Outdoor fun, history and fresh air sum up this charming lake-side town with spectacular views of the Purcell and Selkirk mountains in British Columbia.
Kaslo, just west of the Canadian RockiesOpens in a new window, is also known as Canada’s Little Switzerland because of its pristine heritage buildings with mountain and lake views.
Start at the lakeside Kaslo Visitor Centre to board the historic SS Moyie, a restored 19th-century passenger sternwheeler. During an interpretative tour, admire the ship’s Victorian interior, complete with dinner settings and old suitcases.
Kootenay Lake is just 1.24 miles (2 kilometer) wide at its narrowest, but 97 miles (156 kilometers) long. In summer, take a cruise on a sailboat, skim over its surface in a powerboat or rent a houseboat or canoe.
Admire the wooden City Hall, built at the height of the silver rush in 1898. Nearby, browse a make-shift mining museum called the Kootenay Star in the basement of coffee shop. Also don’t miss the Langham Cultural Centre, a former hotel, which incorporates art galleries, a theater and a Japanese Canadian Museum. The hotel was used to intern Canadians of Japanese descent during World War II.
Follow the Kaslo River Trail, by foot or on mountain bike, through a forested valley. Other recommended trails are the Wardner Street Trail and Fry Creek Trail.
Visit Kaslo in spring to witness a century-old Kaslo tradition, May Days. The festival features loggers' sports, maypole dancing and a street parade. During the Kaslo Jazz Etc. Summer Music Festival in August, enjoy music performances on a floating stage near the beach.
Just out of town, go rafting on the Lardeau River, visit a ghost town in the Silvery Slocan or hike to Fletcher Falls.
Enjoy cat or heli skiing in winter and heli-biking and backcountry mountain biking in summer at the Retallack mountain lodge.
Take a walk on the wild side in the provincial parks surrounding Kaslo. See bears roam the forest, salmon swim against the stream and bald eagles soar overhead. At Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, the glistening Kokanee and Woodbury glaciers feed into stunning mountain lakes of all colors and shapes.
After your outdoor adventures, soak in the therapeutic waters of the Ainsworth Hot Springs while pondering your next British Columbia destination.
