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City of Revelstoke
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Farmers market in Grizzly Plaza
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Kayaking Revelstoke Lake
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Revelstoke Lake
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Mountain biking on the Monashee Mountains
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Nakusp, BC and Upper Arrow Lake
By Perry Mack
There’s nothing ‘small town’ about the marine and mountain adventures to be had in and around this alpine village. Straddling the tremendous trifecta of the Illecillewaet River, Lake Revelstoke and the Arrow Lakes, Revelstoke provides access for you and your boat to over 260 kilometres of aquatic adventures.
Launch your boat at Centennial Park in town, or better yet, tow it 40 minutes south on Hwy 23 to Shelter Bay in Arrow Lakes Provincial Park, where the recently completed 2.4 million dollar upgrade will make your boating life better.
There are also boat launches available at Five Mile Boat Launch or for larger boats Martha Creek Provincial Park as well as other provincial along the lakes. It is important to remember that they are reservoir lakes and BC Hydro warns water levels can fluctuate by 20 metres – sometimes 30 cm in a 24 hour period so watch your depth when you anchor overnight!
The shoreline provides very few places to beach as dramatic cliffs and steep sided forested slopes rise from the waters edge. The views provide a supernatural backdrop for boating, canoeing, kayaking and stand up paddleboards. Most of my jaw-dropping landscape photos come from this region, where deep blue skies are often mirrored in the surface of placid lake surfaces. For anglers, the Arrow Lakes are famous for large Gerrard rainbow trout and good-sized Dolly Varden char. They are also stocked with kokanee and bull trout plus barbot and whitefish.
Days off the water can be filled with astounding views hiking and biking in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks where every bend in the trail will redefine what a ten out of ten view looks like. Get your free Discover Parks Canada pass before you go so your admittance is free!
Don’t forget to soak your cares away at nearby Halcyon or Nakusp Hot Springs.
Some towns have a talent for welcoming visitors and Revelstoke is one of them. You’ll all types of accommodations from rustic camping to RV resorts, B&B’s to luxury lodges and resorts. This alpine town has character. Hundreds of heritage homes surround many original early 20th century business buildings downtown. Make sure you stop at Grizzly Plaza where the Revelstoke Arts Council hosts the Summer Street Festivals July and August, and you’ll enjoy the Farm & Craft Market Saturdays from late April to October.
Local attractions worth visiting include the Heritage Railway Museum and an absolute must is the SkyTrek Adventure Park, which is next door to The Enchanted Forest. The adventure park has tree top trekking adventures for the fearless in your party, as well as the kids’ routes for the future daredevils and a kid’s jungle gym. The Adventure Tower sports and a climbing wall, sky swing, sky drop, and log climb.
- Parks Canada – www.parkscanada.gc.ca
- SkyTrek Adventure Park – www.skytrekadventurepark.com
- Revelstoke railway Museum – www.railwaymuseum.com
- BC Hydro – www.bchydro.com