Canada Guide
Southern British Columbia
The Kootenays
The Kootenays is one of the most attractive and unvisited parts of British Columbia, and one of the most loosely defined. It consists essentially of two major north– south valleys – the Kootenay and the Columbia, which are largely taken up by Kootenay Lake and Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes – and three intervening mountain ranges – the Purcells, Selkirks and Monashees, whose once-rich mineral deposits formed the kernel of the province's early mining industry. Nelson is the key town, slightly peripheral to the Kootenays' rugged core, but a lovely place, and one of the few provincial towns that offers real attractions in its own right. Scattered lakeside hamlets, notably Kaslo and Nakusp, make excellent bases for excursions into mountain scenery which has a pristine quality rarely found elsewhere. Water-based activities – canoeing and fishing in particular – are excellent, and you can also explore the ramshackle mining heritage of near-ghost towns like Sandon and New Denver. Many of these towns and villages also have more than their fair share of artists, painters, writers, healers and New Age enthusiasts, lending the region considerable cultural and alternative-lifestyle lustre.
Getting around the region is tricky without private transport, which is a shame because the roads here are amongst the most scenic in a province noted for its scenery. The most scenic routes – and these are some of the loveliest drives in the province – are Hwy 31A from Kaslo to New Denver, Hwy 6 south of New Denver in the Slocan Valley and Hwy 6 from New Denver to Vernon. Given no time constraints, your best strategy would be to enter from Creston and exit via Vernon, which sets you up for the Okanagan.