Top BC Parks in the Kootenays by revenue

Kikomun Creek (south of Fernie) and Kokanee Creek (on Kootenay Lake) rank 11th and 12th as the largest revenue generators for BC Parks province-wide. The top six parks in BC by revenue are Golden Ears, Cultus Lake, Shuswap, Rathtrevor Beach, Manning and Okanagan Lake — all with revenues ranging from the Cultus Lake at $788,000 to Okanagan Lake at $505,000.

Here are the top 11 BC Parks by revenue in the Kootenay region....

Kikomun Creek (south of Fernie)               $340,226   +18%   163,420 attendance

Kokanee Park (Kootenay Lake)                   $323,087   -7.2%   145,002 attendance

Moyie Lake Park (near Cranbrook)              $172,500   +1.9%    81,017 attendance

Wasa Lake Park                                        $130,997   -2.8%   137,266 attendance

Whiteswan Lake Park                               $105,607   -2.2%    145,658 attendance

Syringa Park (north of Castlegar)                 $107,416   +4%      75,225 attendance

Blanket Creek Park (south of Revelstoke)   $100,380   -1.9%     37,848 attendance

McDonald Creek Park (south of Nakusp)     $90,225     -0.8%    37,010 attendance

Premier Lake Park (north of Cranbrook)       $73,472     -8.7%   105,009 attendance

Mount Fernie Park                                     $70,270     +0.3%    81,017 attendance

Champion Lakes Park (near Trail)                $63,640     -7.5%    52,416 attendance

Attendance numbers reflect both day use visits and overnight camping visits.

Most of the B.C Parks in the Kootenay region are contracted out to private operators. The two largest contractors are West Kootenay Park Management based in Revelstoke and Kootenay Forest Resources based in Wasa.

B.C. Parks has 1,000 protected areas and parks throughout B.C., which covers over 13 million hectares and contributes some $392 million annually to the province's GDP.