Summer Activities

40 km circle route that involves 4,500 feet of climbing, a high alpine pass, amazing views, ghost towns and a coffee stop. The guide by local rider “the bike guy” Doug Roberts, is a great start. To link up with local riders and for information call Doug at 250-353-2600. 

 

One of the great pleasures of touring the Kootenays is finding yourself in a place where wilderness dominates the landscape. Catching sight of wildlife as you drive along the windy roads can be memorable, but there are  some things you need to do to ensure that the deer, elk, bears  or smaller animals continue to move through their habitat peacefully.

Always reduce your speed in areas where wildlife caution signs are posted. These signs are placed in areas where there has been a high incidence of sightings and, unfortunately, collisions. Slowing down is especially important at dawn and at dusk or during the night (make sure that your headlights are clean and aligned), or while travelling on a road that follows a water source. Just reducing your speed by 20 kph will give you an extra 30 metres for braking. Slowing down and braking is almost always a safer approach than swerving.

Enlist the help of a passenger to scan the sides of the road ahead of you for any signs of wildlife. If you see wildlife, be prepared to stop. All animals are unpredictable. Even if you’re sure they know you’re coming, deer or bears may suddenly decide that now is the time to make a break and cross the road. And if you see one animal, chances are there is another on the treeline, and they’re travelling together – check to be sure. Resist the temptation to speed up on long straight stretches – a surprising number of animals are killed on these few sections of road. If the worst happens, please report any dead or injured animals to the Conservation Officer Service of BC at 1-877-952-7277.

 

Come down to the waterfront (opposite the ball diamond in Vimy Park) to see the most scenic skatepark anywhere and watch the skaters as they execute an ‘ollie,’ a ‘blunt slide’ or ‘kick flip.’   This park has a great bowl for the more daring to drop into and a wild street area with some sweet rails. You can skate hard in the beautiful outdoors and then jump in the lake right beside the park to cool down.  From bikes to skateboards, the kids ride them all at the new park. All ages participate, and it is great summer entertainment for riders and watchers alike.

 

This is one of the oldest golf courses in the province — talk about mature trees! Not to mention the spectacular views of the Purcell and Selkirk mountains and Kootenay Lake. With its new  timberframe clubhouse, this is the perfect place for both serious and novice golfers to relax and enjoy what the Kootenays has to offer. The Kaslo Golf Club has a 9 hole course, 2,788 yards total. There are rental clubs and pull and power carts. Tee times are not usually required.

 

Kaslo has a great community paintball park open for all who would like to play.  This is a completely free park that is kept up by local volunteers and always open for your enjoyment.  If you have your own gear, come out and join the locals for their regular Sunday games or drop into Barren’s Sport Shop to rent gear and/or organize your own game. This natural paintball site is right on the beautiful Kaslo River and within walking distance of town. The Kaslo River Trail will lead you to the site, but you may need a local to point you to the right area.