Shelter Bay Site is one of four small sites in Arrow Lake. Park management of the other three sites (Burton, Eagle Creek and Fauqier) is by local community groups.

Upper Arrow and Lower Arrow Lakes are a widening of the Columbia River and lie between the imposing Selkirk Mountains on the east and the Monashee Mountains on the west.

Narrow strips of beachland varying in width from a few metres to several thousand metres are interspersed with rocky headlands and steep cliffs along both shorelines of the lakes. These give way to heavily forested mountain sides that rise rapidly to elevations averaging 2,500 metres on the west and 2,700 metres on the east.

Water-oriented activities dominate the scene. Angling for kokanee, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout is a popular pastime.