Snowy Peaks in Kokanee Glacier Park Near Nelson

Location: Kokanee Glacier Park! Near Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Directions we followed:

Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park can be found in the Selkirk Mountains between Slocan and Kootenay Lakes. Be sure to check the most recent trail reports for updates on access roads into the park. There are some roads that are not suitable for low clearance vehicles including:

- From Hwy 3A, 19 km northeast of Nelson, drive up Kokanee Creek for 16 km to Gibson Lake.

- From Hwy 31, 10 km north of Ainsworth, drive up Woodbury Creek for 13 km to the trailhead.

- From Hwy 6, 8 km south of Slocan, drive up Lemon Creek for 16 km to the trailhead."

For more information regarding park maps and weather reports, be sure to visit the BC Parks website.

This hike is north of Nelson and the best part is, there are a number of other hikes offered right in the area for you to venture out on.

While driving up the 16 km gravel road, you will be treated to views of Kokanee Creek and lush forest surrounding. As the directions stated I would advise taking caution if driving low-clearance vehicles. We made sure to take a 4x4 truck and did just fine!

Once you reach the parking lot, there are options to place mesh and rocks surrounding your vehicle from porcupines if you're planning on staying the night at the Kokanee Glacier Cabin. The cabin is said to hold 20 people from June 1st to October 31st unless otherwise stated.

There are other cabins and options to stay in during the winter. If you visit the BC Parks website you can find tons of information on where to stay, as well as reservations.

This hike is a fantastic backcountry experience for the whole family. Gibson Lake is located right at the parking lot and it is said to be sitting more than 1,800 metres in elevation. There are two glaciers, the Kokanee and Woodbury, that feed over 30 lakes and other creeks in the park.

Once we started overlooking the mountain tops, we came across a patch of snow. We had a quick cool down with a snowball fight! We then continued on to the gorgeous Kokanee Lake. It's 1,200 metres in length and 400 metres wide with streams flowing into it from the snowy peaks above.

We had to head back as our plan was to only do a day hike, however we were blown away by the views and have already made future plans to stay in a cabin the next time we visit.

Hike difficulty:

Easy: Gibson Lake Trailhead loop trail: 2.5 kms, 1 hour hike

Moderate/Difficult: Gibson Lake to Kokanee Lake: 4.5 kms, 2 hour hike

Attire needed:

Hiking shoes

Backpack with water/snacks

Whistle/bear spray/bear bell (I always have my bear bell on my pack just as a precaution)

I would recommend this if you are looking for a hike in the mountains with surrounding snowy peaks and glacier filled lakes! I hope you enjoy the hike as much as we did!

- Carlee Kish (Nature Jane)