Local Flavours: The Complete Guide to Riding in Fernie, British Columbia

Note from the author: 2020 was weird and 2021 is shaping up to be just as unpredictable. It’s hard to know what travel will look like this year for both domestic and international tourism in BC. What I do know is that daydreaming about these incredible riding destinations and making plans for when travel is both safe and responsible is good for the soul and keeps me motivated to ride the trainer in my garage.This episode was produced in August 2020 when BC Covid cases were extremely low, travel was allowed and all pertinent safety measures were taken into consideration from face masks, physical distancing and buckets of hand sanitizer. For updated advise on travel restrictions and provincial guidelines visit the BC CDC website and Tourism Fernie’s Covid-19 travel section. Enjoy, keep dreaming and stay safe out there.

Fernie sits right in the south-eastern corner of BC, nestled in the picturesque Elk Valley. The landscape is classic Canadian Rocky Mountains with emerald rivers flowing through heavily wooded valleys and towering limestone peaks reaching skywards as far as the eye can see. The riding here mirrors the natural terrain with easier green and blue trails generally lower in the valley with the black and double black trails beginning higher in elevation where the mountains become steeper.










Before national and territorial borders were established, peoples of the Ktunaxa Nation, also known as the Kootenai, ranged from central BC down to northern Washington, Idaho, Montana and further east into Alberta. The Elk Valley and Crowsnest Pass (now highway 3) was a well trodden trade route and the main artery across the Rocky Mountains to the eastern plains to hunt Bison. Today, the Ktunaxa number around 1500 people spread through the Elk valley and surrounding region, and retain linguistic and cultural ties to Bands in Idaho and Montana in the Tobacco Plains.

Fernie is named after William Fernie who, alongside Colonel James Baker, was the driving force behind the coal mines located here. With the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railroad in Fernie in 1898, the production of coal in the Elk Valley began in earnest and the new town of Fernie took shape opposite the CPR tracks. It wasn't smooth sailing however. In the coming years, the town of Fernie would burn to the ground twice in 1904 and 1908, suffer floods, and Canada’s largest mining disaster which killed 128 miners in 1902. Fernie has since staved off disaster and the town centre if full of beautifully kept heritage buildings - most built out of brick because of the previous two versions of the town burning to the ground.

The roots of coal mining are still present in Fernie with 5 active mine sites in the Elk Valley supplying well paying jobs to residents of Fernie and neighbouring Sparwood and Elkford. But the main games in town these days are in tourism, hospitality or the trades to support the active town of 5200 year round residents and the thousands of tourists that come to enjoy the mountains each year. There’s basically every mountain or river sport on offer here and Fernie does every one of them very very well.






Fernie sits on highway 3 which is the southernmost of the three highways that cross the Canadian Rockies only 3 hours from the closest major city - Calgary. Maps can be a little bit misleading when planning your trip. Driving from Vancouver to Fernie, which looks like a roughly straight line across southern BC is anything but and is a deceptively lengthy drive. Clocking in at around 11 hours, it’s still doable in a long day. But for our southern neighbours, the landscape is a bit more conducive to faster access. Missoula, MT and Spokane, WA are a short 4 and 4.5 hours drive respectively. What came as a surprise to me is that cities which I would have thought to be much further away than Vancouver like Portland, OR (10 hours) and Seattle, WA (9 hours) are easily within striking distance for an extended weekend road trip. A car isn’t necessary in town but is a nice option to see the area.

For domestic travel, the closest airport to Fernie is in Cranbrook (YXC) 115 km west and roughly a 70 min drive. There are daily flights from Calgary, Kelowna, and Vancouver operated by Air Canada, Westjet, and Pacific Coastal. The best airport for international travellers is Calgary International (YYC). You’ll find all of the major car rental companies and regular bus and charters that will get you the last 3 hours to Fernie. You can find more detailed travel info here.


Fernie is just as much of a winter destination as a summer one - even for biking! Expect cold and snowy winters for groomed fat bike trails with temperatures in the -10 to -2 °C (14-28 °F) range and an average snowfall of 9m (30 feet)!. Summers are hot and dry with daily temperatures in the high 20’s (80°F). Spring and fall are great times to visit with the trails thawing out in April and staying ridable through October and in decreasing numbers in November. The most precipitation falls in May/June and Oct/Nov but there are lots of sunny days mixed in to each month. Mornings are generally cool and great options for riding before the mercury hits the high 20’s and 30’s in the summer.













