Pilot Penisula is an easy shoreline hike along the blue vista of Kootenay Lake. With access to multiple beaches of smooth pebbles and clear water, Pilot Peninsula is a great choice! It’s also one of the first snow-free trails early in the spring.
Distance, round trip: 12.8km
Elevation: +235m
Season: mid-March to mid-November
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead & Driving Directions
As soon as you exit the Kootenay Lake Ferry on the East Shore, turn right onto Pilot Bay Road. Drive about 10 minutes down the road and watch for the signed turnoff to the parking lot on the left.
To Sawmill Cove
The trail is a pleasant forest walk, keeping with sight of the lake. There are a few up-and-downs, but these are spaced out enough that it is a pretty easy hike.
At 1.8km the trail branches off down to the Sawmill Cove wilderness campground and not far beyond the junction is the first pebble beach. Sawmill Cove is an excellent backcountry camping destination for new backpackers. If you’re staying overnight, make sure you get a permit from BC Parks.
Boomer’s Landing
At 3.5km, you’ll reach Boomer’s Landing, the second pebble beach. Boomer’s Landing is a good break spot with a nice view south on Kootenay Lake.
The Scenic Beach
Just past Boomer’s Landing, you leave park boundaries but the trail carries on. In this last stretch, the trail is slightly more challenging, a little narrower, a little more elevation gained and lost. There are a few stretches with steep drops off to the side – hike carefully!
We usually stop at the beach at 6.4km from the trailhead. Look for a faint junction with a path heading off to the right – it will quickly lead to a worn set of stairs that lead to the shore.
This beach is a wonderful lunch spot on a sunny day. You can watch fish swirl and skip stones and venture into the cold water if you dare. The beach pebbles are smooth and round and glittery. The view is stunning.
It takes about 2.5 hours to reach the final beach.
You can also continue hiking another 1km to further beach where the old Tipi Camp was.
Bonus: Pilot Bay Lighthouse
Once you’re back at the trailhead, drive up Pilot Bay Road to see the historical lighthouse that overlooks the lake. This is a worthwhile detour if you have time before the next ferry departure.
The lighthouse is charming and – most importantly – it isn’t all boarded up! It is open to explore! You can unlatch the door and climb your way up two sets of ladder-stairs to the lookout at the top.
[…] birch trees were scattering leaves across the trail and the lakeside air was brisk with autumn. Pilot Peninsula is always a pleasure with big vistas on the stoney beaches of Kootenay […]
[…] also heard that the snow is gone from some of the lakeshore hikes like Pilot Peninsula and Slocan-Evans […]
[…] Pilot Peninsula – East Shore Kootenay Lake […]
[…] Pilot Peninsula – East Shore Kootenay Lake […]
BRING THE BUG SPRAY!! Out and back to the Tipi Camp on May 30th 2020. Trail was well trodden until the final 3 or 4km section which was quite overgrown, but still very visible. First section to Boomers Landing saw some other trail users, but further on there was no-one else around. 14km return with 500m gained in elevation. Really lovely trail to ease into hiking season. Just remember the bug spray – there were tons of mosquitos!