CASCADE GORGE TRAIL

Ideal for a family hike or bike, the old Kettle Valley Railway was decommissioned several years ago and is now part of the Trans Canada Trail. The Cascade Gorge area offers a great variety of sights and viewpoints, and is one of the most popular areas to explore around the lake. Along with the spectacular natural scenery to be found as the Kettle River carves its way through the rocky Gorge Canyon, there are also remnants of the Cascade power project, which produced some of the first AC current in the region, and opened the surrounding region to electrical power.

The trip from Santa Rosa down to Highway #3 follows the old Kettle Valley Railway bed and includes the crossing the Kettle River and Cascade Gorge on two CPR tressel bridges which have been redecked with guard rails installed. For shorter trips and more exploring options of this area, see the Trans Canada Trail page.

Distance: 5 km

Difficulty: Hike: Easy

Bike: Easy

Time: Hike: 1/2 Day

Uses: Hiking & Biking

Trail Head Access :

Follow Santa Rosa Road off of Highway #3 until just before you reach the first switchback (1.5km) and a parking area to your left. The trail is accessed by crossing Santa Rosa Road. and following the gravel track around the switchback. From here the trail slopes gently down towards the first trestle. After this, follow the rail grade, crossing Highway #395. The Falls may be accessed by crossing over a small concrete bridge (the bulkhead) just off the trail on the right, and following the path. There are no guardrails or fencing; use extreme caution while viewing from the rock cliffs. Once over the second trestle there is a short road to the right leading up to Highway #3. To return to Christina Lake, turn right and follow the highway until you reach Thompson Road (on the left). Follow Thompson Road. back down to Westlake Drive, turn right and follow to Highway #3.

CASCADE GORGE

Carved over millions of years as the Kettle River scoured through its metamorphic rock, the Cascade Gorge is one of our most treasured natural attractions. In the spring, the winter melt off surges through the canyon with an awesome display of power; by the end of summer the water levels recede to reveal the series of “kettles” carved in to the canyon walls and basin. A “must see” attraction while in the region, it must be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.
The gorge is also the site of the region’s first AC power generating station. The Cascade Dam dam at the head of the gorge diverted the Kettle River through a 125 m tunnel bored through solid rock into a man-made rock cut where the water entered a pair of 2 m diameter wooden stave pipes 500 m in length before reaching the power station at the foot of the gorge. The remains of this monumental undertaking can still be found, with the concrete bulkhead now forming a foot bridge to the viewing areas. For more information on the Cascade Dam visit the virtual museum website.

Exercise extreme caution while exploring this area, as the rocks can be slippery, and there are no guardrails or fencing. Enjoy the views from a safe distance.
There are two primary access points to the gorge section.

Gorge Canyon Trestle Bridge to Cascade Falls

Heading west from Christina Lake on Highway #3, pull into the turnout on your left just past the 395 junction where the welcome sign is located. Here you will find the short descent to the Trans Canada Trail. Once you reach the main trail, to your right is the bridge, which offers some great photo opportunities of the Kettle River winding underneath through the narrow rock fissure. To the south of the bridge is where the Cascade Dam stood from1898 to 1922.

Following the railway bed, after about a five minute walk you will find the top of the old concrete bulkhead off to your left. After crossing the bulkhead, follow the path to your right which will lead you out to the cliff face for a spectacular view of the gorge and falls.

Cascade Falls to penstock trail

After leaving Christina Lake, follow Highway #3 and take the Highway #395 turnoff. Immediately after crossing the bridge, pull off to your right where you will find a fairly steep staircase taking you up to the falls trail. This hike offers a couple of options;

To get to the closest vantage point for the falls, take the path leading off the main trail to your right, which will get you to the east bluff and Rainbow Rock. From here, you can follow a trail skirting the gorge to other view points.

Continuing on the main trail will take you to into a rock cut to the base of the old control gate bulkhead and into the penstock, past the ruins of the spillways and further on to the entrance of what is now a giant cave, originally the tunnel through which water was diverted from the river into the penstock.

You can also get to the west side of the gorge by turning right before you arrive at the bulkhead. Access to the railway grade is by crossing the bulkhead and climbing a short embankment. Turning to your right (west) will take you to the gorge trestle bridge and back to Highway #3. Following the rail bed to your left (east) will bring you to Highway #395, and on to the long trestle bridge

BADGER TRAIL

This short trail connects McRae Creek Road to Biner Road, which is the trailhead of the Deer Point Trail. A moderate hiking trail with frequent views of Christina Lake. Suitable for most ability levels, though those with bad knees may want to avoid the section with rocky steps at the McCrae Creek end of the trail.

