Slocan Lake Boat Taxi

Looking to be dropped off at a remote beach for the day. We can get you to a beach at Bannock Point or Wragge Beach. Take a picnic and spend the day, or the night and we will pick you up later. Rates depend on destination from $20-$30 per person.

The Tour Boat

I operate a 24 ft freighter canoe equipped with a 40 hp outboard. There is lots of room for 12 people and it is very stable. A very shallow draft allows us to get close to the shore. It is the perfect boat for a lake cruise.

History of Boating on Slocan Lake

The S.S. Slocan sternwheeler at 578 tons provided two round trips daily beginning May 24, 1897 between Slocan and the isolated N&S (CPR) train to Nakusp. This photo shows the railbarge, the Slocan and Sharp Creek with the New Denver Glacier high in the mountains across from the shores of New Denver. It looks like the photo is taken somewhere Bellevue St. Indian canoes were the original vessels of exploration. Boating and fishing has always been popular on the lake. Dr. Brouse, the town doctor in the early 1900's had a boat which is currently on display at the New Denver Museum.

Boat Tour Routes

Typically we have two basic tours both lasting about two hours.
The northern tour departs New Denver and follows the shoreline to Bigelow Bay on the north side of New Denver and then out to the Molly Hughes Mine. Near the Golf Course we cruise across the lake to the Valhalla Park looking for Osprey nests. We can see the waterfall at Wee Sandy Creek and then Sharp Creek flowing from the New Denver Glacier. If time permits we can also check out the CPR Barge and pictographs before returning to New Denver.
The southern tour departs New Denver and heads across to the Valhalla Park and the CPR Barge and pictographs. We follow the shoreline looking for Osprey and then cross the lake to Bannock Point with beautiful steep cliffs and an awesome picnic spot. The return journey follows the remote shoreline until reaching Silverton and then Nelson.

Pictographs

There are several pictographs still visible along the Slocan Lake. The sites are accessible only by boat and are on overhanging rocks which have preserved the ochre pictures.

CPR Barge

The Canadian Pacific Railway used to use these Barges to transport their trains along the length of the Slocan Lake.  During a sudden storm the barges and train were cut adrift and we often visit the wreckage across from Silverton. I'm still working on this story but there is a report of train #3512 falling off a barge in Slocan Lake on 31 December 1946. According to Wikipedia the Iris G tug boat and a barge were operated under contract to CP Rail until the last train ran late in December 1988.  There is some more history here.