Salmon Arm

Salmon Arm is a city of almost 18,000 people (2016) in the Shuswap region of British Columbia. It is a popular summer destination with its lakeside setting and beaches.

Understand

It is on the shores of Shuswap Lake, where the Salmon River empties into the Salmon Arm reach of the Lake. It is a tourist town in the summer, with many beaches, camping facilities and house boat rentals. Salmon Arm is home to the longest wooden wharf in North America.

The largest employer in the Salmon Arm area is the forest industry and related businesses; however, due to economic conditions, the former Federated Co-Op sawmill has been out of operation since 2008, although the co-located plywood production facility has generally remained operational. The city benefits from access to the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which passes through the city.

Many tourists come to Salmon Arm from Vancouver, Calgary and Asia. Most tourists arrive during the summer season, either stopping en route to other holiday destinations, or to visit Shuswap Lake, often via rental houseboats and which has recreation residential communities and campgrounds all around its shores.

History

Little is known about the history of Salmon Arm preceding the laying of the Canadian Pacific Railway in September 1885. While miners and settlers looked for gold in the surrounding areas, the beaches of Salmon Arm lay virtually untouched. By the end of the 1890s, the town had grown to include many new buildings such as two general stores, a school, and a hotel. The population had grown to over 200 people.

By 1904, Salmon Arm had acquired a reputation for having an excellent fruit harvest. The local businessmen grew fruit as a main export, sending it to the larger, more populated towns that surrounded it. The displays for their crops could be found in stores in Kamloops and New Westminster, and the Hudson's Bay Company in Vancouver often featured an entire local Salmon Arm display.

Visitor information

Salmon Arm Visitor Centre, 500 2 Ave NE (Access via the back entrance of the court building), 50.7005°, -119.27914°, +1 250-803-4019, visitorinfo@salmonarm.ca. M-F 10AM-4PM. 2020-02-15

Get in

By car

Salmon Arm is on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), roughly halfway between Vancouver and Calgary. The nearest major cities are Kamloops, a little over an hour's drive west on Highway 1, and Kelowna, which is a little over an hour's drive southeast on Highway 97.

By bus

Ebus. Travels daily between Kamloops and Kelowna with stops in Chase, Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Enderby, Armstrong, and Vernon. Service provider also operates routes between Vancouver and Kamloops, and between Vancouver and Kelowna. Travel time to Salmon Arm from Kamloops is 1 hour 20 minutes, from Vernon is 50 minutes and from Kelowna is 2 hours 10 minutes. 2022-03-19
Rider Express. Multiple days per week service along the Trans-Canada Highway from between Calgary and Vancouver with stops in Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Golden, Revelstoke, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, Sorrento, Chase, Kamloops, Merritt, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Surrey. From Calgary, this service provider offers routes that enable passengers to reach Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon. Travel time to Salmon Arm from Calgary is 7 hours, from Banff is 5.5 hours, from Lake Louise is 4.75 hours, from Golden is 3.25 hours, from Revelstoke is 1.5 hours, from Kamloops is 1.5 hours, from Hope is 4.5 hours, from Abbotsford is 5.5 hours, and from Vancouver is 7 hours. 2022-03-19

Get around

By public transit

BC Transit (Shuswap Regional Transit System), +1-250-832-0191. Salmon Arm has a basic public transit system that operates shuttle buses on half-hour or hour-long frequencies, during daytime hours. Some routes within Salmon Arm operate daily and some operate Monday to Saturday. All lines converge downtown in front of Askew's supermarket. 2022-04-09
- Bus route 23 Canoe bus will bring users to the main public beach. Route operates Monday to Saturday.
- Bus route 41 operates on Wednesdays, making two round trips between Salmon Arm and Enderby. Travel time from Enderby to Salmon Arm is 30 minutes. This bus route enables connections with BC Transit (Vernon Regional Transit System) bus route 60, a more frequent route between Enderby and Vernon, that operates from Monday to Saturday. Bus route 90 operates multiple times daily between Vernon and Kelowna. Using those three routes, a traveler can travel between Salmon Arm and Kelowna in about 3 hours.
- Bus route 43 operates on Thursday, operating one trip each way between Salmon Arm and Eagle Bay via Blind Bay.
- Bus route 43 operates on Thursdays, operating one trip each way between Salmon Arm and Sorrento via Blind Bay.

By taxi

Salmon Arm Taxi, +1 250-832-1111. 2022-07-29

See

RJ Haney Heritage Village & Museum, 751 Highway 97B NE, 50.70471°, -119.229578°, +1 250-832-5243, info@salmonarmmuseum.org. 40-acre park with a museum on local history, heritage village, trails, a tea room and dinner theater in July and August. 2019-06-19
Wednesdays on the Wharf, https://www.salmonarmartscentre.ca/wednesday-on-the-wharf-wow, 50.706078°, -119.28216°. Free concert featuring local artists playing a range of styles, on Wednesday evenings during the summer in a grassy area near the Salmon Arm Wharf. 2019-06-19
Salmon Arm Arts Centre (Shuswap Art Gallery Association), 70 Hudson Avenue NE, 50.700738°, -119.284187°, +1 250-832-1170, sdarts@telus.net. Tu-Su 11AM-4PM. New exhibition every month. By donation
Dream Cycle Motorcycle Museum, 3096 Trans-Canada Highway, Sorrento (24 km W of Salmon Arm), 50.85228°, -119.3552°, +1 250-253-5094. M,W-Sa 9AM-4PM Su noon-4PM. A collection of motorbikes covering a period of 100 years. 2022-08-08