Badger provides an intermediate singletrack biking trail with a few rocky sections and steep descents. Riders should carry their bikes up the steep rocky section from McRae Creek Road and enjoy the moderate downhill ride along the mountainside to Biner Road and Deer Point trailhead. Be sure to bring water as none is available along the trail.

Distance: 2.2 km

Difficulty: Hike: Easy – Moderate

Bike: Intermediate (singletrack)

Elev. Change: 110 m

Uses: Hiking & Mountain Biking

Trail Head Access :

Lower end (hiking): From the bridge on Highway #3, head northeast for 7.3 km to the junction of East Lake Drive. Turn left, follow for 3.6 km keeping to the left after the bridge to Biner Road on the right, where the trailhead sign is located. This private road is the start of the trail. Park at the side of the road, clear of local traffic. An unpainted sign marks the trail head about 0.5 km along Biner Road.

Upper end: Take Highway #3 past the East Lake Drive turnoff and up around the bend where McRae Creek Road meets the highway on the left. Follow 1.3 km until you reach a sharp left turn where is a small parking area and some barricades. Follow past the barricades about 50 m to the steep trailhead; after scrambling up the first rocky section you can follow Badger Trail by keeping to the left, or the more difficult Mary’s Lookout Trail which climbs to the right a little ways in.

To access the McRae Creek entrance from East Lake Drive Drive, look for McRae Road to your right immediately after the bridge, 2.2 km from the highway. Follow McRae for 1.3 km to a steep right turn in the road where the original straight ahead section of road has been blocked.

GEOCACHING

Click here(http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?lat=49.04031&lng=-118.21398&dist=100)to view Geocaching in Christina Lake

MINI GOLF

There are two places to mini golf in Christina Lake:

1. Lakeside Mini Golf, which is open from the Beginning of July until the End of August.

2. Christina Pines also offers mini golf.

FISHING SUPPLIES

Fishing Tackle and live bait are available at the Christina Lake Marina, Lakeside General Store, Christina Lake Canco and The Sand Dollar Store. Fishing licenses can be purchased  online at www.fishing.gov.bc.ca For more information on fishing in Christina Lake got to in BC please visit

WHERE TO LAUNCH

There are two public boat launches located off East Lake Drive, one at the Christina Lake Marina, where boat and equipment rentals are available, the other at Texas Point near the entrance to Gladstone Provincial Park. You can also go to Schulli Resort for a fee.

BOATING, KAYAKING AND CANOEING

Christina Lake is surrounded by some amazingly beautiful creeks and rivers which offer great opportunities for kayaking and canoeing. Check with the Christina Lake Marina, WildWays and Seasons Watersports for information, rentals and guided trips and lessons in paddle boarding, kayaking, wakeboarding, water skiing and more!

SPOONER TRAIL

In for the ride of your season? Check out Spooner Creek Trail. This trail is a classic single-track mountain bike trail providing some climbing, steep descents, technical sections, and optional stunts. It provides great viewpoints looking east over Christina Lake.

Distance : 4.25 km

Difficulty : Hike: Moderate – Difficult

Bike: Difficult

Time : Hike: 1 – 3 hours

Descent : 550m

Uses : Hiking & Mountain Biking

Trail Head Access :

Follow Highway #3 west towards Grand Forks. Just after the Highway #395, turn right onto Stewart Creek Rd. Follow for 9.6 km where there is a small pullout and the trailhead for Spooner Creek Trail. The trail descends from here down to West Lake Dr.

KETTLE RIVER TRESTLE BRIDGE

This hike includes crossing the Kettle River downstream of the falls on a 505 foot trestle bridge (Kettle River Bridge #5, now the Smitten Trestle), one of the longest on the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was redecked in 2004 as a joint military exercise with the CME and British and New Zealand troops. While approaching the bridge, the townsite of Cascade is to your north.

To access this section, take the 395 turnoff and head south. You’ll see a yellow service building to the west where the Trans Canada Trail crosses the highway, and a small parking area to the left (east) at the trail entrance. The bridge is an easy 15 minute hike along the old railway grade. Towering above the river basin below, the view from the bridge is stunning!

The trail continues on around the valley, making its way up to Santa Rosa, with plenty of scenic vistas along the way.

Santa Rosa to Kettle River Trestle Bridge

This stretch will take you down a gentle decline on a scenic tour of the valley overlooking the Kettle River and farmlands as you wind around and down to the long trestle bridge. The first viewpoint is about a 5 minute walk, where Christina Creek joins the Kettle River, with the highway bridge in the distance. Further on, the long trestle comes into view across the fields. Great for a quick hike or bike ride.

Turn off Highway #3 and follow Santa Rosa 1.5 km until immediately before you reach the first switchback, and look for the parking area and information kiosk to your left. Cross Santa Rosa and follow the path marked by the yellow trailhead sign.

