Category: Moderate Hike

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Sapphire Lakes

Shimmering turquoise lakes? Check. Meandering creeks and waterfalls? Check. Glowing fields of white granite? Check. Peaks all around? Oh yeah! Sapphire Lakes is a choice day hike for any kooteneers staying in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.

Summary
Trailhead: Kalso Lake, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park
Distance, round trip: 8.9km
Elevation: +352m
Season: mid-July to late September
Difficulty:  Moderate

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Kokanee Lake Trail

The Kokanee Lake Trail is the main access into beautiful Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. The trail starts in the forest at Gibson Lake and winds up to the sub-alpine realm of meadows, lakes, waterfalls and marmots. Kokanee Glacier Park is great place to spend a weekend, wandering among mountains and meadows.

Summary
Trailhead: Kokanee Glacier Road
Distance, One Way: 8.8km (to campground), 9.5km (to cabin)
Elevation: +578m
Season: mid-July to late September
Difficulty:  Moderate

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Smallwood Bigwood Loop

Do you like to earn your scenery? The Smallwood-Bigwood Loop near Beasley provides an uphill slog in the woods with an outstanding climatic view! From the top, you can look up and down the Kootenay River Valley to see Nelson and South Slocan. And looking across, you’ll see several prominent mountain peaks in the Bonnington Range.

Summary
Trailhead: Smallwood Creek FSR
Distance, round trip: 4.5km
Elevation: +370m
Season: mid-May to late October
Difficulty:  Moderate

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Morning Mountain Trails

Less than ten minutes from Nelson, the network of trails at Morning Mountain is fantastic hiking! The trails wind at a comfortable climb and will take you through dark cedar forests, across wildflower meadows, and up to distant views of Kokanee and the Valhalla Mountains.

Summary
Trailhead: Blewett Ski Hill Road
Distance, round trip: 9km
Elevation: +544m
Season: late April to early November
Difficulty:  Moderate

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Slocan-Evans Creek

The Slocan-Evans Creek trail is a ‘there and back again’ hike, following the Slocan lakeshore along the edge of Valhalla Provincial Park. The turnaround point is the bridge over the roaring Evans Creek, but the trail continuously opens up into rocky meadows and lapping crystal-blue shoreline.

Summary
Trailhead: Slocan
Distance, round trip: 17km
Elevation: +400m
Season: mid-April to early November
Difficulty: Moderate

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Svoboda Road Trails

A solid trek from the edge of Nelson up into West Arm Provincial Park. The trail winds up in a scenic clearing, looking past Nelson and beyond into the Kootenay River valley.

Summary
Trailhead: Svoboda Road
Distance, round trip: 10.1km
Elevation: +575m
Season: early May to late October
Difficulty:  Moderate

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