ABOUT SAVONA
Savona sits on the south shore at the west end of Kamloops Lake, where the lake narrows back into the Thompson River. It is about 45 km west of Kamloops on Highway 1 and about 38 km east of Cache Creek, with Tobiano and Cherry Creek along the drive in between.
About 519 people lived here at the 2021 Census. The name traces back to a ferry that François Saveneux ran across the Thompson from about 1858, and the community still has its own post office, library, volunteer fire department, grocery store and gas stations, set against open grassland and ranch country.
SAVONA LISTINGS
Listed by Stonehaus Realty Corp
Listed by Stonehaus Realty Corp
Listed by Stonehaus Realty Corp
Listed by Brendan Shaw Real Estate Ltd.
Listed by Real Broker B.C. Ltd
Listed by eXp Realty (Kamloops)
Savona
Area Guide
Small lakeside living at the west end of Kamloops Lake, from a REALTOR who works the rural and acreage country around Kamloops.
Contact JeremiaWhere is Savona?
At the west end of Kamloops Lake, where the Thompson River leaves the lake. It is about 45 km west of Kamloops on the Trans-Canada Highway, roughly 30 to 35 minutes, and about 38 km east of Cache Creek. Walhachin is a short drive farther west.
Who lives in Savona?
Retirees, families, people who work in Kamloops and outdoor people who want the lake and the river close by. It suits buyers who want a small community with basic services and a highway commute into the city.
What is the lifestyle like?
Boating and fishing on Kamloops Lake from the public boat launch, camping and river access at Steelhead Provincial Park just west of town, and boat-in hiking at Painted Bluffs across the lake. Golf at Tobiano is a few minutes east. Summers are hot and dry, and the surrounding hills are open grassland and ranch country.
What are the properties like?
A mix of older homes on town lots, manufactured homes and lake view properties, with acreage and ranch land in the hills around town. Many homes are on septic systems, and water comes from the community system, a co-op well or a private well depending on the property.
Schools and services
Savona Elementary (School District 73) is in the community; there is no secondary school, so confirm the catchment and bus. Savona has a grocery store, two gas stations, a post office, a library and a volunteer fire department. For anything on a well, read wells, intakes and water licences. Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops is the regional hospital.
Discover Savona
Things to Do & See
Steelhead Provincial Park, on the Thompson River just west of Savona
View Activities
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park, by boat across Kamloops Lake
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Tunkwa Provincial Park, in the hills south of Savona
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GreenTee Country Club Tobiano, a few minutes east
View Activities
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT THINK TO ASK
Start with the water. Much of Savona is on a TNRD community water system that draws from Kamloops Lake, and it has spent a large share of the last few years under water quality advisories or boil water notices. In 2026 the TNRD secured grant funding toward a new membrane filtration plant. Ask which source the property uses (TNRD system, co-op well or private well), and ask for the age and condition of the septic system.
Then look uphill. The 2021 Tremont Creek fire burned in the hills above town, and in June 2024 a storm sent debris flows into parts of Savona and damaged about 20 homes. Check where the property sits relative to gullies and drainage paths, and talk to your insurer about overland flood and wildfire coverage before you firm up. I am not a licensed home inspector, and a qualified professional inspection is always recommended before any purchase.
Huxley
Jeremia Huxley is a REALTOR with Stonehaus Realty Corp., based in Pinantan Lake, BC, who specializes in rural, acreage and lakeshore properties around Kamloops, including Savona. He has 9 years of real estate experience and 18 years prior experience in construction. He is not a licensed home inspector. Contact: 250-571-0379.
Savona FAQ
REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
Buying or selling rural property raises questions that city listings never do: wells, septic, who plows the road, what the ALR allows.
The blog takes them one at a time, in plain language, from someone who has lived on rural property since 2008.