Photo © Kari Medig
Nelson and Kootenay Lake might be famous for their top spot on B.C.’s Powder Highway, but come summer, there’s a whole different bounty on offer. The dense stretch of wilderness draped over the Purcell and Selkirk Mountains also boasts a hidden empire of trails that is a mountain bike mecca for those in the know.
Gifted with supernaturally grippy soils, Trailforks counts 261 mountain bike trails in Nelson alone, with burgeoning networks also emerging in Kaslo, Crawford Bay, and Riondel: a secret wealth of singletrack tracing ancient rock slabs and loamy forest floors for thousands of vertical feet before spilling onto idyllic sandy beaches.
Like the eclectic Queen City of Kootenays, the riding here is a mix of old and new: traditional, natural downhill trails tamped by decades of fat tires and modern pedal-friendly tracks with flawless jump lines and miles of blue flow. It’s everything you can find in a bike park, accessible throughout the world’s largest inland temperate rainforest.
A Wealth of Trails
Start with the Bottoms Up climb trail on Nelson’s morning mountain to experience the ecstasy of Rhythm and Blues, which is also an adaptive trail (the Kootenays are the global leader in adaptive riding) or test your mettle on the perennial DH classic Power Slave, amongst the old-growth cedars high above. Pedal directly from town along the Great Northern Trail, reclaimed from the railroad, to link into the Mountain Station and Svoboda networks.
Maximize laps by shuttling the Kokanee system, where three-time Red Bull Rampage winner Kurt Sorge honed his skills, and then find a warm stretch of sand for the afternoon at the provincial park below by the same name.
Take the longest free ferry in the world from Balfour to Crawford Bay to hit up Tam O Tiger for a surprising, remote, machine-built wonder. Or make your way to Kaslo’s Friendly Giant, where you’ll find 4,400 vertical feet of climbing and descending for all abilities. Time your visit with the Kaslo Jazz Festival to experience the iconic floating stage, along with top acts from across North America.
A Kootenay Reset
Summer is the season of water. A mountain bike trip to the West Kootenay region goes hand-in-hand with morning swims, afternoon paddle-board sessions, and endless affordable camping options, from provincial parks to BC Rec Sites. Or stay in one of the many Victorian B&Bs or hotels that make Nelson and Kaslo architectural standouts in Western Canada.
Soak in Ainsworth Hot Springs to bring your legs and arms back to life, or cool off at more than a dozen public beaches spanning the lake.
You’ll need all the hearty calories you can get to keep up with the riding options. Tap into seasonal takes on global cuisine with more restaurants per capita than Vancouver, San Francisco, and even Manhattan, with five-star chefs from across the globe travelling to the region to tenure in its famed food scene. Nelson also happens to be a global hub for world music and culture, with venues, theatres and galleries lining Baker Street and beyond.
But if a simple burger at a pub or brewery is more your speed, you’ll find that too, right alongside a burning desire to come back every summer.
Book your trip today at nelsonkootenaylake.com
Get your free copy of Global Heroes, jam-packed with positive news, straight in your inbox.
Nestled in the southeastern corner of British Columbia in the Kootenay region, a valley surrounded by the Selkirk, Monashee, and Purcell mountain ranges, our communities sprang up along the Kootenay River and Kootenay Lake over one hundred years ago.