The Kaslo River Trail is a fairy tale of a trail, winding along the burbling river and mossy banks. The main loop arcs over the river on two covered bridges, both painted an enchanting shade of red. Look for the magical “Koots” sculptures playing hide-and-seek among the boulders and enjoy the shady calm of the forest.
Distance, round trip: 3.6km
Elevation:Â +90m
Season: early April to late November
Difficulty:Â Â Easy
Trailhead & Driving Directions
The Kaslo River Trail is part of a network of trails and there are several places to access the loop. If you’re parked near downtown Kaslo, a short walk to the end of 5th street will lead you to the Unity Bridge and is a great place to start. There is also parking for a few vehicles here.
Each trailhead features a map and the network has signed junctions to help you get around.
Along the North Bank
You can hike this loop in either direction. The North bank features wider paths with a wheel-chair accessible stretch and heads up in a counter-clockwise direction from the Unity Bridge on 5th Street.
As the trail goes on, it branches into upper and lower paths. The lower trail dips down along the river bank, where it weaves between mossy river stones and ancient horsetails.
Upper Trailblazer Bridge
Reach the Upper Trailblazer Bridge and enjoy the views. The Kaslo River is churning below and you can look upstream to spot some small cascades. On a clear day, spot the spiky peaks of the Purcell Mountains in the distance, including iconic Mount Loki.
Hide-and-Seek
As you make your way along the south-side of the river, you’ll come across the Koots sculptures playing hide-and-seek among the boulders. These 7 sculptures were creating by the Koots Artist Collective – see if you can find them all!
The trail is full of magical little moments – pink fairy slipper orchid, blue forget-me-nots, tipsy stacks of stone, twisted roots and rocks. The pathways are bordered with river stone and meander across the mossy forest floor.
Lower Unity Bridge
As you complete the loop, you’ll reach the Unity Bridge on the lower section of the trail.
What is a “wheel-chair accessible chair”? Is it only the north bank trail that is wheel chair accessible? Is that part of the trail paved? Thanks. Looking forward to seeing it this summer.
Whoops, sorry that was a typo. The north side is gently graded though has a gravel surface once it leaves the paved road.
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