Built by the CPR as part of the Columbia & Western Railway, this section of the line was amalgamated with the Kettle Valley Railway and saw service until the last train ran in 1991. Over the course of the next few years the tracks were taken up and the railbed eventually became a rail trail, managed by the
Columbia and Western Trail Society (C&WTS). Here, the distinction between the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and the Columbia & Western Rail Trail has become blurred, as the signs at this point refer to the trail as the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, though the line was originally part of the Columbia & Western Railway. That's of no real consequence, though, as they're all part of the Trans Canada Trail now. On the Trans Canada Trail, this section is officially known as the Columbia and Western Trail (Grand Forks to Christina Lake).
The Columbia and Western Rail Trail is 162 Km long from Castlegar, British Columbia to Midway, B.C. and travels the abandoned Canadian Pacific Boundary Subdivision with the last train going through in 1991. In 2000 the C.P.R. donated the line to the Province of British Columbia for a Recreational trail to form [part of] the British Columbia [section of the] Trans-Canada Trail network.
From the C&WTS
This trailhead is immediately north of the highway and has a small parking area. There are no other facilities here. The western section of the trail crosses the highway here and heads toward Greenwood, then points west, ultimately to the Pacific on the TCT. The eastern section of the C & W officially ends at Castlegar, but one may continue skiing to the Atlantic if they have the time and the inclination.
The Spirit of 2010 Trail is a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to experience a 700 km. long corridor of recreational trails for primarily non-motorized use including walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding and Nordic skiing. Snowmobiling may be permitted in certain areas.
The Spirit of 2010 Trail has been developed through a unique collaboration of the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada, Tourism British Columbia, the Trans Canada Trail Foundation, the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkimeen, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
The main rail trails that form the Spirit of 2010 Trail include the Cowichan Valley Rail Trail, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, the Columbia & Western Rail Trail, the Slocan Valley Rail Trail and the Great Northern Rail Trail. Please reference the attached map to find the locations of each of these rail trails.
From Trailhead Signage
The short section of the C & W trail, from here east to Grand Forks, is the only section of the trail on which snowmobiles are allowed. No other motorized vehicles are allowed, however.