Rossland is a beautiful, friendly community located in the West Kootenay mountain region of B.C., and is a terrific year-round tourist destination. Having visited Rossland in the summertime, I can highly recommend this area as a great place to explore during the warm months.
Located 10 kilometres north of the Canada/US border, Rossland is approximately 8 hours drive from Vancouver; 2.5 hours drive from Spokane, Washington or 3.5 hours drive from Kelowna, B.C. For current driving conditions please check with Drive BC. The nearest international airport is located in Kelowna, and nearby local airports are in either Castlegar or Trail.
Arriving in Rossland you have the sense that you are entering a healthy, active community. People look fit and happy, and are seen riding bikes, rolling on skateboards or walking.
Some say Rossland is the mountain biking capital of B.C. Certainly there is an avid mountain bike community. The Kootenay Columbia Trails Society (KCTS) is an active group that maintains 32 trails covering 170 kilometres and publishes a trail map to showcase their efforts. Revolutions Cycles bike shop acts as a hub for most of the cycling action in town. It's easily located, being smack bang in the middle of town on the main street (Columbia Ave). Paper trail maps are available at the store for a small fee. Trail advice is usually offered free.
Mountain biking is possible here from April to October, with the optimal timeframe being July to September. Trails range from gentle to expert.
If you're planning a family biking vacation to the area, there are a number of excellent gentle trails in and around the town. Bearing in mind that this is a mountain town, most trails have some down/up element to them. Having said that, the flagship Centennial trail is a wide and fairly gentle ride accessed from downtown. Perfect for beginners or families. Another nice alternative is the historic Museum trail which takes you along an old rail bed. For a beginner single-track trail, try the Rubberhead trail.
For a more challenging ride, take the Kootenay Columbia trail (aka the KC trail) which is highly recommended and rewards riders with a beautiful view.
Experienced and fit mountain bikers will no doubt want to try the Seven Summits ride. This classic epic ride is open only during the summer months, snowpack depending. I like the KCTS website countdown letting you know how many days until the trail is open.
If you would like to be part of a group ride while you’re in Rossland, have a look at the events calendar on the Bike Rossland site.
There are local companies that run shuttle mountain bike rides. For example, Adrenaline Adventures is one option available. Or you can ask around at the bike store. When we arrived, we found a group shuttle ride gathering outside the bike shop ready to depart. The participants were approachable and happy to give advice on other shuttle rides around.
Accommodation options range from camping to motels to the Red Mountain resort. For places to stay, start with the Bike Rossland website's recommended list of bike friendly accommodation options. Alternatively the Tourism Rossland accommodations is fairly comprehensive. If you prefer to turn up and try your luck, make sure to stop by the Tourism office at 2185 Columbia Avenue, Rossland, B.C., V0G 1Y0.
We stayed at the Rossland Motel, and it was inexpensive and cheerful, and definitely bike friendly. Just what we wanted.
