Savona on Kamloops Lake: Landscape and History

Savona lies at the western end of Kamloops Lake, where the lake meets the Thompson River. When choosing a destination, its waterfront setting and history of earlier transportation routes come together here. Savona Lakeshore Park brings together several recreational activities; the museum and local history offer another perspective on Savona. This makes it possible to get to know the place through both its present-day surroundings and its former role.

Landscape and Regional Setting

Savona is surrounded by semi-arid grasslands and hills. The broader Thompson-Nicola destination encompasses a wider range of landscapes: the Thompson-Nicola Regional District also includes the gently rolling grasslands of the Nicola Valley, desert and semi-arid climates around Kamloops Lake, and areas of temperate inland rainforest in the upper North Thompson Valley. These regional landscapes form the broader setting for a trip in Thompson-Nicola, while the hills and grasslands around Savona shape the immediate scenery.

Waterfront Recreation

Savona Lakeshore Park has a playground area, a swimming beach with floating docks, and beach volleyball courts. The three amenities offer different activities: a play area, a beach, and volleyball courts. If you are choosing where to go based on the lakeshore, the park provides a clear sense of the recreational opportunities available there.

Savona Boat Launch is separate from the park. In 2015, docks, a second launch ramp, and a floating log boom were installed there. This detail describes the boat launch infrastructure; the swimming and beach volleyball amenities are at Savona Lakeshore Park. The two locations therefore represent different ways of enjoying the water in Savona.

Nearby, Mount Savona Park is accessible from the town of Savona via Tunkwa Lake Road. Steelhead Park is also nearby, on Kamloops Lake. Canoeing and kayaking are possible there; Savona is the closest community. For orientation, it is useful to distinguish Steelhead Park, a nearby park, from Savona Lakeshore Park in town.

Ferry History and Earlier Transportation Routes

Savona was originally called Savona’s Ferry. Around 1859, Francois Saveneux built a ferry across the mouth of the Thompson River, giving rise to the name Savona’s Ferry. In 1870, the government took over the cable ferry at Savona’s Ferry. The name and these historical details connect the town’s history to a river crossing and to transportation on the lake.

Historic Savona was on the north shore of Kamloops Lake and served as the terminus of the stagecoach line from Cache Creek on the Cariboo Wagon Road. In earlier times, travelers had to continue by steamboat up the lake to Kamloops, the Shuswap Country, and the Big Bend goldfields on the Columbia River. The stagecoach line and steamboat describe different parts of these earlier transportation routes. The Savona Heritage Museum invites visitors to learn about the region’s history, complementing the routes of the past and the name Savona’s Ferry with another way to explore local history.

Discover more destinations: Chase, Clearwater, Monte Creek, Blue River, Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Merritt, Barrière.

For the broader travel overview: Thompson-Nicola.