Go & Do Summer 2019

Castlegar
Photos: Courtesy of Destination Castlegar
Embraced within the valley where the Columbia
and Kootenay Rivers converge, Castlegar
is a small city with a big heart. Situated at the
intersection of highways leading to Nelson,
Trail, the Slocan Valley and Grand Forks,
each within an hour’s drive, Castlegar is the
ideal destination for your full West Kootenay
vacation experience. Castlegar is also home
to the West Kootenay Regional Airport.
If you’re a visitor to Castlegar, there is a lot to
go and do. Castlegar is “The Sculpture Capital
of Canada”. Downtown is a must see
with over fifty sculptures on display along the
sidewalks and in the green spaces. Spend
an afternoon or the whole day exploring
Millennium Park, the walkway along the shore
and Zuckerberg Island. In the hills around
Castlegar the adventure recreation possibilities
are limitless: hiking, rock climbing,
mountain biking … and the river and lake
fishing is legendary.
In 1908, this valley of plenty became Dolina
Ootischenia or "the Valley of Consolation" – a
refuge for 5,000 Doukhobors from Saskatchewan.
Visit the Doukhobor Discovery Centre,
a complete village consisting of ten buildings,
with its own irrigation and water system, and
displays that illustrate the history of
these early agrarian settlers.
Today Castlegar boasts some
excellent restaurants and shops;
there are three golf courses nearby,
several art galleries and historical
museums and Chances Gaming
Centre, which is right next door to
the West Kootenay Regional Airport.
You can download an app from
iTunes or Google Play that will both
guide you and reward your local explorations
with points that are redeemable at Castlegar
shops. The app is called Castlegar Explorers
and it’s free!
#castlegarBC
Easy day trips
Syringa Creek Provincial Park on the
Lower Arrow Lake. There are many sandy
beaches and trails to explore. You will pass a
couple of marinas, both offering boat rentals.
One has a store to satisfy most camping and
fishing needs. Schedule a visit to Verigin’s
tomb on the way (www.doukhobor.org). After
your wonderful day at the lake, stop at Lion’s
Head Pub in Robson and indulge in a huge
selection of craft brews and home-smoked
meats.
Experience the historic Trans Canada
Trail to Christina Lake The trail descends
from the Paulson Bridge to Christina Lake
and is a great half-day cycle or full day hike.
Families love this route! Downhill grade is
2%, passing through forest and a tunnel and
over an old trestle. Mount Gladstone and the
Rossland Range are visible as well as Christina
Lake, town views and old cave systems.
www.trailpeak.com
Photo: Evening at Syringa Creek Provincial Park
Choose from the 6 Best Camping Spots in Castlegar Visit www.destinationcastlegar.com
There are few areas in the world where you can tent camp in a remote
site beside a lake and enjoy the soothing sounds of nature or
park your RV on a cement pad and watch the river flow past, and
all of it can be found within ten minutes of a city’s downtown core.
Paddle or tube the Slocan River
The Slocan River float is an excellent half-day
excursion in July or August (the rest of the
year the water temperature is too cold), or
you can turn it into a full day’s worth of family
fun by taking your time and lounging on the
various beaches.
To access the Slocan River float, drive northeast
on Hwy 3A from Castlegar for 20 minutes
until you reach the Slocan Junction where
you’ll turn north onto Hwy 6. The Crescent
Valley Beach Park is less than two kilometres
up this highway and there’s plenty of free
parking. This is the terminus of the float and
the easiest way to do it all is with two vehicles:
leave one at the Beach Park and then
drive north for 10 kms to the access point by
the bridge in Slocan Park or drive for 12 kms
to the access point by the bridge in Passmore.
Starting in Slocan Park will involve a
four-to-six hour float and starting in Passmore
will add an addition 1 to 1.5 hours.
BC Canada www.gokootenays.com #gokootenays - share the adventure! 2019 Summer/Fall GO & DO 9