This access point is just north of the Passmore Upper Road, midway between Highway 6 to the east and the Slocan River, to the west. The Passmore Upper Road is 15.2 km. up Highway 6 from its junction with Highway 3A. From this point one may head north on the 10.1 km.
Passmore > Winlaw section or south on the 16.5 km
Crescent Valley > Passmore section of the trail. Parking is available at the trailhead and there are outhouses stationed strategically along the trail, usually at each trailhead.
Each section trailhead has signage relating a bit of the
history of the rail trail and the local area.
In the winter this rail trail becomes a cross country ski and snowshoe trail, with biweekly
Grooming taking place on the trail.
Winding gently through one of the most beautiful river valleys in British Columbia, the Slocan Valley Rail Trail offers easy access to 50 km of breath taking scenery. Following the contours of the Slocan River, the trail makes its way from Slocan Lake in the North, towards the Kootenay River in the South. From the beaches that line its path, to pristine wildlife sanctuaries, world-class fishing, white water rafting, and some of the most quaint cafe's in BC, the trail is extensively used by both locals and people from all over the world. The trail brings your close to both mixed forests, meadows, wetlands, river shoreline and rocky escarpments, and all the amenities our valley has to offer.
From the Slocan Valley Rail Trail
In 1891, on CPR's Columbia & Kootenay RailWay & Navigation Company Line, the railway to Slocan City was constructed under the C & K charter and was in operation as CPR's Slocan Lake Branch by 1897.
First named Gutelius, after Frederick Passmore Gutelius, a Columbia & Western Railway and a CPR official, he later jumped to the competition and became manager of the rival Canadian Government Railways (CNR) in 1913.
A 15 car storage track and station for the Columbia & Kootenay Railway stood here.