Slocan Lake, nestled in the Slocan Valley of the West Kootenay region in Southeastern British Columbia, Canada, is a picturesque and serene body of water. Drained by the Slocan River, which flows south from the lake’s foot at Slocan City to South Slocan, it eventually meets the Kootenay River a few miles above its confluence with the Columbia. Bonanza Creek feeds the lake, descending from Summit Lake, with the town of Nakusp lying beyond on Upper Arrow Lake.
Several communities dot the shores of Slocan Lake. Slocan City, officially now a “village,” is commonly referred to by its original name to distinguish it from nearby Slocan Park and South Slocan. Midway up the eastern shore are the twin communities of New Denver and Silverton, with Rosebery slightly north at the mouth of Wilson Creek and Hills at the lake’s northern end. To the west, the Valhalla Range, largely preserved within Valhalla Provincial Park, provides a stunning backdrop.
The eastern mountains of Slocan Lake were once the epicenter of the silver rush known as “the Silvery Slocan,” which saw steamboats and railways penetrating the Kootenay Range to Sandon, the rush’s “capital.” Three railways converged here, two from the direction of Slocan Lake via Carpenter Creek and another via Retallack Pass from Kaslo on Kootenay Lake. The discovery of zinc in 1902 further fueled interest and excitement.
BC Highway 6 runs along the eastern shore of Slocan Lake from Hills to Slocan City, continuing down the Slocan River. The Canadian Pacific rail line from Nakusp, passing through Bonanza Pass, now ends at Rosebery Slip on Slocan Lake, although it originally extended to Sandon.
In addition to its real-world charm, Slocan Lake has found a place in popular culture through the game Project Zomboid, where a modification adds this scenic location to the virtual world.