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The Kootenays: Nelson to Golden – Route Guide
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British Columbia's inland secret: Victorian silver-rush Nelson with its heritage main street and craft-beer soul, lakeside roads along Kootenay Lake, hot springs inside actual caves at Ainsworth, and the climb over Rogers Pass between walls of glacier. Mountain towns with bookshops, the Kootenays in five words.
The Kootenays: Nelson to Golden is a 415 km one-way journey (mixed transport). It works best as a 4-day trip; the plan below is the 4-day version for July, built from 159 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.
Plan your own version → 4-day plan · best time to go
The route
What you'll see
Choose your length
When to go
Best months: June, July, August, September
The Nelson streetcar and SS Moyie normally operate from mid-May to mid-October. The Meadows in the Sky summit road usually opens only from mid-July to mid-October; the planner includes each visit only in its supported months, and you should check exact dates and live parkway status.
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