Galena is a natural lead and silver ore—it was the stuff of miner’s wildest dreams back in the days of the “Silvery Slocan.” This is a historic rail trail that was used to bring ore down from the mines at Sandon. Today, the Galena Trail is a pleasant walk in the forest with an exciting cable car crossing.
Distance, round trip: 15.2 km
Elevation: +175 m
Season: mid-April to late-November
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead & Driving Directions
The Galena Trail can be accessed from either the Three Forks or New Denver trailhead.
- Three Forks Trailhead – Drive 8.4 km east of New Denver on Highway 31A until you reach the signed turn-off for Sandon. Turn right on Sandon Road and immediately look for the signed trailhead parking lot on the right side of the road.
- New Denver Trailhead – From New Denver, drive 1.5 km east on Highway 31A and then turn right onto New Denver Siding Road. Look for the parking lot and trailhead on the left after 0.1 km just before the YRB yard.
A Slow Ascent
Starting from the New Denver Trailhead – the trail curves through the forest. At 400m, come to a couple of look outs over Carpenter Creek in the valley far below. The trail gradually rises, but the ascent is barely noticeable.
After 1.7km, the trail descends into a gully with a signed junction heading down to New Denver on a lower trail. Stay left on the Galena Trail.
Cable Car Crossing
The trail meets Carpenter Creek at 4.6km and it’s time to cross the cable car. Gloves are recommended to help pull the ropes. Follow all the instructions and make sure you leave the car unhitched for the next user.
Just past the crossing at 4.9km, reach the historic Alamo Siding townsite with an outhouse and picnic table. The rubble is full of interesting gears and gadgets from the mining days.
Near Three Forks
The trail switchbacks away from Carpenter Creek at 7km, then passes a junction at 7.3km to the Old Sandon Road Trail. Stay left on the Galena Trail.
Cross Carpenter Creek on a bridge, then reach the end of the trail at 7.6km as you come up to Sandon Road near Three Forks. If you haven’t arranged for a ride, you’ll retrace your steps to head back to New Denver. Most hikers take 4-5 hours to complete the trail, round trip.
the cable crossing looks so fun!