Road map Cranbrook and East Kootenays surrounding area (BC, Canada)

Hugging the Canada/U.S. border, this southeastern corner of  British Columbia-best seen along the Crowsnest Highway that makes giant  loops along the Moyie, Kootenay, St. Mary, and Elk rivers-was once a  rich coal-mining area made possible by the arrival of the Canadian  Pacific Railway in 1898. Today the towering mountains, gentle valleys,  inviting beaches, crystal-clear lakes, abundant sunshine, and energetic  locals are turning former mining towns such as Kimberley and Fernie into  all-season recreational playgrounds sure to please the entire family.

Cranbrook [C3] Located on a broad plain in the Rocky Mountain  Trench, Cranbrook is framed by the Rocky and Purcell mountains and  surrounded by lush forests and numerous lakes. Born with the arrival of  the CPR, Cranbrook has become the key city of the East Kootenays. The  town's historic buildings are worth visiting; information about  self-guided tours is available. ®The world-class historical railway  collection at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel displays a dozen or  more restored and preserved lavish original railway cars, allowing  visitors to step back in time and discover what luxury train travel was  like in the early 1900s.

Creston [El] In the 1930s, a dike was installed at the marshy  southern end of Kootenay Lake, creating a fertile farmland for farmers  and productive wetlands for birds. Encompassing some 6,800 hectares is  nearby Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, home to more than 250  species of birds, and the world's third-densest osprey population. Here  visitors can learn about the area's animal and bird species on guided  hikes and canoe trips. The Creston and District Museum and Archives  houses many historical artifacts, including the distinctive Kutenai  canoe with a bow and stern that point downward.

Fernie [C5] This town in the wild and beautiful Elk River  valley is a popular year-round recreational center well-known for  fly-fishing, big-game viewing, skiing, biking, hiking, and boating.  Legend has it that a curse was placed on prospector William Fernie, who  broke his engagement to a Ktunaxa woman in the 1880s. Fires and floods  followed until 1964, when aboriginal chiefs held a ceremony to lift the  curse.

Fort Steele Heritage Town [B4] Originally called Galbraith's  Ferry for the cable ferry that serviced miners during the 1864 Kootenay  Gold Rush, historic Fort Steele was renamed in 1888 after Superintendent  Samuel Steele. The boomtown thrived in the 1890s, but became a ghost  town when bypassed by the CPR. Today visitors can tour this spacious  living museum of over 60 meticulously restored buildings. Live theater,  pioneer farming demonstrations, stagecoach and steam train rides reenact  frontier life.

Kimberley [B2] Located on the slopes of Sullivan and North Star  mountains, one of Canada's highest cities (1,120 m above sea level)  calls itself "Bavarian City of the Rockies" for the colorful alpine  decor of its buildings and its pedestrian-only shopping area, DcrPlotzl.  Have your photo taken beside the country's largest operating cuckoo  clock, visit the shop of Adi, an Austrian woodcarver who yodels and  plays the accordion, and shake hands with Julyfest mascot Happy Hans.  The Kimberley Alpine Resort is the 4th largest ski resort in B.C. BBA  short drive from Kimberley is the Bavarian City Mining Railway. Take a  scenic 11 km narrated ride on a narrow-gauge mine track along the  switchbacks, tunnels, steep slopes, and sharp curves on nearby North  Star Mountain.

ATTRACTIONS

CRANBROOK

Canadian Museum of Rail Travel Cranbrook Heritage Buildings  College of the Rockies Elizabeth Lake Sanctuary (Confederation Park) Key  City Theatre St. Eugene Mission and Church

CRESTON

Creston and District Museum and Archives Creston Valley Wildlife

Management Area (Interpretation Centre) Kootenay Candle Factory

FERNIE

Heritage Buildings (Courthouse, City Hall, Post Office) Leroux Mansion Oil Derrick

KIMBERLEY

Kimberley Heritage Museum Der Platzl Kimberley Alpine Resort Kimberley Nature Park Bavarian City Mining Railway and Power House