Pilot Bay Provincial Park, Crawford Bay
Trail Length: 347 hectares
Difficulty: Easy - Family
Park Amenities:
Pilot Bay Provincial Park is a marine and recreation park on Kootenay Lake, in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. The park is located south of the ferry landing in Kootenay Bay and, just, southwest of the resort village of Crawford Bay.
The 347 hectare park was established in 1964 and is best known for its historic lighthouse, its protected cove providing safe moorage for boats and its wilderness campsite and hiking trails.
Activities popular on Kootenay Lake off the shores of Pilot Bay Provincial Park include canoeing, fishing, boating, sailing, swimming, water skiing and wind surfing. Some of the activities enjoyed on land in the park include hiking, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, picnicking, and sightseeing.
The Pilot Bay Provincial Park is a two part park. The marine section of the park is on the shores of Kootenay Lake and includes Pilot Bay, Sawmill Cove and the Pilot Bay Lighthouse. The inland section of the park consists of a hiking and backpacking trail leading to Sawmill Point and a beach at Boomers Landing. There is a wilderness tenting campground on the trail at Sawmill Point.
Pilot Bay Lighthouse was established in 1905. It was constructed to assist paddle wheel steamers in navigating the turn into the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. If, you can believe it, at the time the light source of the lighthouse was an oil lantern. There is a short easy trail to the historic Pilot Bay Lighthouse. The easy grade, one-way hiking trail is 0.4 kilometres long with an elevation gain of 40 metres (130 feet).
Pleasure boats, sail boats and canoes are often seen in the park at Pilot Bay and Sawmill Cove. Sawmill Cove is very sheltered and protected from the elements.. therefore it is considered the safest moorage on Kootenay Lake when escaping summer storms. There are mooring buoys available in the bay.
The inland section of the park includes a network of hiking trails exploring the forests and shoreline of Pilot Peninsula. The longest hiking and backpacking trail leads to Sawmill Point and Boomers Landing. A hike in wilderness campsite is available along the trail at Sawmill Point. Pack out what you pack in. Leave no footprint.
There is a day use area in the park near the lighthouse with picnic tables and pit toilets. However, make note, especially hikers, that there is no drinking water in park
Pilot Bay Lighthouse, Hiking Trail, Crawford Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Address:
How To Get ToPilot Bay Provincial Park, Crawford Bay
:Travel to the community of Creston, BC. From Creston continue traveling north on Hwy #3a for 40 kilometres toward the ferry landing in Kootenay Bay. From the ferry drive south for 10 minutes to the park. Watch for road signs pointing to the park.
