The area offers a vast amount of biking and cycling trails.
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Castlegar offers excellent recreation opportunities on both sides of the Columbia River. An extremely popular ride is the Columbia and Western Trail, a portion of the TransCanada Trail. It’s an abandoned rail grade between Midway and Castlegar. This historic trail was originally built in 1897, so pack a lunch for this one, it’s a great trip. You’ll enjoy the scenic heritage. The Merry Creek Trail, just a few kilometres west of Castlegar on Highway #3, is where you can discover some of the area’s earliest history. And, if you like wildlife, you’ll love the Mel DeAnna Trail, just across the Kinnaird Bridge on the Castlegar/Salmo Highway. Dove Hill, Kinnaird Pipeline or the Brilliant Dam ride are other choice adventures.
Cranbrook
The Cranbrook Community Forest echos with the excited hoots of mountain bikers and trail walkers, eager for evening adventure close at hand as spring draws daylight into the evening hours. Rising out of uninspiring thickets of dense bush on its lower reaches, the area soon opens up to reveal grassy meadows surrounding the Alkali Lakes. Further into the forest, impressive stands of pine and larch and pockets of lush vegetation yield even more surprises for the traveler as they descend to Kettle Lake from the south. Cranbrook is also linked to Wardner in the east and Kimberley in the west via two multi-use rail trails, the North Star Rail Trail and the C2W Destination Trail, both part of the TransCanada Trail.
Fernie
Mountain biking has become a year-round sport in Fernie with the addition of fat biking during the snowy months. April / May is the start of mountain bike season and goes right to the end of October, then fat (snow) biking starts in November until the end of March. Explore Fernie’s 100+ trails, primarily singletrack. In summer play at the Dirt Jump & Skills Park or head to the Fernie Alpine Resort’s lift access bike park.
Golden
There are trails for the novice to the matured mountain biker. From easy forestry and fire roads, abandoned railway spurs to old natural game trails that have been upgraded. Not to be missed is the Canyon Creek Trail. The latter portion of this 30 kilometre (19 mi) return loop from downtown takes place a few metres from the edge of a spectacular 500 foot (152 m) canyon. It’s a trail for those who like to explore heights. The route includes some climbs, some scenic flat roads and the occasional single track technical riding. Other popular biking areas include Moonraker Trail System, Dawn Mountain cross-country ski trails, Mount 7 and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
Discover the unique charm and beauty of the Columbia Valley and the Invermere and Radium Hot Springs areas.
Columbia Valley
Just west of Radium Hot Springs, the Forster Creek Road provides a peaceful ride with gentle grades. The Lake Enid Trail is also an easy 2 kilometres (1 mi) around the lake’s edge, just west of Wilmer and the Old Coach Trail runs between Dry Gulch and the village of Radium Hot Springs. For those of you with plenty of endurance, one kilometre before the Panorama Mountain Resort, on Toby Creek Road, the 11 kilometre (6 mi) steep road leaves the old mine trailing site, climbs over the alpine ridge to Bruce Creek and offers extensive views of both valleys. Panorama Mountain Resort also runs the Mile 1 high speed quad chairlift to shuttle mountain bikes up for 1,200 vertical feet of descent.
Columbia Valley Trail Alliance Greenways
Westside Legacy Trail – between Invermere & Fairmont
Just west of Radium Hot Springs, the Forster Creek Road provides a peaceful ride with gentle grades. The Lake Enid Trail is also an easy 2 kilometres (1 mi) around the lake’s edge, just west of Wilmer. For those of you with plenty of endurance, one kilometre before the Panorama Mountain Resort, on Toby Creek Road, the 11 kilometre (6 mi) steep road leaves the old mine trailing site, climbs over the alpine ridge to Bruce Creek and offers extensive views of both valleys. Columbia Valley and the Panorama Mountain Resort also runs the Mile 1 high speed quad chairlift to shuttle mountain bikes up for 1,200 vertical feet of descent.
The Village of Kaslo offers a wide variety of trails and the Kaslo Trail System is made up of five different zones: Village – connecting the entirety of lower Kaslo with the river system; True Blue – the area on the south side of the Kaslo River; River Trails – between the river and airport; Branch 7 – north of the village off Highway 31 and Buchanan Zone – home to the network of cross country ski trails. The Kaslo Mountain Bike Club works closely with trail builders and land managers to sustainably develop trails for non-motorized use within the Kaslo area.
