CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 528

SALMON ARM
Known as the “Gem of the Shuswap,” Salmon Arm (pop. 17,500) lies along Shuswap Lake
where the Salmon River drains into the Salmon Arm of the lake. After the railway arrived
in 1885, the surrounding land was settled and many fruit farms were established. Forestry
was the biggest local employer for most of Salmon Arm's history, but since the closure of
the local sawmill in 2008, summer tourism has taken over as the driving force behind the
town.
Sights
From downtown, follow the Salmon Arm Wharf signs to lakeside Marine Park, where pic-
nic tables dot the lawns and colorful flower boxes hang from the lampposts. The attractive
Salmon Arm Wharf, the largest marina structure in British Columbia's interior, lures you
out over the water, past a boat-launching area, a snack bar, and businesses renting motor-
boats and houseboats. A wide swath of lakefront on either side of the wharf is undeveloped,
inviting exploration on foot. Immediately west of the wharf, you'll find a bird-watching
hide tucked into the trees above a marshy area rich with specimens.
Two kilometers (1.2 miles) east of Salmon Arm on Highway 97B, R. J. Haney Heritage
Village & Museum (250/832-5243, 10am-5pm daily June-Sept., adult $6, child $3) holds
the town's main historic attractions, including Salmon Arm Museum, which relates the
town's earliest days through a slide show, photo albums, and the adjacent Haney House, an
early-20th-century farmhouse on beautiful, parklike grounds. The park also holds a black-
smith's shop, an old fire hall, a church, and a tea house (10am-4pm Wed.-Sun. July-Aug.).
Accommodations and Camping
Salmon River Motel and RV Park (one kilometer/0.6 mile west of Salmon Arm, 250/
832-3065, www.salmonrivermotel.ca , $79-99 s or d) offers 10 rooms of a reasonable
standard. Out back are a few tree-shaded campsites with hookups ($33). The landscaped
Salmon Arm Camping Resort (381 Hwy. 97B, 250/832-6489 or 866/979-1659,
www.salmonarmcamping.com , May-Sept., tents $30, hookups $49, cabins $75-99 s or d)
has hot showers, a laundry, a pleasant outdoor pool area, a kitchen shelter, free wireless In-
ternet, a convenience store, and a playground. Highway 97B branches south toward Vernon
just east of town.
It's a roadside motel, but M Podollan Inn (1460 Trans-Canada Hwy., 250/832-6025 or
888/668-4180, www.podollanhotels.com , $129-189) is one of the best choices for overnight
lodging between Vancouver and the Alberta border. Set above the highway on the east
side of town, it offers British Columbia's largest freeform hotel pool, which winds its way