THE KOOTENAYS - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 415

www.discovercamping.ca , May-Sept., $21), on the banks of Lower Arrow Lake north out
of town toward Nelson, then west off Highway 3A, has a beautiful white-sand beach, but
facilities are limited.
For a mix of Canadian and Russian-influenced cooking, plan on breakfast or lunch
at Dawn's Early Rising Sunshine Café (2305 Columbia Ave., 250/365-4916, 8am-2pm
Tues.-Sat., lunches $7-12). In addition to the recognizable choices, you can feast on chili
chowder borscht in a friendly, small-town café atmosphere.
Castlegar Visitor Centre (1995 6th Ave., 250/365-6313, www.castlegar.com , 9am-5pm
daily July-Aug., 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri. Sept.-June) is just south of Highway 3 as it passes
through downtown.
THE SLOCAN VALLEY
The historically rich Slocan Valley, or “Silvery Slocan,” nestles snugly between the Slocan
and Valhalla Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains. In the 1890s, the valley sprang into the lime-
light when silver was discovered at Sandon. It's much quieter today, offering many pictur-
esque towns and an abundance of outdoor-recreation opportunities.
New Denver
Named after Denver, Colorado, this picturesque town of 550 on Slocan Lake reached its
mining peak in the 1890s. Today the short main street is lined with funky false-front stores
and pioneer-style buildings left over from the prosperous silver days.
Down on the lake within easy walking distance of the main street, Sweet Dreams Gues-
thouse (702 Eldorado St., 250/358-2415, www.newdenverbc.com , $95 s or d) offers two
large guest rooms and a cooked breakfast. Out of New Denver to the south, M Silverton
Resort (250/358-7157, www.silvertonresort.com , $195-325 s or d) takes advantage of its
watery location with self-contained cottages that are as close to the water as any I've seen
in British Columbia. Campers can head to a municipal campground (May-Sept., $18-24),
on the south side of the town and with full hookups, or beside Wilson Creek to Rosebery
Provincial Park, six kilometers (3.7 miles) north of town (no reservations, early May-mid-
Sept., $16).
Valhalla Provincial Park
This 49,893-hectare (123,290-acre) park preserves the high peaks, deep valleys, and mag-
nificent alpine lakes between the Valhalla Range of the Selkirk Mountains to the west and
the west shores of Slocan Lake to the east. The most imposing peaks are in the south of the
park, where spectacular spires rise above alpine meadows to a height of 2,800 meters (9,190