The Kimberley Nature Park is a great place to hike, bike and ski. The trails are a mix of old logging and mining roads, and hand-built footpaths, located entirely within the city boundaries. The several dozen kilometres of multi-use trails, criss-cross the forested hillsides, linking small ponds and panoramic viewpoints into a unique soft-wilderness experience for residents and visitors alike. Some suggested rides include Duck Pond Loop, Pat Morrow Trail Loop, Myrtle Mountain Traverse, South Side Loop & Round-The-Mountain.
Nakusp offers forest service roads and cross-country ski trails in the area which are actively enjoyed by mountain bikers of all skill levels. The creation of the Mt. Abriel Trails is a wonderful addition. This area has a good long biking season and camping within the network which offers more outdoor opportunities for you. For the most extreme riders, the climb and descent of Kimbol Lake Trail is fun. But, one of the most popular rides is the 8.5 km (5 mi) Kuskanax Creek / Hot Springs Trail, which winds through stunning Cedar and Hemlock forests and arrives at the Kuskanax Creek Bridge just a short distance from the hot springs.
The Nelson area is outstanding – rising from the shores of Kootenay Lake’s west arm, the area’s steep mountains are a source of inspiration for the hardcore mountain biker. The single tracks that have been developed are the real deal. Although, whether an old forestry road, pack trail or rail grade, you are sure to view some of the most exhilarating geography. The recently abandoned Burlington Northern right-of-way provides access to a wide variety of forested mountain bike trails ranging from double black diamond to easy. The Salmo Great Northern Rail Trail covers approximately 48 km (29 mi) between Salmo and Nelson. Perfect for a family outing, this former railroad track offers easy riding, beaches along the way, trestles and some lovely views. Another favourite is the Kaslo & Slocan Railway Loop. An approximate 13 km ride for intermediates and experts. The first section is a straight, level road and then a single track begins with
plenty of ups and downs.
Revelstoke is known as one of the top 10 adventure spots in North America. It offers world-class mountain biking recreation from fun runs on cross-country ski trails to challenging single track rides to spectacular falls. An interesting one hour circuit with lots of options is the Mount Revelstoke National Park Loop. The Revelstoke Dam Trail via Western Access Road will provide you with beautiful mountain views of the dam, a peaceful cycle and Lake Revelstoke at the end. The Martha Creek Trail is a fun downhill trail and can be accessed by climbing the Sale Mountain Fire Road, located 2 kilometres (1 mi) past Martha Creek Campground. The list of mountain bike trails goes on and on, and maps are available at the Revelstoke Chamber.
The Slocan area includes New Denver and Silverton. New Denver is the hub of converted rail beds such as the Galena Trail. The Slocan area – New Denver, Sandon, Slocan Lake is an area of deep glacial lakes separated by towering mountains, dense forests and wilderness parks. The mining history has left this area with a legacy of historic towns, old mines and railway grades with endless opportunities to explore on foot or by bike. The Galena Trail is a 13 kilometre (8 mi) park running from Rosebery Provincial Park to Three Forks. A perfect outing for the whole family; it includes bridges, trail signage and a cable car ride* over Carpenter Creek.
*Cable Car used to cross Carpenter Creek on the Galena Trail is closed for repair. Trail can be enjoyed as a ride in / back out.
The Slocan Valley Rail Trail offers 50 km of adventure through one of the most beautiful river valleys in BC.
Rossland is a downhill paradise. Ride more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) of mountain biking trails. Intermediate riders should check out the Dewdney Trail, an 18 kilometre (11 mi), 900 m/3,000 ft descent on singletrack through the forest. Dilley’s, another popular ride is relatively easy with some fast downhill sections; a distance of 4.3 km (2.7 mi), vertical 240 m/800 ft. Enjoy beginner to advanced trails with one hour to all-day itineraries around this small mountain town known as the ‘Mountain Bike Capital of Canada’. The Kootenay Columbia Trail Society and trails of the Rossland Ranges manage 32 trails covering 170 kms. This includes the Seven Summits Trail,
an IMBA epic trail.
The Trail network caters to hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders, cross-country skiers and snowshoeing. Check out their trail map with trail descriptions to discover more.
Revelstoke.