Hotspots

Adams River Salmon Run

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Contributor(s): Isabel Pycock & John Wooding

Introduction

One of nature’s most spectacular events takes place just an hour’s drive from Kamloops. During dominant years the Salmon society puts together a festival known as the Sockeye Solute. Hosting one of the largest salmon runs in North America, the Adams River is the place to go if salmon are up your alley. In 1958, the BC Centennial event was held near the current location of the run, but along the shores of the Little River on The Little Shuswap Lake.

The river bank and viewing platforms are still accessible on non-dominant years, but if you’re looking for an incredible show, then wait for the next dominant year for a surreal experience. The festival is held every 4 years since 1958, the last one being in 2018 and the next in 2022. Guided walkabout tours are available along with an interpretive cabin where you can learn the significance of the salmon to the indigenous Tsútswecw people. 

“Salute to Sockeye” 

Video by Isabel Pycock & John Wooding

“Salute to the Sockeye” is about education and awareness for the variety of salmon that start and finish their life’s journey in the Adams River. The “Solute to Sockeye” is a non-profit group who is inpartnership with BC Parks and DFO. The area now know as Tsútswecw Provincal Park,  it was originally a BC recreation site. Over the years it became a provincial park.

Blair Acton–“Any funds raised at the event, could stay local and benefit the educational and habitat conservation of the salmon at the Adams River. The Adams River is an amazing habitat for Wild salmon.”

The main attraction is, of course, the salmon, but the festival also has food vendors, artisans and souvenir sales. Adams River is the perfect habitat for the variety of salmon. It has everything from a gravel riverbed, cool water, water depth and riparian (Riparian areas form a transition zone between aquatic and dry, upland habitats, govt B.C.). Other locations are disadvantaged with limited views or are the grounds are not large enough.

Favourite part of the festival? Blair Acton—“Watching the salmon spawn. It is an incredible moving experience to see. Their determination to spawn…. then they die, yet the cycle will repeat. Oh and the bannock…. the most popular food vendor.”

  • Photo by Isabel Pycock & John Wooding
  • Photo by Isabel Pycock & John Wooding
  • Photo by Isabel Pycock & John Wooding
  • Photo by Isabel Pycock & John Wooding
  • Photo by Isabel Pycock & John Wooding

Looking into the Future

Interested in volunteering? The Adams River Salmon Society is organized and ran by volunteers. They are always looking for new volunteers with a passion for salmon.

BC Story Trails: Adams River is the first location in BC to test out the BC Story Trails. Currently, 15 different trails are marked with QR codes or trail markers. Visitors can take their smartphones and scan the code or link to the website. The website provides recordings with the students and teachers learning First Nation languages, sharing knowledge about native plants and stories about the land and locals.

The Adams River Salmon Society is hoping to continue working with the local First Nations community (Shuswap Indian Band) to gain more knowledge to be shared at the festival. They hope to grow the education programs within the schools (all age groups).

They will continue their work with the BC Oceans and Fisheries, BC Parks and the community to educate visitors and preservation work.

Video by Paal Garteig and Rich Coutu

Connect

Visit The Adams River Salmon Society Interpretation Cabin onsite at Tsútswecw Provincial Park (Roderick Haig-Brown).

For directions, visit our Find Us page.