What type of holiday are you looking for? Are you traveling with family or friends? When would you like to visit? Let us make some recommendations!
Situated in the South Eastern corner of BC, the East Kootenays offers a network of world-class backroads/FSRs (Forest Service Roads) and trails accessing stunning natural scenery, pristine rivers, mountain passes, wildlife, world-class fishing, hot springs, ghost towns and historical sites.
EVADRS, the Elk Valley Adventure and Dirt Riders Society - promotes and protect Adventure and Trail Riding in the Elk Valley. Through careful land advocacy and work, the society strives to keep areas accessible and secure land stewardship by fostering respect and collaboration between society members, landowners, stakeholders, and the local communities.
Adventure riders can access a number of suggested backcountry itineraries via FSRs that will lead off the pavement and around the region. Fernie is a great place to set up base and explore the greater Elk Valley. Suggested itineraries expand from Radium Hot Springs to the US border and from Alberta to Kootenay Lake, minimizing pavement exposure.
If trail riding is more your thing, there is a network of over 60km of singletrack and over 100km of doubletrack in the Dorr/Grasmere area of Koocanusa, 40 minutes away from Fernie. This trail network is popular with beginners, intermediates and families, including Gracie's loop, a 10km kids loop through the Grasmere BC Recreation Site with an optional detour to the Loon Lake Recreation site, a great spot to stop and see turtles!
Visit the EVADRS website for maps, ADV tracks, how to get there and more
Know before you go to Koocanusa, other useful links:
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS IN BC (scroll down a bit...)
In 2019, the Koocanusa Recreation Steering Committee (KRSC), with the support of Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC), had selected a sustainable network of singletrack and doubletrack trails at Koocanusa. KRSC encouraged a few local riders into registering an organization that would enter into a partnership with RSTBC and become custodians of the Koocanusa Motorized Trail Network. So EVADRS came to life, and is going through the slow process of becoming a RSTBC partner in Koocanusa. Once the partnership is in place, it will be up to EVADRS and its members to find financing, maintain and keep the trails open. The Adventure portion of EVADRS was a natural addition, as Fernie is at the center of an amazing network of resource roads that make it a great destination for multi-day adventures paired with a comfortable bed and great restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops, etc.
