Has your bike been sitting in the garage this winter gathering dust? Well it’s about time to grab your motorcycle and head out. This summer you and your bike will have a great time time visiting places such as Cranbrook, Golden and Nelson, and you’ll discover other communities and attractions to be explored en route. Whether you start your self-guided circle tour in Cranbrook, Nelson, Invermere, Kaslo, Golden or any of the wonderful hot springs along the way, you will be able to follow a scenic loop all the way back home.
Cranbrook roads twist to delight
As Cranbrook is nestled between the Purcell and Rocky mountains, the scenery around this community is spectacular. For a fun day trip in the Cranbrook area, head out to Fort Steele via Highway 93/95 and turn south on the Wardner-Fort Steele road. Here, you will encounter hard bends and curves in the highway. This road parallels the Wild Horse Creek and Kootenay River, and affords views of Fisher Peak—the highest mountain in the area.
Nelson offers the best in the West
The route from Creston to Nelson via Highway 3A has been rated by the motorcycle guidebook Destination Highways as the best motorcycle road in B.C. This highway winds along Duck Lake and Kootenay Lake, taking you through the communities of Boswell, Gray Creek, Crawford Bay and Riondel.
Once you reach Kootenay Bay, take the longest free ferry ride in North America to Balfour; 20 minutes beyond lies Nelson. This city is peppered with funky shops and ethnic restaurants—it is truly a community not to miss.
A Golden highway
After you’ve explored Nelson, check out Kaslo and then head north through Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks. The town of Golden lies farther east along Highway 1; here, you can try whitewater rafting down the Kicking Horse River and drop by the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre, where wolves can be observed in their natural environment. A 30-minute drive east of Golden is Yoho National Park. This park has breathtaking mountain views, cascading waterfalls and lots of hiking trails.
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