Road Trips
Road Trips to the Boundary
There are several ways to start your Boundary Country adventure. Hwy 3 is the main highway that traverses Boundary Country. Take a day trip or stay for a week or two. This is cottage country. It’s a great place to relax, hike an iconic trail, explore ghost towns, soak in hot springs, pan for gold, or play at a beach. Mountains, valleys, canyons, rivers and lakes all form part of the landscape. Bring or rent an RV and stay along the way as you explore one of BC’s best-kept secrets. Bring your electric car! We have charging stations in Beaverdell, Rock Creek, Midway, Greenwood, Grand Forks and Christina Lake.
Crowsnest Hwy 3
From Vancouver, head to Hope and take the Crowsnest Hwy 3 through the Similkameen Valley. Manning Park and China Ridge are where you can enjoy year-round activities. Cycle the Trans Canada Trail and the Kettle Valley Rail Trail from Princeton to Tulameen and Coalmont’s hamlets. Princeton is legendary for its fishing. Stop at Hedley and learn about First Nation people at the Snaza’ist Discovery Centre. Cawston/Keremeos is home to organic fruit, vegetable growers and a wine region that boasts almost 20 wineries. Travel onwards to Osoyoos, cross Route 97 and enter Boundary Country.
From Calgary, AB, drive south on Hwy 2 and venture west on Hwy 3 for your Boundary Country adventure. Your first stop is Christina Lake, with plenty of beaches and water fun. In the winter, strap on your skis or snowshoes and explore the area.
Hwy 33 and the Big White Road Trip
You can connect to Hwy 33 at the junction of Hwy 97 and 33 in Kelowna. From Kelowna, travel east on Hwy 33 to the Big White Ski Resort—the home of champagne powder in the winter and lush mountain wildflowers in the summer. Take a Big White Road Trip and travel Hwy 33 south from Big White through Boundary Country’s communities of Carmi, Beaverdell and Westbridge. Stop in Rock Creek, at the junction of Hwys 3 and 33 and explore the Kettle Valley Rail Trail (KVR), part of Canada’s iconic Trans Canada Trail. In warmer months, dip your pan in the river. You may discover gold! At Rock Creek, you can drive further into Boundary Country east on Hwy 3 towards Midway and beyond to Christina Lake, or turn west for Bridesville.
From there, you’ll connect to Osoyoos, at the junction of Route 97 and Hwy 3. At Osoyoos, you can travel further west on Hwy 3 through the Similkameen Valley, go north on Route 97 up the Okanagan corridor, or head south to the United States.
The Boundary Monashee Road Trip
Take your time enjoying Boundary Country and then go on a Boundary Monashee Road Trip (see map at right). From Christina Lake, connect to Hwy 3A to get to Hwy 6 and head north. This is Kootenay country, where revitalizing, natural mineral hot springs abound. Soak your cares away or relax on Upper Arrow Lake. Head west on Hwy 6 and drive through the charming agricultural communities of Cherryville, Lumby and Coldstream on your way to Vernon, where you’ll connect with Hwy 97. Then it’s time to choose between three routes. Head north to the Shuswap, travel south down the Okanagan Corridor or head back for more fun times in Boundary Country.
From Alberta, take Hwy 1 to Revelstoke. From here, you can access Boundary Country on the Boundary Monashee Road Trip. Drive south on Hwy 23 to Nakusp and enjoy the hot springs before connecting with Hwy 6 south. You’ll drive through the Kootenays and connect with Hwy 3 at Castlegar, where you’ll travel west to Christina Lake. From there, it’s a short drive to all that Boundary Country has to offer.
Once you’ve enjoyed Boundary Country, you can continue on the Boundary Monashee Road Trip. Travel west on Hwy 3 to Route 97, then travel north to Vernon, where you can take Hwy 6 east to Nakusp and return to Hwy 1 near Revelstoke.
From the USA
There are several ways to arrive in Boundary Country from North Central Washington State. Cross into Canada at the Nighthawk or Oroville/Osoyoos border crossing and drive east on Hwy 3 to Boundary Country. You can also take the Historic Highlands Road Trip to one of the more minor border crossings in Boundary Country. Enter off Route 97 at Tonasket (to Hwy 20) or Oroville (to Chesaw Road) WA. You’ll travel through lush ranchlands and countryside, through ghost towns and picturesque communities. Cross over into Boundary Country at Ferry/Midway crossing on US 501 or the Danville/Carson (US 21) crossing near Grand Forks. When coming from the Spokane, WA area, cross over near Christina Lake at the Laurier/
Cascade border crossing. Check online for border crossing times.
From Here to There
Here is a list of distances from major cities near Boundary Country. However you get here — it’s a road trip you’ll not soon forget.
| Calgary, AB | 700 km | 435 mi |
| Edmonton, AB | 998 km | 620 mi |
| Jasper, AB | 918 km | 570 mi |
| Kamloops, BC | 364 km | 226 mi |
| Kelowna, BC (via Hwy 3 & 33) | 209 km | 139 mi |
| Seattle, WA | 540 km | 336 mi |
| Spokane, WA | 203 km | 126 mi |
| Vancouver, BC | 521 km | 361 mi |
Should you prefer to fly, all the above cities, except for Jasper, have their own airport.
