Valhalla Provincial Park
Fast facts
- Established: 1983
- Size: about 190 square miles (499 km²), most of the Valhalla Range
- Setting: the west shore of Slocan Lake in the Selkirk Mountains
- Gateway: New Denver, Silverton and Slocan
- Managed by: BC Parks
The landscape
The Valhalla Range rises steeply from Slocan Lake to granite peaks with castle-like towers. Evans Lake and Beatrice Lake are unusually large for high-elevation lakes in the province. Cedar and hemlock forest covers the lower slopes, giving way to subalpine and alpine country above. Pictographs along the lakeshore record early Indigenous use. Grizzly and black bears, mountain goats, deer and cougars live in the park.
Best time to go
The alpine is usually clear of snow from July to September. The lakeshore can be paddled from late spring to fall. Wildfire can close parts of the park in summer, and trails are under snow in winter.
Getting there and around
Most visitors cross Slocan Lake by canoe, kayak or boat from the public launches at Slocan, Silverton or New Denver to reach lakeshore campsites and trailheads. Forestry roads on the west side reach the alpine trailheads, including those for Gimli Peak and the Drinnon Pass area, and they can be rough and changeable.
Things to do
Paddlers camp on the Slocan Lake beaches and hike up from the shore. The Gimli Peak area is a well-known alpine rock-climbing destination, and backpackers head for Drinnon Pass and the high lakes. Anglers fish the stocked alpine lakes.
Staying safe
Slocan Lake is cold and can turn rough in wind, so stay near shore and wear a life jacket. Bears are active across the park, so store food properly. The alpine is remote and steep, with fast-changing weather. Burned areas bring the risk of falling trees and closures. Carry a satellite messenger and leave a trip plan.
Know before you go
Wildfire can close campsites and trails. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report, so confirm current access and advisories with BC Parks before you go.
- Coordinates
- 49.8731, -117.5799
- Magnetic declination
- 14.3° E (2026)
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass
A spread of the park’s main places shows straight away, and the rest appear as you zoom in. You can also search above, or pick any place from the lists below, and the map will go to it. Places in bold, marked , have a short description.
On the trail 3
Campgrounds
Sights 48
Lakes
Point of interest
Peaks 25
Map data comes from third-party sources and may be incomplete or out of date, so carry a current official map (terms).
Looking for one of these closer to home?Destinations near me by trip type →
- Best seasons
- Summer (July to September), Early fall
- Difficulty
- Moderate to strenuous
- Access / trailheads
- Highway 6 runs along the east side of Slocan Lake. The park is on the west shore, reached by boat from Slocan, Silverton or New Denver, or by forestry roads and trails to the alpine.
- Water
- Lakes and streams; treat all water.
- Cell / satellite coverage
- Little to none in the park. Carry a satellite messenger.
- Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency
- Emergencies: 911 (RCMP coordinate search and rescue).
- Permits & regulations
- Camp in designated sites only along the Slocan Lake beaches.
- Leave No Trace
- Camp only in designated beach sites, store food from bears, stay on trail in the alpine, and leave pictographs untouched.
January
- Below-freezing nights
February
- Below-freezing nights
March
- Below-freezing nights
April
May
June
July
August
September
October This month
November
- Below-freezing nights
December
- Below freezing all day
What to bring depends on your trip: how long you’re out, where you sleep, and how far you go from the road. The planner builds the list for yours.
Plan a trip here →Averages for 1981–2010 from Environment Canada climate normals, measured at the New Denver station, 12 miles (20 km)20 km (12 miles) away at 1,864 feet (568 m)568 m (1,864 feet). Higher trails run colder, by about 3.5°F for every 1,000 ft (2°C per 300 m)2°C for every 300 m (3.5°F per 1,000 ft) of climb. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th, on the park’s own clock, for a level horizon. Valleys and slopes facing away from the sun are in shade earlier.
Nearby parks
-
Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park
Glaciers, more than 30 alpine lakes and a classic backcountry cabin in the Selkirk Mountains north of Nelson.
-
Mount Revelstoke National Park
A paved parkway to a subalpine summit above Revelstoke, BC, with wildflower meadows and lakes on top and inland rainforest below.
-
Glacier National Park (Canada)
Steep Selkirk peaks, glaciers and avalanche country at Rogers Pass in British Columbia, a legendary ski-touring ground with alpine huts.
-
Kootenay National Park
Marble Canyon, the Paint Pots, the Rockwall Trail and the Radium hot springs, along the Banff-Windermere Highway in the BC Rockies.
Straight-line distance between park centres. Road distance is usually longer.
Looking for somewhere closer to home?
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