Hiking
True Adventure
Hiking in the Slocan Valley is a true adventure. Most routes are rugged, wild and offer awe-inspiring views. Hikes here do not disappoint and may be the best you will ever experience.
From strolls along the Slocan Valley Rail Trail in the valley bottom to high alpine adventures, you’ll definitely find a hike that suits your sense of adventure, physical conditioning and time-frame.
Valhalla Provincial Park is a dramatically diverse area encompassing 30 kilometres along the west shore of Slocan Lake and most of the Valhalla range of the Selkirk mountains. The peaks are truly magnificent in the northwest; New Denver Glacier (2,758 metres) dominates the landscape while the block-shaped Devil’s Couch (2,667 metres) and Hela Peak (2,717 metres) define the central area. Along the southwestern boundary is an outstanding group of spires including Mount Dag, the Wolf’s Ears, Mount Gimli, Asgard and Gladshiem (all over 2,660 metres).
Some of our favourite local hikes in Valhalla Provincial Park include Gimli, Gwillam Lakes and Drinnon Pass.
Click here for more info on hiking in Valhalla Park.
Some other local favourites include Idaho Peak, Slocan-Evans Creek Trail and Wilson Creek Falls.
Visit West Kootenay Hiking for more info on these trails and others.
Our Valley Directory contains listings under Outdoor Adventure for rec sites and trails, guides and companies who can help you navigate the Slocan Valley wilderness.
Trails
Many of our trails are multi-use trails, meaning you may encounter other hikers, cyclists, horses or motorized vehicles. Horses always have the right of way, then people, then bikes, then motorized vehicles.
Access
Access is rarely (if ever) from a paved road. Valley backroads can be quite rough, and a 4×4 road means you need a 4×4 (and know how to drive one).
Some access roads are only one vehicle wide in some places. In mountainous terrain like ours, the right-of-way goes to the vehicle heading down-hill – so brush up on your backing-up skills. Some alpine access roads are only open from July to October due to snowfall. These roads are prone to washouts in some places and may have water bars scribed into them to prevent washouts and erosion.
Hiking with your dog
Backcountry or alpine trails and pets do not mix well, and in many cases dogs are not permitted in provincial parks. There are three really important reasons for this – your safety, the safety of your pet, and the ecology of this pristine terrain.
If you need to take your dog with you, do so only in areas where dogs are permitted, keep them on a leash and pack out their feces (feces can transmit disease to wildlife).
We are continually updating our Valley Directory with local conditions and adding more routes as people make them known to us. If you would like to contribute to the updating of these local routes (even if you just have an image you’d like us to show of a recent conquest), please email us at info@slocanvalley.com.
