Suzanne Lake Provincial Recreation Site (Fernie) ????

[TenOC]

We have a 35 foot 5th wheel RV. On the way home to the USA from Jasper and Lake Louise on October 7th we want to drive through Kootenay NP and hike the Marble Canyon. After this hike, we plan to take a dip in Radium Hot Springs to relax. Then drive down Route 93 towards the USA.

We’re looking for an overnight spot, dry camping, boom docking before we get to the border. On Campendium.com we found Suzanne Lake Provincial Recreation Site (Fernie). There’s very little information on Campendium and the official website has very little information.


Any and all information is welcome.

[StirCrazy]

SideHillSoup wrote:
I will also mention that most BC Provincial Campgrounds ( BCParks) close the last weekend in September as do a lot of the private campgrounds as well. Some will be open, but here in the Kootenays it’s very few if any when it comes to BCParks campgrounds.

That sure sucks compared to 20 years ago when most would stay open and have no services and cheaper pricing for offseason camping. I used to do a lot of winter camping in BC, and the only thing that would be done was roads and some sites plowed out so you could get in.

Steve

[TenOC]

SideHillSoup wrote:
I had to look up Wapiti Lake Recreation Site as I never heard of it before, and I live in the Kootenays.
That BCRS is located in northern BC near Tumbler Ridge which is close to Dawson Creek the start of the Alaska Hwy.

Do a Google search this one is about 30km ?? north of Jaffary. East Kootenay B, BC V0B 1T0, Canada

Here

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I withdraw the dump site comment. I was last there in 2013 and I certainly may have gotten that part wrong. Thanks Side Hill Soup.

[SideHillSoup]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

It is a lovely quiet campground. There is potable water and a dump site. No power. Lots of trees.

There are large ditches between the road and some of the individual campsites. I hope your backing up skills will meet the need.

I did boondock behind a tire store.

This is Susanne Lake BC located in the East Kootenays, now I haven’t been to Susanne lake in a number of years, but I have never seen a dump station at any BCRS and or even knew a tire store was at the Suzanne Lake campground…
But things may have changed.

[SideHillSoup]

I will also mention that most BC Provincial Campgrounds ( BCParks) close the last weekend in September as do a lot of the private campgrounds as well. Some will be open, but here in the Kootenays it’s very few if any when it comes to BCParks campgrounds.
However, Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park does have a campground open year round called “Inlet Creek campground” as well on the road up to Whiteswan is a hot spring called Lussier Hot Springs which as free.
Whiteswan is located south of Canal Flast BC and North of Wasa Lake BC ( just over an hour south of Radium Hot Springs)
Note: it’s about 25kms up a very well maintained gravel road from Hwy 93/95 to the campground. I had my 5th wheel up there a few times.

Whiteswan Provincial park

Susanne Lake is a BCRS which is totally different from a BCParks campground, so some BCRS will close for the winter, however a lot of them there is nothing to close, and they do fill up with Hunters that time of year ( in some cases)

[pianotuna]

Hi,

It is a lovely quiet campground. There is potable water and a dump site. No power. Lots of trees.

There are large ditches between the road and some of the individual campsites. I hope your backing up skills will meet the need.

I did boondock behind a tire store.

[SideHillSoup]

TenOC wrote:

SideHillSoup wrote:
When?
If it’s this weekend ( August 4,5,6 &7) it’s a Stat weekend in BC and Alberta. In BC it’s called “BC Day Long Weekend” .

October 7th

You might get lucky then for Susanne Lake as in availability, however the road conditions will most likely be the same.
Here is the BCRS web Page. They do indicate if a larger RV will fit in the road and or in the camping area for individual campsites, so read them carefully.
BCRS web page

[SideHillSoup]

I had to look up Wapiti Lake Recreation Site as I never heard of it before, and I live in the Kootenays.
That BCRS is located in northern BC near Tumbler Ridge which is close to Dawson Creek the start of the Alaska Hwy.

[TenOC]

SideHillSoup wrote:
When?
If it’s this weekend ( August 4,5,6 &7) it’s a Stat weekend in BC and Alberta. In BC it’s called “BC Day Long Weekend” .

October 7th

[SideHillSoup]

When?
If it’s this weekend ( August 4,5,6 &7) it’s a Stat weekend in BC and Alberta. In BC it’s called “BC Day Long Weekend”
The lakes in that area especially the BCRS campgrounds ( British Columbia Rec Sites and Trails) which Suzanne Lake is , will most likely be full.
Being a long weekend and so close to the Alberta boarder with BC we get a huge amount of Albertans flocking to BC because we have lakes and rivers to play at, Alberta doesn’t have that stuff near as plentiful as BC has, so they come here.
I haven’t camped there is 25 years, and when I did it was before BCRS came into being, so it was even more primitive then than it us now.
It’s not that far from the Hwy, so you could drive in and have a look, but if it’s full, the area to turn around could be limited. The road in won’t be graded so it will mostly be rough especially in this dry weather we have been having, as well keep an eye out for low hanging branches. Grading for gravel roads in this weather ( extreme fire rating ) is not taken lightly for fear of sparks coming off the cutting edge on the grader blade, so the chances are really really low that that road is in good condition.
I also see on the BCRS web page that it states it’s ok for trailers and campers… I’m thinking it might not be suitable for a 35ft 5th wheel. I had a 35ft 5er before my truck and camper, and the main reason I got rid of it was it limited me to where I could take it off into the bush.
If it were me… I wouldn’t try with a 35ft 5er.

[TenOC]

I also found Wapiti Lake Recreation Site ????????