking. Also keep in mind there is NO privacy. When you go to bed you can hear the full conversations of the site behind you and next to you. Because this is a vacation resort and many campers own or are long term rentals there were a lot of group campfires and loud music so I found it to be a very noisy campground. There was also a problem with the hook ups. This was really the first weekend the campground had a big test of the septic system and not surprisingly there were problems. The trailer behind my sister had septic issues so the smell coming from the ground was terrible. Understandably they needed to work on this and often had to trek through her site to do that. Not once did they come and talk to her about this, apologize or offer to move her. They just ran hoses and made noise as if there was no one around.
The dock at Magna Bay with the beach in the background
Celista Winery
Like I mentioned there is a beach but it was very small and it is squished between two privately owned cabins so there is no way to get away from the crowds. There is a grassy area just above the beach but it is small and right on the main road so not relaxing. If you have one of the back sites in the campground the beach is also a bit of a hike but not more than your typical campground. Magna Bay resort also offers boat and kayak rentals, this is an added bonus if you have it in your budget. They also have a great dock which is nice to swim off of or float from.
Cliff jumping off Copper Island
Shuswap Lake is a warm lake and even in early July we were able to take a dip. Other than the obvious lake and beach activities there is plenty to do in the area. That trip we visited Celista Winery, it is the most northern winery in BC. There is also Anglemont Golf Course which is a fun course with some challenging sloped greens. Scotch Creek Provincial Park is only 10 minutes away and it offers great beaches, bike rentals and bike riding trails.Shuswap has always been one of my favorite lakes to visit but unless you like the very close, pull through RV style camping I cannot recommend this campground. There are many campgrounds around this area so if you are looking for a private outdoor experience I would say, keep looking.
Here is my advise for this campground
Recommended Site: If you can get any site that don’t back onto another site that would be the best. 61 to 78 would work best. If you are camping with another family be sure to get sites that back onto each other like 70/25 or 71/22. Avoid 67/26 because there is only a row of shrubs between the site and the washroom walkway and there are lights on all night.
Campground Highlights:
Located in the sunny Shuswap providing great weather.
Beach access with a grassy area for tanning
Great dock for swimming off and docking from
Boat launch and boat storage
Boat rental at office
Laundry facilities and clean washrooms
Full hook ups
Grass area at each site makes for very clean camping
Pull through sites.
Campground Lowlights
Sites are very close together with no trees or foliage for privacy
Playground was not built nor was the club house.
Beach is very small for the number of sites
No dog beach
Pull through sites mean you are backing onto another trailer.
Things to do
Swimming and floating in the lake
Boat rental for ski boats, pontoon boats and sea-doos along with all tubing and skiing equipment.
Winery
Golf
Hiking
Biking
Fishing nearby
Cliff jumping at Copper Island but boat access only.
Camp That Site 