Road Trip to Kootenay National Park, Western Canada
There is no better way to introduce my home country than to share my very first road trip from Vancouver to Calgary, driving through some of the beautiful landscapes in Canada from the Okanagan Valley, to the Kootenays, Rockies Mountains and Alberta Foothills. The Trans-Canada Highway stretches over 6,000 km from coast to coast, through deserts, mountains, plains, swamps, forests, lakes and more. It’s the main artery running through the heart of this great vast country. That’s where my journey begins.
The Okanagan Valley is famous for the hundreds of Wineries and Orchards that line the banks of Okanagan Lake. It’s Canada’s Wine Basket and the perfect place to stop before heading east into the haunted Kootenay Ghost Towns. Our final stop on our first leg of the trip is a short hike at Marble Canyon inside Kootenay National Park, where campgrounds are only a short walk from the trail-heads.
The best way to travel in Canada is by car or RV. Trains and flights are expensive, or time consuming. Getting around inside Canada can be a real challenge for budget travelers from overseas. With fellow travelers in mind, I put together the Canada Travel Basics Guide with more info on how to ride-share and connect with other travelers.
The Okanagan Orchards and Wineries
After scrambling to get all our luggage, tents and sleeping bags into a tiny little honda, Solange from Switzerland, Anna from Germany and myself, an East Coast Canadian, hit the road towards our first destination: The Okanagan Valley.
The Okanagan Valley is one of the hottest places in Canada, with hot dry summers over 35C. While the winter is relatively mild at -8C (for Canada). Naturally, it’s the perfect place for a winery, orchard or small farms. The Okanagan runs from the town of Vernon to Osoyoos along the US border. There are two routes from Vancouver that split off the main highway after the town of Hope. the first which we took is the southern highway #3 to Osoyoos, and the second is highway #5 to Kamloops and Kelowna.
Okanagan Valley
Crowsnest Vineyards Bakery
My favorite part of the Okanagan was the stunning view of Okanagan Lake after driving through the mountains. It appears almost out of no where as this deep blue and green valley. My second favorite part was the wine and cider! We didn’t plan any tours, or do any research in advance. We simply kept an eye out for signs about wine tastings or breweries! It’s that easy! We found Crowsnest Vineyards, a small winery and orchard with a German Style house off the main road.
They have a wine tasting bar, restaurant and guest house with 7 rooms. I’ll be honest, the German host wasn’t the most welcoming of patrons. I get it, our little car looked like it wouldn’t make it out the driveway, we were crammed in there with a box full of fresh fruit and vegetables we picked up at one of the farmers markets along the way, the perfect treat for road trip snacks and camping ingredients.
Luckily we didn’t take offence since Anna, who is also German, explained that is simply German Hospitality… Hilarious. I guess that’s why German wine never gained the same prominence of the French or Italian varieties.
There are hundreds of small wineries and orchards spread throughout the Okanagan, plus golf courses and beautiful ski resorts. Check out Okanaganwine.ca, WineBC, or HelloBC, they have a list of wine tours, tourist attractions and an interactive map with each winery pinned for your convenience!
The West & East Kootenays
My two travel companions and I continued on our way east climbing up the mountain pass into the Kootenays, given their name form the Kootenay River which itself comes from the “Kutenai First Nations” Tribe. Driving in the Kootenays is lovely, pay attention and you might see bears, moose, wild horses, deer and all kinds of small animals. I saw a black bear scoot across the road in front of us and a not so small baby moose by the river. Welcome to the heartland of the Canadian Wildness!
In just a few short hours, we drove through forested valleys, deserts, semi arid plateaus with rolling fields, cattle ranches, and then past stunning clear blue lakes, rivers and finally to the base of the Rockies Mountains. There are 11 different climates between Vancouver and the Kootenays, each with it’s own natural beauty and local flora.
Canada’s First Nations Tribes
One of the defining features of British Columbia, Canada’s most western province is the history and importance of First Nations communities. The art and culture of the First Nations people is part of the West Coast Identity and heavily celebrated.
In the US, you might hear the term “Native Americans” or “Indians” or “Eskimos”… I wouldn’t use any of those terms in Canada, they are incorrect or considered slurs.
The First Nations communities play a huge role in protecting Canada’s environment and wildlife.
The term “First Nations” includes most tribes along the south of Canada, from coast to coast. While the term “Inuit” is for the tribes that live in the northern regions; in the Territories and along the Hudson Bay.
The last term “Métis” is used to describe Canadians with mixed race heritage, notably a combination of First Nations and French. Traditional events can be found all over British Columbia, celebrating a variety of tribes, natural events like the Salmon Run, or changing of the seasons.
The Kootenays Ghost Towns
Thanks to my previous travels in Vietnam, specifically in Dalat City, I met a lovely woman from Grand Forks, BC. Despite being in her 60s, she was an avid traveler and has visited many of the destinations I long to see, like Venice and Myanmar. She has lived in the Kootenays and Okanagan Valley for years and knows it better than most. She is also my gardening pen pal, so I was excited to see her beautiful garden at her riverside home where we were hosted for the night. The region is famous for the dry temperatures and conditions for farming, so naturally the local flora is spectacular.