Do

With all the water around, there are a number of beach, boating and fishing options in the area.
Canoe Beach, 7720 36 St, 50.75706°, -119.24099°, +1 250-832-4044. An easy to reach local beach on the Shuswap Lake. A 10 km drive northeast of Salmon Arm. Also reachable by taking BC Transit bus route 23. 2023-03-29
Sandy Point, from Salmon Arm, head westbound on Highway 1, and turn on to Sandy Point Rd, 50.7301°, -119.3060°. A local beach on the Shuswap Lake. 2023-03-29
Herald Park, 50.7903°, -119.2029°. Offers swimming, fishing, bird-watching, and a nature walk to Margaret Falls. Also has a campground. 2023-03-29
Larch Hills, from Salmon Arm, travel south on Hwy 97B, left on to Grandview Bench Rd, then left on Edgar Rd, 50.70895°, -119.1355°, +1 236-586-5711. Cross country skiing, 15 km east of town.
Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm Fairgrounds (one block off the Trans-Canada highway in the center of town). Annual festival on the third weekend of August with folk, roots and blues music, that attracts up to 30,000 festival-goers every year.
Salmon Arm Water Slides, 1155 Lakeshore Drive W, 50.698154°, -119.299518°, +1 250-832-4386, fun@salmonarmwaterslides.com. Open June 29, 2019-August 31, 2019. Located on Shuswap Lake, this waterpark features 7 waterslides, 2 hot tubs, and a toddler pool with fountain. Also has a picnic area, mini golf, and volleyball. 2019-06-19

Buy

There are a number of gift and clothing stores in the downtown area, centred on Alexander and Lakeshore 📍.

Centenoka Park Mall, 360 Trans Canada Hwy SW, 50.698628°, -119.289962°, +1 250-832-9731. M-Sa 9AM-4:30PM; Su 11AM-4PM. 2019-06-19
The Mall at Piccadilly (Piccadilly Mall), 1151 10th Ave SW, 50.693773°, -119.298584°, +1 250-832-0441. M-Th, Sa 9AM-5:30PM; F 9AM-8PM; Su 11AM-4PM. 2019-06-19

Eat

Thanks to its location on the Trans-Canada Highway, Salmon Arm boasts a large number of fast-food and chain restaurants. Below are some local restaurants.

An Diamo (An Diamo Ristorante Italiano), 260 Ross St NE, 50.701791°, -119.280939°, +1 250-832-9949. Authentic Italian Pastas, crepes, home-made Tiramisu, ribs, steak and fish. 2019-06-19
Famous Yan's Restaurant, 880 21 St NE, 50.706425°, -119.260081°, +1 250 832-3007, info@yans.ca. A popular buffet-style Chinese restaurant in the Hillcrest area. Less than $20 2019-06-19
Home Restaurant, 2801 10th Avenue NE, 50.707769°, -119.25308°, +1 250-832-9991. Diner. 2019-06-19
La Cantina De Vallarta, 331 Hudson Ave, 50.702327°, -119.281175°, +1 250-804-2862. Mexican cuisine. 2019-06-19
Shuswap Pie Company, 331A Alexander St NE, 50.701883°, -119.283092°, +1 250-832-7992, shuswap.pie@gmail.com. 2019-06-19

Drink

Barley Station Brew Pub, 20 Shuswap Street SE, 50.699616°, -119.284705°, +1 250-832-0999, bstation@telus.net. Su-Tu 11AM-10PM; W Th 11AM-11PM; F Sa 11AM-midnight. 2019-06-19
Setter's Neighbourhood Pub, 2950 11 Avenue NE (behind the Super 8 Motel), 50.708064°, -119.251331°, +1 250-832-0266. M-Th 11AM-11:30PM; F Sa 11AM-midnight; Su 11AM-11PM. 2019-06-19

Sleep

Best Western Salmon Arm Inn, 61 10th Street SW, 50.698944°, -119.298996°, +1 250-832-9793. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Standard motel rooms with complimentary continental breakfast and indoor pool. 2019-06-19
Comfort Inn & Suites, 1090 22nd Street NE, 50.707886°, -119.257999°, +1 250-832-7711. Newer hotel with pool, hot tub, gym and complimentary continental breakfast. 2019-06-19
Hilltop Inn (formerly Podollan Inn), 1460 Trans-Canada Highway NE, 50.703264°, -119.267660°, +1 250-832-6025, frontdesk@hilltopcanada.com. 2019-06-19
Prestige Harbourfront Resort and Convention Centre, 251 Harbourfront Drive NE, 50.705041°, -119.283214°, +1 250 833-5800, SalmonArm@PrestigeHotels.ca. Luxury hotel on the lakefront with a number of themed suites. From $200 in high season, from $140 at other times of the year. A balcony or lakeside room will cost extra 2019-06-19
Super 8 (Super 8 by Wyndham Salmon Arm), 2901 10th Ave NE, 50.707741°, -119.251265°. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 2019-06-19
Travelodge (Travelodge by Wyndham Salmon Arm), 2401 Trans-Canada Highway SW, 50.692978°, -119.312436°, +1 250-832-9721. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 2019-06-19

Connect

Go next

Going further up the Shuswap, to secluded beaches or popular tourist resorts, is possible with a private car or a boat. Check at the Visitor info centre for ideas of fun or relaxing stops on the Shuswap.

Salmon Arm - city in British Columbia, Canada