Photo: Kari MedigKimberley, BC
Photo: Kari MedigNelson, BCIf you are going to convert a first-time bikepacker, this is the route: 107 km linking rail grade, scenic gravel, and sub-alpine lakes through the Slocan Valley, with the beloved Frog Peak Cafe on course and swimming holes for hot afternoons. One real climb, easy resupply, and campgrounds spaced for a relaxed weekend. The route's namesake peak carries deep significance for the Sinixt, whose Frog Mountain story tells of survival and resilience in this valley.
Stops, map + getting there →
A 206 km East Kootenay overnighter hopping river valley to river valley on gravel, with waterfalls, a wildflower pass, and hot springs near the trailhead.
A 126 km scramble from Nelson over the Bonnington Range: singletrack, hike-a-bike, overgrown ATV tracks, and the Kootenays done the local way.
The West Kootenays' flagship: a nine-day loop from Nelson linking rail grades, gravel, and lake country, dipping into Washington and back.
A mellow 101 km overnighter around Nakusp and Slocan Lake: smooth gravel, rail trail, endless swimming, and camping everywhere you look.
Four days out of Castlegar around the Rossland Range: the Columbia & Western rail grade, the Bulldog Tunnel, and flowy historic singletrack.
The gravel-bike version of Santa Rosa Valleys and Vistas: the same West Kootenay loop from Castlegar with the singletrack tamed.
The 1,164 km flagship traverse of southern BC, Fraser Valley to Fernie, on historic rail trails, gravel, and the occasional singletrack surprise.
A 252 km Fernie loop riding a modified slice of the BC Trail, captured in a beautifully shot ten-minute film of the same name.
A 304 km BT700 stretch rolling toward Castlegar, mostly gravel with long chunky sections where fatter tires earn their keep.
A 76 km mostly gravel BT700 alternative near Fernie, trading pavement for steady forest-road climbing.
The BT700's 37 km link between Fernie and Sparwood, mostly unpaved and genuinely rough in places.
The BT700's 174 km mostly paved alternative through the Central Kootenays via Gray Creek, for riders skipping the rough stuff.
From New Denver to Balfour by way of the Galena Trail's cable-car river crossing, the rough Wagon Trail into Kaslo, and lakeside highway south.
The BT700's 43 km leg from Nakusp to Rosebery: all gravel, nearly flat, and quiet the whole way.
The BT700's 76 km run through the Slocan Valley, mixing rail trail and quiet valley roads with gentle rolling terrain.
The 2,380 km BT700 flagship from Victoria to Banff, mostly unpaved, with nine side trips branching off along the way.
The Columbia & Western Rail Trail runs 162 km from Midway to Castlegar through Boundary country: tunnels, trestles, lakes, and real chunky gravel.
Four historic rail trails scattered around the West Kootenays, from an easy 15 km riverside ride to a 170 km link-up through Nakusp, New Denver, the Slocan Valley, Nelson, and Salmo.
The North Star and Chief Isadore rail trails link Kimberley, Cranbrook, and Wardner: 72 km of easy, historic East Kootenay riding.
The Westside Legacy Trail links Invermere, Fairmont, and Radium along the Columbia Valley, 50 km of lakeside riding with hot springs at both ends.
Day two of the classic Golden Triangle tour: 107 km of paved riding from Radium Hot Springs to Golden along North America's longest contiguous wetland.
The Golden Triangle's big day: 87 km climbing from Golden through Yoho to Lake Louise, with about 1,500 m of gain.
A 1,300 km gravel odyssey across southern BC, from the Coast Mountains through the Okanagan to the Kootenays, with over 17,000 m of climbing.
The cyclists' way from Trail to Salmo where the Trans Canada Trail isn't rideable: a hillier Beaver Valley run or a longer, quieter loop past the Pend d'Oreille.
A 221 km two-day West Kootenay loop linking Nelson, Kaslo, and New Denver, with a cable-car crossing on the way out and rail trail on the way home.
A 12 km Kimberley loop pairing the shady, creekside Lions Way with the flat Northstar Rail Trail home, entirely on the Trans Canada Trail.
The Canadian leg of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route: 307 km through the remote Flathead Valley on quiet gravel and dirt, bound for Mexico.
The BC leg of Great Parks North: 373 km of nearly all-paved mountain touring through the Kootenay Rockies on the classic ride south from Jasper.
The BC leg of Selkirk Splendor: 355 km of paved mountain touring through the Selkirks toward Sandpoint, Idaho, with serious climbing along the way.
We're interested in learning more about where you love to ride. Drop us a note and tell us what you publish.
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