Over diner, we got to learn of the region’s history. The Kootenays was once a bustling region during the height of the gold rush of the 19th century. Men and families made their way to these endless rolling hills and valleys to work the mines and hopefully earn a small fortune in gold. Logging and the booming rail road industry also brought a flood of people looking for work and opportunities in what was then considered the wild west.
From 1860 to 1925, many of the small towns in the region were abandoned, the mines closed, mills dismantled and trade ceased. Scattered throughout the Koonetays lie the remnants of a time long past, abandoned towns slowly being erased by the encroaching forest and changing rivers. The first two photos are of Ainsworth, a mining town. The next two are of Cascade City which even had it’s own train station. There are tours available to explore some of the more famous Ghost Towns like Sandon and Retallack operated by Wells Gray Tours.
Town of Nelson
Nelson is the largest town in the West Kootenays. The town, not quite large enough to be called a city is popular among the free spirited.
Many of the jobs nearby are seasonal, with highs in the summer and peak winter thanks to the nearby ski resorts and golf courses. However Nelson also boasts an awesome hiking, climbing, mountain biking and canoeing scene! There are over 400 climbing routes listed in the West Kootenay Rock Climbing Guide. If you have a few days, it’s a great destination for outdoor lovers.
There is a little cafe I recommend. We stopped in for expresso’s at a small cafe called “Oso Negro Cafe”. It’s a lovely small town coffee shop, popular with the locals, a place every hipster will appreciate. The brownies are REALLY good too!
Nelson has a lot of cute local shops with arts and crafts, paintings and clothing. It’s a small town, but rich in art, music and culture.
Kootenay Ferry Crossing
From Nelson, we headed east along Lake Kootenay to Balfour Ferry Terminal so we could cross and take the scenic route South on the other side. The alternative is to head directly South from Nelson on route #6 and then East towards Creston on route #3.
I recommend taking the ferry, it’s free and the view of the surrounding mountains is fantastic! Head up towards the side decks of the ferry and enjoy the breeze! Here is a link to the summer ferry schedule.
I also appreciated being on a ferry, a thousand kilometers from the sea, deep in the mountains of central Canada. Who knew there was such a large sailing culture in the mountains.
Kootenay National Park
Cranbrook is another popular stopping place in the East Kootenays. In our effort to make good time on our travels we headed directly north along route #95, then right on route #93 along the edge of the Rockies Mountains to Kootenay National Park.
The best sights in Kootenay National Park are the Rockwall, Sinclair Canyon & Redwall Fault, Radium Hotsprings (outdoor bath), Stanley Glacier, and our favorite Marble Canyon. For more info in the local park wildlife and climate, check out the official fact sheet.
Marble Canyon is easily accessible with a nice walking path along the river that takes less than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, in 2003 a forest fire raged for 40 days in Kootenay National Park, scorching 12% of the park or 170 sq. Km. Although fires are necessary for the biodiversity of the forests, they usually only occur every 200-300 years at a given spot. Looking off into the distance, the burnt out forest is very visible.
Marble Canyon Gallery
Camping in Canada
There are three campgrounds inside Kootenay National Park: Marble, Crook’s Meadow and Redstreak. Of course there are also hotels and lodges in the main towns not far away. But if it’s summer, camping is the best way to experience the outdoors!
The camping facilities at Parks Canada Camp Grounds come equipped with a place to buy firewood, wood stoves or fire pits, full showers and bathrooms. Each site is numbered and close enough together to feel safe but also maintain some privacy… Here is a great list of camping supplies to pack specifically for the Canadian Rockies.
We locked our food in our car since we didn’t have enough rope to tie everything up in the trees. Leaving food out in bear country is unwise. Our first night, Anna was terrified. She kept hitting a metal cup with a spoon to make noise fearing a bear would come looking for food if we were too quiet. The campground had a cooler ripped apart by a bear on display to really drive home the point.
Preparing for a Canadian Road Trip
Camping in Canada is by far the cheapest way to travel and explore the country on a road trip. The campgrounds are well equipped and plentiful! The one drawback is having to bring all your own camping gear in a small car.
This is a large enough topic that I will write a separate article. As a solo traveler it doesn’t make sense to pick up all this gear, but for three or more it can be worth it, especially with second hand gear. For now here is what I recommend picking up.
Camping
- 4 Person Tent
- 2 Tarps (one for above or below the tent, one for above the cooking area)
- Winter Thermal Sleeping Bags (Summer ones are too thin for the high altitudes in the Canadian Rockies.
- Fleece liner for the sleeping bag
- Rope to tie up food items
- Hatchet for firewood
- Bear Mace (Yes Seriously)
- Matches, Lighter and Paper
Cooking
- Camping Stove with multiple cans of propane
- Metal cups, cutlery, knives and plates.
- Expresso Maker for Tea or Coffee
- Aluminium Foil
- Chocolate, Gram Crackers and Marsh-mellows
Car & Apparel
- Car Phone Charger
- Car Blanket
- Sweater and Winter or Thermal Jacket
- Rain Pants
- Waterproof Shoes or Rainboot
More Info for Travel to Canada
For your pre-trip downtime, check out our List of Recommended Books, Movies and Podcasts all featuring Canada! Lastly, I recommend picking up a Prepaid SIM Card for your own hotspot device or mobile phone. You can order in advance on our Tallypack Store and have delivered to your hotel upon your arrival!
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