|
>Home
>>Tools & Info >>Kootenay Country |
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
The Kootenays are one of the best kept secrets
in British Columbia. The region is
sheltered by three majestic mountain ranges (the
Selkirks, Purcells and Monashees) and the
landscape dotted with picturesque lakes, lush
valleys, natural
hot springs and charming historic
communities boasting a wealth of heritage
buildings. A strong local artisan population
resides in the Kootenays adding to the region's
unique style and culture. If you're looking for
a place to get away from it all, there's no
other like it. |
|
Do a little time travelling in Nelson.
The legacy of the 1890s' silver boom has been a
bonanza for Nelson; the town has more than 350
lovely heritage buildings. Explore them on a
walking tour - most have been restored to their
original splendour. For more on Nelson's glory
days, visit the local mining and history
museums, or take a ride on the restored
Streetcar #23 which winds along the waterfront.
|
|
|
Our great lakes
Tucked in the valleys between the
mountain ranges, you'll find many long,
picturesque lakes. Nelson's Lakeside
Park is a good spot for windsurfing;
Christina Lake near Grand Forks is the
ideal temperature for swimming. Outside
Trail, the lake chain of
Champion Lakes Provincial Park
offers excellent canoeing. Castlegar, at
the southern tip of the Arrow Lakes
chain, is the prefect base for a whole
range of outdoor activities. (While
you're here, visit the fascinating 19th
century Doukhobor Heritage Village.)
Prefer fishing? Try Kootenay Lake for
kokanee, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout.
The Arrow Lakes chain and the Columbia
River also sport rainbow trout, walleye
and sturgeon. |
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to our park places |
|
|
Visit
Valhalla Provincial Park,
appropriately named for its 50,000 hectares of
heavenly mountain wilderness. Kokanee Glacier
Provincial Park offers equally challenging
and beautiful hiking terrain, with splendid
glaciers and alpine lakes. For those who are
more interested in spelunking down under,
there's fascinating Cody Caves Provincial Park.
While not a park per se, the Creston Valley
Wildlife Centre is certain to appeal to outdoor
types. This 9000 hectare preserve is home to 250
species of birds, and has the highest density of
osprey in the world. A wide range of birds and
wildlife may be spotted in the area, from the
tiny caliope hummingbird to giant bull moose.
|
|
Get into hot water year-round
High in the pure air of the Selkirks is
Nakusp Hot Springs, with two pools - hot (39
degree Celsius) and hotter (44 degree Celsius)
to soak your cares away. At Ainsworth Hot
Springs, linger in the 40 degree Celsius
horseshoe shaped cave or the cooler 35 degree
Celsius pool. The nearby ferry across Kootenay
Lake is the longest free ferry ride in the
world. |
|
|
|
|
The silvery Slocan
The Slocan and Kootenay Valleys
experienced a silver boom in the late
1800s, and ghost towns from this era
still exist along Highway 31A. Look for
the abandoned shacks at Retallack and
Zincton, and turn off to Sandon, once
the biggest "hurrah" town of them all.
Museums at New Denver, Nakusp and
Silverton tell the whole story. In Kaslo,
you can come aboard the last of the
paddlewheelers to ply Kootenay Lake; the
S.S. Moyie has been drydocked and is now
a museum. Kootenay Country also has
plenty of gold rush history. In Rossland,
for example, you can experience the
world of the hardrock miner on a tour of
the LeRoi Gold Mine. Or you can follow
the trails of old gold seekers along the
Kettle Valley Railway and the Dewdney
Trail of the 1860s, passing through the
small friendly communities of Midway and
Greenwood. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
