Plan Stemwinder Park near Hedley with a small Highway 3 campground, Similkameen River fishing, fast-water safety, poison ivy awareness, and pet rules.
Stemwinder Park is a small 3.6-hectare campground beside the Similkameen River, just off Highway 3. BC Parks places it 35 kilometres east of Princeton and eight kilometres west of Hedley.
The park is pine-dotted, compact, and best suited to simple camping and riverbank fishing.
Why Visit Stemwinder Park
Stemwinder is useful for travellers moving through the Similkameen Valley who want a quiet overnight stop close to the highway. BC Parks highlights the rocky shoreline, where anglers try their luck along the river, and the surrounding dry Okanagan landscape.
The park also has cultural history. BC Parks notes evidence of early Indigenous habitation through rock artifacts and a pit-house depression, and records the park’s establishment on March 16, 1956.
Things To Do
Camp beside the Similkameen River, fish from the rock-covered shoreline with the proper licence, cycle on roadways, and use the park as a low-key base for a Highway 3 valley stop near Hedley and Princeton.
Planning Notes
The Similkameen River runs fast, and BC Parks warns that excellent swimming skills are required. Watch for poison ivy along the riverbank. Pets and domestic animals must be leashed, controlled, and cleaned up after. Bicycles must stay on roadways, helmets are mandatory, and e-bikes are not allowed on trails; they are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. Reserve camping when needed and plan around limited services in a very small park. Keep children close along the uneven riverbank and use extra caution after rain or high water.