Selkirk and Kootenay Bike Tour
Excellent guides, delicious home made, tasty and nutritious lunches. Wonderful support. Thoughtful routes. All in all an excellent experience.
I would recommend [the International Selkirk] tour. The guides were very professional, organized, knowledgeable, and attentive to detail. The meals, van support, and scenery were excellent.
Customer service from Bicycle Adventures from booking, planning, and during the trip was excellent. I was not familiar with the Selkirk Loop prior to booking this tour, but I would highly recommend to anyone who wasn't visited the area.
This is a trip with challenging, but very scenic, cycling, and that includes stays in four very interesting towns. Although there were several climbs that were long grinders, none of the ascents were killers, and the accompanying down hills never felt dangerous.
Great biking, scenery, group dynamics and fantastic guides. A physical vacation but one that always brings great times and memories.
If you enjoy cycling point-to-point for an entire week without ever having to get into the van, we have a tour for you! Southeast British Columbia is possibly the closest you’ll get to heaven on a bike. Rivers, lakes and mountains abound here! Miles of scenic roads, pristine scenery, bike-friendly towns, and endless vistas make this a cycling paradise! Bring your passport. Follow portions of the International Selkirk Loop, from northern Washington State into southern Canada and returning through the Idaho panhandle. Roll on up the Columbia River to Slocan Lake before crossing over the Selkirk Mountains to Kootenay Lake and eventually returning to Idaho along its shores. Breathe deep, ride hard and soak up day after day of glorious views.
PEDAL HAPPY! – While this is indeed a spectacular route, most of the cycling on this tour is along state and provincial highways (there are few, if any, other paved roads). Riders should be comfortable cycling on highways with varying amounts of shoulder, guard rails and some traffic.
Itinerary
Day 01
Cycle from Colville, Washington to the Columbia River and upriver into Canada.
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Prestige Mountain Resort, Rossland.
Distance
53 miles (or less)
Elevation
+4,125 ft / -2,347 ft
The Selkirk Mountains range (pardon the pun) into eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and southeastern British Columbia. After a 1.5-hour shuttle from Spokane we begin riding in Colville, Washington heading north through mixed forests to the banks of the Columbia River. Continue upriver into Canada to spend the night in the small mountain town of Rossland, famous for its winter skiing as well as summer mountain biking. Rest up at the Prestige Mountain Resort for the night.
Day 02
Summit Strawberry Pass on your way to Castlegar and the town of Nelson on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Prestige Lakeside Resort, Nelson.
Distance
68 miles (or less)
Elevation
+5,008 ft / -6,613 ft
Ride from Rossland along the border to the artsy cultural center of Nelson, British Columbia. Once a silver mining town, then a logging town, then a haven for well-educated draft-dodgers from the U.S. who were willing to put down roots, it is now considered one of the prettiest small towns in Canada for it’s heritage buildings and storybook setting. Surrounded by Provincial Parks offering a veritable playground of recreation opportunities, the result is a smart, hip and extremely fit population. Enjoy the waterfront setting at Prestige Lakeside Resort.
Day 03
Ride along creeks, rivers and crystal-clear Slocan Lake surrounded by majestic mountains.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Valhalla Inn, or New Denver Lodge
Distance
63 miles (or less)
Elevation
+5,012 ft / -4,933 ft
From Nelson we veer east then northeast following rivers to crystal clear Slocan Lake, 25 miles long and almost 1000 feet deep. Pass through history in Slocan City at the foot of the lake – once a boisterous boomtown packed with hotels, saloons and miners hoping to strike it rich. These days, it has mellowed into a peaceful town of gold-rush era architecture filled with people in pursuit of the new “gold in them thar hills” – recreation. After lunch, continue cycling along the lake to New Denver (named after the “old” Denver in Colorado). Soak up the views from town at the Valhalla Inn or New Denver Lodge.
Day 04
Enjoy a half-day ride following a historic mining route over a low pass in the Selkirks to Kaslo on Kootenay Lake.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Kaslo Hotel
Distance
29 miles
Elevation
+2,578 ft / -2,618 ft
Today we follow a historic mining route through thick forests over a relatively low pass (3600ft) through the Selkirk Range that separates Slocan Lake from Kootenay Lake – one of the largest lakes in British Columbia. Snow-capped peaks rise to the north and south as you pedal through thick forests past a handful of mountain lakes, eventually descending to the lakeside town of Kaslo. Today’s ride is shorter, giving you the afternoon to settle in, relax, and shake out the legs for tomorrow’s cycling. We’ll be at the Kaslo Hotel for a couple of nights.
Day 05
News flash: Locals can't conjure enough superlatives to describe the ride from Kaslo to Meadow Creek!
Meals
– Breakfast
Lodging
Kaslo Hotel
Distance
Optional 50 miles (or more, or less)
Elevation
+4,703 ft / -4,707 ft (or more, or less)
You have a tough decision to make today – ride, relax, or enjoy another activity? For those who want to ride, we suggest a ride up to the end of the Kootenay Lake and back. One regional bike and ski shop calls this “the most stunning out and back you will ever ride.” High praise in a region with world class scenery for sure. Since it’s an out and back route – you can go as far as you choose. If you prefer to take some time off the bike, Kaslo offers hiking, golfing, and kayaking, (not included). Lunch and dinner are on your own today.
Day 06
It's hard to beat catching a morning ferry and riding along the east side of Kootenay Lake. This has been a "favorite ride" for our guests for years!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Ramada Inn
Distance
49 miles (up to 71 miles)
Elevation
+3,815 ft / -3,651 ft (or more)
If you want to complete all 360-plus miles of this tour without getting in the van, you will need to get up early today to ride the 22 (optional/hilly) miles to where we catch a mid-morning ferry at Balfour to cross over to the east side of Kootenay Lake. Various claims have been made that pedaling along the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake is actually the most spectacular ride in the region, or anywhere in Canada for that matter. All we know is that this route has been on our Selkirk tour itinerary for years now and is always a guest favorite. Try not to go off the road while you pedal the lakeshore for over thirty miles, admiring the views! Overnight in Creston at the Ramada Inn.
Day 07
Pastoral roads take us back across the border into the U.S. to celebrate a great week in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Distance
27 miles
Elevation
+1,476 ft / -1,625 ft
Pedal out into the countryside past farms and agricultural lands on some quiet roads as we continue generally south this morning. Cross the border into Idaho to complete riding in two states and one province in two countries in seven days! Bonners Ferry was named for Edwin Bonner who built the original ferry across the Kootenay River that was used to transport mules and miners to the Canadian gold rush. Later, lumber became the local cash crop, and it became home to one of the world’s largest lumber mills. Have lunch in Bonners Ferry to celebrate a fantastic week of cycling before we hop into the van for the 2-hour shuttle back to Spokane.
