Revelstoke, British Columbia: More Than Just Trains

By Carol Stathers

The city of Revelstoke is located between Sicamous and Golden along the Trans-Canada Highway. Well known as a winter ski destination, it is just as amazing when the snow melts. The winter brings skiers of all types, either looking for groomed runs, or those wanting the more-adventurous backcountry or heli-skiing experiences. The warmer weather brings out the hikers and mountain bikers who enjoy the mountain views, alpine lakes and spectacular meadows full of flowers.

Huge grizzly bear statues welcome you as you enter Revelstoke; a great stop for photos. The historical downtown has lots of neat shops and restaurants. Don’t miss checking out the live music and entertainment at Revelstoke’s Grizzly outdoor Plaza on MacKenzie Avenue. During our visit, we learned that many of the buildings were either restored or moved from the former downtown area. If you are a history buff, a self-directed walking tour is available at the visitor centre or online. We stopped at La Baguette Café on Victoria Road for coffee plus picked up a loaf of bread for our picnic; then just next door at Le Marche Gourmet for some salads and cheese to round out our lunch. Both well worth a visit!

One of the things I love about Revelstoke are all the trains. It has been a hub for trains coming in and out of the town since the early 1900s. The Canadian Pacific Railway employs approximately 300 people in Revelstoke. You can learn more at the railway museum with both indoor and outdoor exhibits.

One of the activities that we still have on our bucket list is to check out the Pipe Mountain Coaster. It was not open for the season when we visited the area, but it is a popular summer activity. Located at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, it is a 1.4 kilometre coaster ride. What I would like best is that I can control my speed with a manual brake; my kids may choose to go for the 42 kilometres per hour, but not me; I would prefer to have a relaxing ride and enjoy the view. If you have a GoPro type camera, bring it with you!

From Revelstoke you have two National Parks at your doorstep: Mount Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park. Both have an incredible selection of hiking trails and campsites. If you have kids, they will love the Beaver Lodge Kids Bike Park in the Nels Nelson area of Mount Revelstoke Park; it is a really neat place for kids to play and practice their biking skills.

Close by are also a number of Provincial Parks. Martha Creek Provincial Park is located 18 kilometres north of Revelstoke on Revelstoke Lake.

Two favourite parks of ours are located south of Revelstoke; they are Blanket Creek Provincial Park (24 kilometres south) which has a warm man-made swimming lagoon and Arrow Lakes Provincial Park on Shelter Bay (50 kilometres south) which is near the ferry terminal to Galena Bay.  The lagoon at Blanket Creek is a breeding ground for frogs; our kids came back to our campsite with their buckets full of tadpoles (which they gently returned).

Another of our favourite trips is to take the ferry from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay and down to both Halcyon and Nakusp Hot Springs. Both are great places to explore if you like soaking in hot springs. In the meantime, enjoy the trains and all the other activities in Revelstoke!

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Published: July 28, 2022
Last Updated: July 28, 2022

About the Author

Carol loves being in the outdoors whether it is hiking, camping, kayaking or enjoying time at the lake. With a health background in nursing, she has written for many health-related journals and is also writing a historical non-fiction book about the Peach Valley area of Summerland where she lives. Along with writing, she and her family love camping. She grew up camping on Vancouver Island and has explored many parts of BC with her husband, three kids and their golden retriever. She and her newly-retired husband just upgraded to a newer trailer and are looking forward to more camping adventures throughout British Columbia.