GREEN TUNNEL TRAIL

This former logging road was de-activated many years ago and now provides an easy hiking/biking trail that leads from Santa Rosa Rd. to Fife Rd. There are some great viewpoints along the trail of the Christina Lake valley, Grand Forks and Laurier as it follows through a 2nd growth forest, abundant with wildlife. The trail rises 340m from Santa Rosa to the summit, then falls 590m to Hagluund Rd.

Distance : 10.7 km plus 1.2 km in from Santa Rosa

Difficulty : Moderate – Difficult

Time : 1.5 hour bike ride

Uses : Hiking, Biking, Horseback Riding

Trail Head Access :

Access: Green Tunnel Trail is best accessed from Maida Creek FSR, 7km up Santa Rosa Road. Follow Maida Creek FSR for 2 km reaching the trailhead. Just past the Dewdney Trailhead there is a parking area and the beginning of the Green Tunnel.

The trail comes out on Hagluund Road. Take that down to Fife, which then takes you back to Christina Lake.

GILPIN GRASSLANDS PROVINCIAL PARK

he region’s newest Provincial Park offers a level grade through the wide open grasslands and dry forest, for relaxed hiking or bike riding. Established to protect the feeding and critical winter habitat for a large population of whitetailed and mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep, the scenery is panoramic, with the Kettle River flowing to the south and rolling hills to the north. The trail winds its way along the valley, eventually passing the historic town site of Billings, before arriving at the trestle bridge over Cascade Gorge.

There are several entry points to the Trans Canada Trail in and around the Gilpin Grasslands. Head west from Christina Lake along Highway #3 and look for the Trans Canada Trail markers to the south.

TRANS CANADA TRAIL (KETTLE VALLEY RAIL GRADE)

Opening in 2000, the Trans Canada Trail is a 21,500-kilometre recreational trail winding its way through every province and territory, from the Atlantic to Pacific to Arctic Oceans. When completed, it will be the world’s longest recreational trail, linking close to 1000 communities and over 33 million Canadians.

Now part of the Spirit of 2010 Trail, the Christina Lake section presents a unique and diverse experience for hikers and bike riders. Explore the open terrain of the Gilpin Grasslands, the awe inspiring natural wonders of the Cascade Gorge and the Kettle River Trestle Bridge to the west. Enjoy spectacular views from the heights of the Santa Rosa/Fife section and the ascent to the Paulson summit along the historic Kettle Valley Railway grade to the northeast. The full journey from Grand Forks to Castlegar will take you across two recently redecked trestle bridges, several rail bridges, through six tunnels, and past numerous historic sites including Cascade Dam, the Fife ore loading tower and Bulldog Tunnel.

With an abundance of access points along the way, travelers can take their time exploring the trail section by section. WildWays offers convenient shuttle services for hikes or biking, and while you are there, be sure to pick up your copy of the new Trans Canada Trail: British Columbia guidebook.

PAULSON DETOUR TO CASTLEGAR

Prepare for a memorable ride. This section takes you up to the summit past the Peter Verigan memorial and on to Bulldog Tunnel, the longest on the CPR (1 km – be sure to bring lighting!) The route from Paulson to Castlegar station is about five hours, and has beautiful vistas of the Arrow Lake and the remains of old towns which dotted this valley. There is a huge Natural Arch rock formation a short ways from the rail grade, and a creek which issues out of a cave. Ask for directions as there are no signs at present.

Follow Highway #3 north out of Christina Lake towards Castlegar. 100 m before the Paulson Bridge take the Paulson Detour Rd. up then down into the valley. This leads to the access point for the Trans Canada Trail.

HUNTING LICENCES

Hunting licences can be purchased at Christina Lake Esso, Home Hardware in Grand Forks or Grand Forks Service BC Centre.

Home Hardware

Street: 350 72 Avenue
City: Grand Forks
Province: BC
Postal Code: V0H 1H0
Phone: 250-442-3135

Grand Forks Service BC Centre

Street: 7290 2nd Street, Box 850
City: Grand Forks
Province: BC
Postal Code: V0H 1H0
Phone: 250-442-4306

SANTA ROSA TO FIFE

Another of our most popular short hikes, this stretch of the trail winds through the trees along the mountainside, opening to a vantage point overlooking the town with panoramic views of Christina Lake. You can see the newly railed sections above the Crow & Bear restaurant from the highway. Formerly the Kettle Valley Railway Trail, it became part of the Trans Canada Trail in 2004.

Turn off Highway #3 and follow Santa Rosa 1.5 km until just before you reach the first switchback, and look for the parking area and information kiosk to your left. A public washroom is also available here