Bring ‘em if you got ‘em. If you’re driving here and have enough room at your accommodation, Fernie has something for every bike in the quiver. Long travel bikes are mandatory for the shuttle trails but might be a bit of overkill for the bike park. You are going to have to pedal to most of the trails here so something in the mid enduro range will be your most versatile option on the chunky descents if you can only bring one bike. There is so much riding here that no matter what bike you bring (if you only bring one), there is a ton to ride in each and every category including the increasingly popular gravel grinds.


Fernie Trails Alliance is the blanket trail organization which handles trail maintenance, advocacy and development, and a few events. The FTA is made up of member group of stakeholders such as the Fernie Mountain Bike Club (which run the events and weekly rides) and Stag Leap Running. Despite primarily using trails not maintained by the FTA, the Fernie Trails and Ski Touring Club and the Nordic Society also participate in meetings and support the FTA.

An organization like the FTA is critical to sustaining the trails in Fernie. Much of the surrounding land is privately owned so agreements to preserve and revive trails is an ever evolving process. Fernie has a paid trail crew of four and hold weekly volunteer dig days on Thursday evenings. I like to donate $10-15 per day when I'm travelling to ride and I highly recommend anyone visiting to Fernie to donate to help with maintenance and stewardship to either the FTA or FMBC or on Trailforks. There are a lot of volunteers who help maintain the trails as well - notably the local shuttle crews up on Morrissey Ridge.


All shops are right in downtown. Most shops organize weekly group rides which is a great way to make new friends and get acquainted with the local riding scene.

Straight Line Bicycles - The only dedicated year round bike shop bike shop in town. Good service and it’s the spot if your suspension needs some work.

Guides Hut - Quality bike mechanics, guiding services and bike lessons.

The Ski Base - More of an outdoor store, still has a good selection of parts and bikes.

GearHub Sports - Another great option for bike service and checking out a new ride.











Fernie is a well established year round tourist destination and has the infrastructure to handle any and all types of travellers on any budget. As with most small mountain towns these days, Air B&B is quite a popular option - especially if you have a group of friends. There are a number of campsites in town with Mount Fernie taking top spot for forested sites and proximity to some amazing riding. Tourism Fernie has a comprehensive list of the larger hotels and lodges for something a little more upscale.

For the gastro enthusiast, you’re in luck! Just like the bike trails, there’s diversity and high quality represented with loads of international culinary delights.

Breakfast:
Rooftop Coffee Roasters - Top quality coffee roasted right upstairs from the cafe. There's also pain au chocolate, croissants and little donuts.
Bridge Bistro - More traditional breakfasts and eggs Benny. Great riverside patio for summer!

Lunch:
Big Bang Bagels - It’s an easy spot to find, just look for the lineup extending out the door, down the main street and around the corner. This small eatery has great bagels and bagle-wiches. Don’t get discouraged by the line though, the service is fast and worth the short wait.
The Chopstick Truck - A great option if you’re coming back from riding Mt Fernie. This food truck is parked across the bridge west of town serving up Vietnamese inspired street food like bao bun tacos, bowls and wraps and of course Vietnamese iced coffee.
The Lunchbox - The name says it all - homemade chilli, sandwiches, wraps, salads and smoothies.

Dinner:
Himalayan Spice Bistro - Atmospheric South Asian and Himalayan restaurant. Curries and vegetarian dishes are the specialty here. They’re also open for breakfast and serve one of my favourites - Shakshuka eggs!
Nevados / Luchadora Burrito Co. - Mexican tapas, tacos, burritos, and a huge tequila selection. The vine covered shaded patio is a great spot to sample a traditional spicy margarita or one of the many tequilas, mescals, or craft beers.
Yamagoya Sushi - No matter how far from the ocean, ski towns always seem to have high quality sushi and Yamagoya is no exception.






Cast a Fly: Fernie is a great fly fishing destination with easy access to a number of lakes and rivers. The Elk River holds one of the largest populations of pure strain Western Cutthroat Trout and monster Bull Trout.

Get out on the River: The Elk River which flows right through Fernie has a ton to offer. Go rafting and cliff jumping with Canyon Raft Co or Mountain High River Adventures. For something more toned down, take a float on any device that can hold some air for a lazy afternoon post ride cool off. Put in at the bridge by Tim Hortons and float down to Dogwood Park at the south end of town.

Gain some elevation: Fernie has some incredible hikes which is the only way to access the upper reaches of the dramatic peaks in the area. One of the highlights is the Three Sisters - the prominent collection of peaks north west of town is 19.6 km return and is a must do.









Mt Fernie mountain biking trails

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