Located at the junction of Shuswap Lake and Mara Lake, Sicamous is a gateway to outdoor recreation in British Columbia’s Shuswap country. The area is known primarily as a magnet for houseboaters as well as being a hotspot for stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Whitewater adventurers can head east to the Adams River, where you can conquer the rushing waters that run alongside the Selkirk Mountains and spot wildlife in Mount Revelstoke National Park. One of the most fantastic displays of nature in Western Canada is the annual salmon migration, which brings several species, including sockeye, from the ocean to the place of their birth to spawn. Adams River has one of the biggest salmon runs in North America, and is also home to families of Canadian geese and swans.

To reach Sicamous by air, you can fly into the Kelowna International Airport (YLW), which is south of the town. From the airport, it’s a 1.5-hour drive through the picturesque Okanagan Valley, British Columbia’s chief wine region, to Sicamous. Car rentals are onsite at the airport, which make it easy to reach your final destination in comfort. Another option is the Kamloops Airport (YKA), which is a two-hour drive to Sicamous. A car will be required to explore Sicamous, as there’s currently no public transportation in the town.

Sicamous experiences four distinct seasons, with summertime offering the warmest weather and the most sunshine, a good time to secure your Sicamous vacation rental. August is the warmest and driest month of the year, making it ideal for attending outdoor festivals and events, including the annual Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, which takes place just 20 minutes south of Sicamous in Salmon Arm on the third Saturday of every August.

From November to March, Sicamous gets freezing temperatures and lots of snow. For an iconic Canadian winter, layer on the snow gear and explore the countryside by snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Four alpine ski resorts are within a 1.5-hour vicinity of Sicamous. In February, the annual Sicamous Winter Carnival offers hot air balloon rides and snow sculpting competitions, among other activities.

The Enchanted Forest

A forest full of unexpected discoveries keeps you guessing in this old growth sect of the Monashee mountains. Wander by the homes of popular fairytale characters or climb the winding staircase of a 50-foot-tall tree house that claims to be the tallest in Canada. You can also explore wetlands over a floating boardwalk and rent rowboats for a fun day on the water.

Mara Lake Provincial Park

Just south of Sicamous, Mara Lake Provincial Park is its own little oasis, with a pristine white sand beach surrounded by densely-forested hills. The warm lake water is perfect for taking a dip after a long hike on the park’s various trails. Behind the stretch of sand are large grassy areas with picnic tables for eating lunch. Bring your own or try to catch your lunch in the lake, which is full of rainbow trout and kokanee.

Larch Hills Trail Traverse

This 32.5-kilometre trail connects Salmon Arm and Sicamous, and takes four to 10 hours to complete the entire route; shorter loops are also available that offer incredible views of Lake Mara. The trail is most popular in the winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and transforms into a hiking and mountain biking trail in the summer.