This is a fascinating place to visit at any time of year, but particularly in early October during the run of the Adams River sockeye salmon. Every 4th year is a "dominant" run, with millions of fish to be seen. 2010 will be a dominant run.

Note that this park does not offer any camping facilities whatsoever. The 26 km trail system is used for cross-country skiing & snow-shoeing in winter, for hiking and mountain biking in summer.

Special Features: The Adams River has one of the largest Sockeye salmon runs in North America. The Adams River squeezes through a narrow canyon portion of the valley to create spectacular rapids that are enthusiastically used by rafters and kayakers. This park has a beautiful waterfall on Bear Creek that is viewable from the Flume Trail System.

Park Size: 1076 hectares on 11 km of river

General Visitor Information

Damage from past flooding, combined with high water levels has made some portions of the river's banks dangerous.  Please use caution along the river. 

A popular whitewater rafting and canoeing river, the Adams is very dangerous. Wear life-jackets at all times and exercise extreme caution as there are numerous log-jams and sweepers that are not always visible in advance. Navigation below the bridge is not recommended. Inner tubes and air mattresses are not recommended for travel on the Adams River. Several people have been killed while using these devices.

Poison ivy grows along dry, exposed sloped in this area: do not touch! The plant can be identified by glossy green leaves in groups of 3, with white berries close to the stem. The leaves turn scarlet in autumn and then fall off. Poison ivy is harmful at all times of the year.

• KEEP ALL DOGS OUT OF THE WATER! Ensure that nothing harasses the fish--they are extremely sensitive to any kind of disturbance, and dogs are perceived as a particular threat.
• There is no drinking water provided on site, and the water from the river is not drinkable.
• The trails in the lower portion of the park are near the river and subject to flooding each spring. As a result, trail maps may be inaccurate and caution should be taken along the river banks.

The park is located on both sides of the Adams River, between Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake. From Hwy #1 at Squilax, east of Kamloops, the access is 5 km on paved roads. Scotch Creek, Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Kamloops are the closest communities to this park.