Picture yourself in the soothing warm waters of a pool inside a cave in the heart of the Kootenay wilderness. Picture the vast expanse of Kootenay Lake with the Purcell Mountains reflected on its surface. Picture yourself at Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort.Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort, developed around the original natural hot springs, is open year round. It is a perfect place to sit back and relax and enjoy the scenic pleasures of the Kootenays. Step out of the pool and wade through the even...

Many visitors assume that Balfour is only situated on the lower side of the highway. Not so! If you cruise the roads in upper Balfour, you will happen upon beautiful gardens, wonderful views of lake and mountains...and glimpses of history. The old Balfour School house is now the Balfour Hall and Community Grounds. After a short walk past the entrance to the Kokanee Glacier road, on the right hand side, you’ll find the remnants of the Busk Estate. There’s not much left other than...

This scenic 85 kilometre road over Gray Creek Pass to St. Mary’s in the East Kootenay turns off highway 3A at either Oliver Road or Anderson Road. The two roads meet at a bridge; from here all traffic continues up a series of switchbacks on Anderson Road. The actual Gray Creek Forest Service road begins on a sweeping right-hand corner at 1.3 km. Please take time to read the warning signs before proceeding. There are steep grades, many corners and no emergency services. Travel slowly...

The East Shore of Kootenay Lake runs on what locals call “Kootenay time”. If you stash your watches and devices in the glove box as you cruise along, you’ll soon get it!Heading north from Creston, you’ll come to Kuskonook, which is a Kutenai word for “end of the lake.” This is where the CPR’s arch rival, the American Great Northern Railway, met steamships on the lake in the late 1800s. It once had the reputation for being the toughest town in Western...

Stroll the streets of Creston and enjoy the larger than life murals on many buildings. Initiated by local artist Stefan Bell in the late 1980s, the idea was to express facets of life and history in the Creston Valley with murals painted on local businesses. These murals are decorative scenes, depicting the history, natural beauty and everyday life in the valley. A walking tour map outlining the location of each mural is available from the Visitor Centre.

It can often feel like summer by the middle of May when the apple and cherry trees bloom in Creston. It’s time for a festival, and what a festival it is!

This year it is bigger and better than ever. The 72nd Annual Creston Valley Blossom Festival is happening on the Victoria Day weekend, May 17 – 20. The event kicks off with musical entertainment on the opening Friday night, and continues through the weekend with pancake breakfasts, the downtown parade, the downtown street...

Many artists skilled in a wide variety of disciplines have chosen to settle in the Creston Vally. The Annual Creston Valley and Eastshore Art Walk/Drive begins every year in mid-May and extends right through the September Labour Day long weekend. Galleries and studios are open to the public from Riondel to Crawford Bay through Creston to Yahk, and offer everything from blown and stained glass, pottery and ceramics, beadwork, fabric art, candle making and ironwork to straw brooms....

If you enjoy wildlife viewing, nature programs, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, photography, fishing, great scenery or just a good picnic spot, the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA) is a destination you won’t want to miss. The CVWMA is a 17,000 acre wetland habitat that stretches from the south end of Kootenay Lake to the US border. It is a designated wetland of international significance (Ramsar site) and is recognized internationally as an Important Bird...

Wine Country

If you were asked to close your eyes and picture BC’s wine country, you would most likely see the Okanagan region in your mind. Fair enough...but the Creston Valley has recently become a major wine producing area. The Creston area has a long history of fruit growing, but it is only in recent years that grape vines have started to dot the landscape. There are two (so far) award-winning wineries, located side by side.Skimmerhorn Winery...

The amazing diversity of birds found in the Creston Valley makes the area perfect for a festival devoted to birders and the bird species which are the focus of their fascination. The festival offers a variety of birdwatching activities guided by qualified field personnel, as well as photography and art displays and bird-oriented workshops. Afternoon events include promotional tours to local farms and orchards, community greenhouses, an organic cheese-maker and art studios.May 10 is opening...

Bull riding and barn dancing! It’s the 12th Annual Kootenay Chrysler Bull-a-Rama and it’s coming to Trail! This event has proved wildly popular since the bulls first thundered into the Cominco Arena more than a decade ago. This is western entertainment at its most exciting: world class bull riders, rodeo clowns and all the flavour of the wild west.After the last of the rodeo events, the arena floor is swept off and the party begins. This year Kootenay Chrysler Bull-a-Rama takes...

Today, Salmo calls itself the “Hub of the Kootenays” because it lies at the junction of two main highways. It is a quiet, friendly village with a population of 1120. The main industries are logging and tourism. 

This valley is the perfect place for hiking, camping or fishing. Take time to spend an afternoon strolling about town. Enjoy the flagstone murals on the walls of the buildings or visit the oldest telephone booth in the world, which is the stump of a huge...

The wondrous scenery of the Slocan Valley makes the area a perfect spot for a fantastic vacation. Mountains, lakes, the serene beauty of the Slocan River, winding roads and the friendly villages all combine to make the valley an inspiring place to visit and stay a while..

The Slocan River was used as a transportation route by native people, miners and loggers. To this day you can still find stretches that feel just as it once did when the paddle was the most common engine – a...

The mountains, the lake, the lovely community...there is no better place to relax and rejuvenate than in Nakusp. If you take a stroll along the paved path hugging the shoreline of upper Arrow Lake, you will understand why the locals love where they live. This unique little village is embraced by both the Monashee and Selkirk mountains. The name of the town derives from the native word for “bay of quiet waters,” Neqpo’sp.

Nakusp settlement history began in 1892. It...

Situated on the shores of pristine Slocan Lake, beneath the snowfields of the Valhalla Glacier, the picturesque town of New Denver provides a wide range of recreational and cultural opportunities. Explore the historic main street with its unique shops, galleries and bistros. The first prospectors arrived in New Denver in 1892 and with the advent of major mineral discoveries, the town was established. Mining was New Denver’s primary industry for many years, but by 1929, the mining...