Elkford

Elkford combines long hiking trails with winter activities and local festivals. If you’re looking for a vacation rental here, you can start by considering whether hiking, winter sports or a visit during a local festival will shape your stay. The trails and activities vary considerably: Alongside more than 30 kilometres of scenic hiking trails, there are cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowmobile trails and events with seasonal programs.

Hiking trails and long-distance routes

Elkford has more than 30 kilometres of scenic hiking trails. The Elk Valley Trail runs for 76 kilometres from Elkford over Elk Pass to the Alberta border. Another regional connection is the Great Divide Trail, which passes through Elkford. The Trans Canada Trail also shapes the town’s position along this route: After crossing the Alberta border through Elk Lakes Provincial Park, Elkford is the first community travellers reach in British Columbia. These details offer different points of reference when choosing a route; keep the length of the Elk Valley Trail in mind when planning your day.

Winter activities with different focuses

For cross-country skiing, the 8-kilometre Boivin Creek trail climbs 300 metres to the foot of Mount Phillips. Wapiti Ski Hill has several full runs and a vertical drop of 1,000 feet. A lit run makes night skiing and snowboarding possible there. In addition, Elkford has up to 100 kilometres of groomed snowmobile trails each year, depending on the season. These offer different ways to spend winter days: cross-country skiing, runs at the ski hill or trips along the snowmobile trails.

There’s also a specific option for a shorter outing: Elkford’s toboggan hill is on the soccer field next to the District Office. The annual Winter in the Wild weekend focuses on winter activities; it takes place every February and typically includes skating events, cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snow sculpture competitions. The toboggan hill and the event program are separate offerings.

Local festivals and activities

Wildcat Days typically takes place on Canada Day or the weekend closest to the holiday. The usual program includes a parade, a pancake breakfast, food trucks and stage entertainment. A craft market, farmers’ market, gold panning and storytelling round out the festival. This event, with its markets and stage program, differs from Winter in the Wild, whose activities are geared towards February and winter.

There are a range of recreational options beyond these festivals, too. Deerborne Disc Golf Course has 18 baskets. Near Elkford is Mountain Meadows Golf Course: its 9-hole course was established in 1976 on a natural elk pasture. Five kilometres south of Elkford are secluded, undeveloped natural sulphur springs. These places and activities add options for exercise, golf and enjoying nature.

Planning your stay

The Elkford Visitor Centre provides information about attractions, hiking trails, activities and amenities in the Canadian Rockies region. Elkford Municipal Campground has 78 campsites, as well as showers, pit toilets, fire pits, picnic tables and a cookhouse. Its facilities are within walking distance of downtown; the campground also offers river access and mountain views. When looking for a vacation rental in Elkford, you can base your plans on the time of year and what you want to focus on: a stay centred on cross-country skiing and downhill skiing has a different emphasis from hiking routes or a visit around one of the local festivals.

Discover more places: Wasa, Fraser Lake, Sparwood, Kleena Kleene, Telkwa, Hanceville.

Go to the main travel overview: British Columbia.