A Haunted Destination - Halloween in Castlegar
Although Castlegar is considered a newer community by Kootenay standards, having been incorporated in 1966, it still has enough history to scare you around the campfire at night! For Halloween this year there isn't just pumpkin patches and candy apples here in the city; with its rich history, the…
What To Do After Visiting Castlegar’s Cannabis Dispensaries
On October 17, 2019 Canada celebrates the one-year anniversary of the legalization of recreational marijuana. Medicinal marijuana has been legal in this country since 2001 but it was only last year that the federal government decreed that those over the age of 19 are allowed to put any strain of…
Canada's Best Rock Climber Calls Castlegar Festival The Best in the West
The Kootenay Rock Climbing Festival returned to Castlegar September 21-22, 2019, and featured Canada's best rock climber Sonnie Trotter. This is the eighth year the Festival has been held at the Lion's Head Pub in Robson, which is only a few minutes away from the Castlegar's downtown core and it's…
10 Reasons To Visit Castlegar Before and After Shambhala
Chances are you’ve heard of Shambhala. The 22-year-old West Kootenay event was just awarded “Best Music Festival” in North America by DJ Mag. Every year it boasts huge international acts such as Moby and Kaskade and over 10,000 revellers converge on the private farm located near Salmo, a half-hour…
A Heritage Tour Of Castlegar
Castlegar’s history dates back thousands of years to when the region was inhabited by the Lakes Salish First Nations people. The junction where the Kootenay River meets the Columbia, just south of where downtown Castlegar is now located, was an important trading place as well as a fishing spot for…
The Best Rock Climbing Routes at Kinnaird Bluffs
Kinnaird is a unique chunk of rock. Located on the southern perimeter of the city of Castlegar, the white and ruby-coloured cliff band is composed of 110 million year-old gneiss and granite formed during a mountain building episode associated with plate collision on the coast. According to…
Meet Sarah Meunier, Castlegar's Queen of the Trails
The first time I met Sarah Meunier was two years ago and she immediately impressed me with her positivity and enthusiasm. Then she told me a hilarious story about a bikini she made from two problem martens at Chatter Creek Lodge, and I wanted her to be my best friend forever. The first time…
Visit Castlegar – The Little City In The Valley
Castlegar is a special place. Located in the valley where the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers meet, this is fertile ground for all things fun. There is a thriving artistic scene here, which makes sense given that this is the “Sculpture Capital of Canada.” There is a unique cultural heritage thanks to…
The Best Camping Spots In Castlegar
There are few areas in the world where you can tent camp in a remote site beside a lake and enjoy the soothing sounds of nature or park your RV on a cement pad and watch the river flow past. And all of it can be found within 10 minutes of a city’s downtown core. The West Kootenays are world-famous…
Mountain Biking BC Includes Castlegar in its 2019 Peak to Pint Contest
Mountain Biking BC has announced its latest contest will include a stop in Castlegar to ride the incredible trails in the city and to enjoy tasty brews at the Lion’s Head Pub and the soon-to-be-opened Tailout Brewery. The winners of the “Peak to Pint Adventure” contest will enjoy seven days of…
Castlegar White Sturgeon – Proof Dinosaurs Still Swim Among Us
Many anglers are impressed by the size of the fish they pull out of the waters near Castlegar. Take Denis Woodcox for example, who caught the largest Kokanee salmon in the world in Arrow Lakes. But there are even larger monsters lurking in the deep of the Columbia River that make Denis’s 12-pound…
The Best Cross-Country Ski Loops On The Paulson Pass
Castlegar offers a lot of cross-country skiing opportunities and we’ve listed all of them in our article “Where To Nordic Skiing In Castlegar.” In this article, we’ll describe the best ski loops on the Paulson Pass, which can be found at the Castlegar Nordic Ski Club trails. This 45-kilometre-long…