Shopping & Dining

Shopping

Distinctive Rural Retail

The magic of retail in this isolated but thriving pocket in the Kootenays is far from what you’ll encounter in any urban centre.

Replace big box stores with heart-centred backcountry boutiques offering handmade clothing and goods. Replace outlet malls with family-run shops and steampunk thrift stores. Replace big grocers with small organic farm-supplied community hubs. Replace beauty stores with apothecaries and voila, welcome to the Slocan Valley shopping scene.

The Valley is filled with one-of-a-kind shops and the people behind these retail businesses put a lot of love into their niche offerings. And while the spirit of friendly competition exists, our shop owners love to support one another and keep the flavour of this special place alive.

From Crescent Valley to New Denver, the shops and galleries here truly offer an authentic and sincere shopping experience.

Food & Dining

Homegrown & Eclectic

The food and dining scene in the Slocan Valley is distinctive. Restaurants from Playmor Junction to New Denver feature menus with seasonal, farm-fresh local ingredients and cater to people’s allergies and food sensitivities like no other rural place.

Vegan and gluten-free options abound just like in a big city but our Valley restaurants step up their game even further by working directly with farmers and sourcing ethical products.

Far from fast food, the slower pace of life in the Valley translates to its restaurants as well. Your patience will pay off as our restaurant owners and staff truly take the time to pack your plate with delicious and fresh local ingredients.

Beyond the Valley’s eclectic restaurants, the food scene here is extraordinary. Historically, farming and agriculture have always been a part of Valley life. Today, all you need to do is take a Sunday stroll down the backroad to discover farm stands selling fresh eggs, flowers, honey, jams, pesto, scapes and more.

The farmers markets in New Denver and the Village of Slocan are quite popular and are a great place for locals and visitors to buy their food in the summer months. You can trust the food you buy is coming from a certified organic farm or an up-and-coming farm who is practicing organic and ethical techniques. There is a lot of food diversity in the Slocan Valley which enables our farmers to supply its residents and visitors with food that aims to nourish the body and soul.

Even our local food bank has hampers consisting of 70 percent organic food and local organizations like Kootenay Food and the West Kootenay Permaculture Co-op strive to connect eaters with growers in unique ways through programming and events.

Wildly Authentic

Known for its acceptance of people who don’t typically fit into a box, the Slocan Valley has a rich legacy of being a little different…and very creative. The sheer amount of artists, makers and musicians is remarkable and together have woven a colourful community fabric.

Painters, potters, fibre artists and photographers are a valued and celebrated part of Slocan culture. From the walls of gas stations to bus stop shacks along the highway, the passion for art is evident in the outdoor murals you see that provide unique insight into Slocan Valley life and history. The Slocan Valley Community Arts Council, Slocan Lake Arts Council, Columbia Basin Trust, Valhalla Fine Arts Society and the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council are all passionate about supporting the artists who thrive here.

There are galleries like the Hidden Garden Gallery in New Denver and Silverton Gallery in Silverton as well as hidden gems like the Japanese Memorial Gardens in New Denver. Various restaurants in the Valley are filled with local art and one of the most popular Valley events, the Slocan Art & Garden Tour, pairs local artists with spectacular gardens every June.

The music scene is thriving in every corner of the Valley with backyard jams, cafe performances, magical EDM parties and a rotating music festival scene.

When it comes to dance, don’t even try to stop us. It breaks out at nearly every event and festival in the Valley thanks to dance collectives like In the Sticks, while dance and yoga is practiced in backroad studios like Bindu Community Studio in Winlaw and wherever the beauty of nature calls.

No matter what you’re into, nature is the glue that connects us all and is an important point of connection for visitors and locals alike. Rugged, rural and wild, the Slocan Valley feels like one of the last frontiers, where people can truly feel like they’re “away from it all”. 

History is everywhere in the Valley; stories interwoven over thousands of years. And the unique and eclectic mix of people here do an amazing job of looking after one another and working together to make the most of daily life.

Check out our Valley Directory to learn more about the studios, galleries and arts organizations in the Valley.

Truly Out There

After you pitch a tent at a Slocan Valley campground or rec site, you may never want to leave.

Whether you’re looking for a place to spend the night after a long day of hiking or paddling, or you’re searching for a relaxing getaway from town life, camping in the Slocan Valley is an experience like no other.

There are campgrounds located at Valhalla Pines in Vallican, Springer Creek RV Park and Campground in the Village of Slocan, Silverton Campground in Silverton, Karibu Park in Winlaw and Centennial Campground in New Denver as well as recreation sites located in Valhalla Provincial Park, Summit Lake Provincial Park and Rosebery Provincial Park.

Check out your options with B.C. Parks!

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.

A Paddler’s Paradise

The Slocan Valley is famous for its cool, clear mountain waters. In the old days, they transported logs and barges, and now we prefer to just play on them.

With excellent Class I – III rapids on the Slocan River and amazing paddling opportunities on Slocan Lake, the Valley is truly a paddler’s paradise.

Paddling the entire length of Slocan Lake is must for locals and visitors alike. There are numerous places to camp along the west shoreline, tarzan ropes to swing from and old ranger cabins to explore.

Just be careful. Slocan Lake is famous for sudden winds that seemingly come out of nowhere. Conditions can become quite dangerous very quickly so keep close to shore, always wear a lifejacket and be prepared. A sunny calm day can change in a matter of minutes.

The Slocan River is a narrow beautiful waterway with occasional rapids (nothing over Class III). You will need experience in reading and running whitewater, although there are many calm shallow areas on the river. Paddlers should be adequately equipped and know their abilities and limitations.

Intermediate-level paddlers might want to get a taste of the river between Slocan and Crescent Valley, a Class II, 80km trip that will take a full day. To shorten the trip, the river may be accessed at any of the bridges along Hwy 6, particularly between Perry Siding and Slocan Park. The most technical portion of the river (Class III) is just north of its confluence with the Kootenay River, a 5km stretch between Crescent Valley and Shoreacres, a popular play spot for kayakers and canoers. Put in at Crescent Valley and take out at Shoreacres, just downstream of the railroad bridge. Allow one to three hours.

If you wish to rent kayaks and SUPs or go on a guided adventure, our friends at Endless Adventure in Crescent Valley, ZET Kayaks Canada in New Denver or Columbia Kayaking will set you up! Check out the Outdoor Adventure category in our Valley Directory for more info.