I'm wondering if anyone has ever paddled up the Seymour Arm on Shuswap Lake. Any comments on paddling and canoe camping there? Thanks.

Cheers!

I wouldn't paddle up Seymour Arm -- it's where all the houseboat traffic heads so you won't get any peace and quiet at all. If you want to paddle on the Shuswap, I'd suggest Anstey Arm -- it's too shallow for the houseboats and the campsites are quite nice. My son and I paddled Anstey Arm a few years ago and had a terrific time of it. We took 6 days and paddled from Sicamous to the top of the arm and back. There's lots of great scenery but be prepared to share the place with power boats.

Here's a trip report that I did of our trip (sorry, no photos):

http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/comm...hp?p=1794#1794


Dan

http://www.westcoastpaddler.com

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Thanks for the input. Your report is quite good. We are thinking of going the first week of September so it probably wouldn't be as busy as mid-July. We'll have to look more closely at Antsey Arm.

Cheers!

I have done Seymour Arm a few times. Only once in the summer season! I woke up at 3am to a drunken fire works display. It was kinda cool and I had a good view from my Hennessy Hammock. I usualy go in the spring or the fall and always have a good trip.. Fall 2008

I worked for the parks branch back in 1980 servicing campsites along the lake up both Anstey Arm and Seymour Arm. I'm not aware of changes made since then, but campsites were better and more numerous up Anstey Arm. You may want to look at the option of portaging from the end of Anstey Arm to Seymour Arm. I don't know if this is feasible, though. It's about a 3 km portage along a trail to Hunakwa Lake. From upper Hunakwa Lake there appears to be a road or trail on the eastern side leading towards Seymour Arm. That would be about 6+ kms.

I remember that the mosquitoes were quite bad at the very head of Anstey Arm due to swamps in the area. There is a good campsite at Cinnemousun Narrows where the 4 arms meet.

You may find these links interesting.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...arkpgs/anstey/

http://www.seas.ca/8B9BC021-6F16-42E...ABD059023.html

http://www.shuswap.bc.ca/Parks.htm

Just noticed this topic now...oh well better late than never.

Bluecruisin, Shuswap Lake, either Seymour or Anstey (pronounced Ann-S-T), would be good canoe tours, but of course you won't be alone! Plenty of houseboats even after Sept 1st, though it's definitely much quieter than mid summer. And beware of the powerboats, my wife was just about clobbered by one while canoeing at Albas at dusk several years ago. In September. Powerboat was roaring along 50 feet off shore, 30 knots, no running lights on. Saw my wife waving her flashlight at the last second...

Anstey is not too shallow for houseboats, there's just fewer places for them, so they tend to just go up for the day. Seymour is just way more popular. BTW, Anstey is definitely the most scenic part of the lake, more intimate, surrounded by higher mountains. Once you get past Broken Point it has a real wilderness feeling to it. You never get that on Seymour.

Water is usually pretty calm, not much for winds. That used to drive a sailing buddy of mine crazy, he did more motoring than sailing!

I think, but not entirely sure, that camping is free after Labour Day. $15 a night otherwise.

You've got options where to put in--Sicamous being the most obvious, but you can put in at Horseshoe Bay (Main Arm) on the Squilax-Anglemont Road and you're a short paddle to the Narrows, or Totem Resort at the end of Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road (across from Sicamous). Heck, you can drive to Seymour Arm but that's not what you're there for!

Here's my choices for best campsites for a canoe: Marble Point, Cinnemousun Narrows (also has small cabins if the weather poops out), Four Mile and Anstey Beach in Anstey Arm, Albas (which is vehicle-access but has boater campsites) and Silver Beach in Seymour Arm. Silver Beach has the most beautiful sand beach in the BC Interior. The campsite is walk-in from the road or the water...and also walk-in to the pub!

Avoid Neilsen Beach unless you're into loud parties!

While paddling, I recommend you stretch your legs at these short hikes:

Marble Point (and look for some great pictographs on a cliff face just north of the point).



Anstey Arm to Hunakwa Lake--2 km, level, Hunakwa Lake is pristine and very warm and shallow, great swimming. And lots of fish to tickle your toes.


Hunakwa Creek has got to be the most tropical looking stream I've ever seen in BC, the vegetation along the creek is phenomenal!



Albas--a great loop trail (about 3 km) past a series of at least 7 waterfalls, and some remnants of an old sawmill and logging flume. (sorry, no digital pics)

Hope this helps!!

Thank you everyone for your input. It is appreciated. We haven't decided where to paddle in early September but we will post a TR of wherever we end up going. Anstey Arm definitely interests me. So many excellent options, so hard to choose!

Cheers!