Radium Hot Springs is one of those mountain sledding hot spots that snowmobilers rave about. The winter conditions are reliably stellar, and during sledding season you are sure to get your fill of dry, plentiful powder to play in.
Forster Creek is the most popular snowmobiling area around Radium Hot Springs and it is maintained by the Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society. A groomed trail leads to the club's cabin and four meadows where sledders of all skill levels can do some powder carving and boondocking. Experienced riders can venture beyond the meadows and get into high alpine lakes that offer incredible views of the area. From February 15 to May 31, sledders can also access Catamount Glacier. For the 2015-2016 riding season, there is active logging taking place from Monday to Friday on the access road to Forster Creek and it is recommended to have a radio to communicate with the logging trucks (use radio frequency 158.46). Staging is now at the 27.7-kilometre marker on Forster Creek Forest Service Road.
To learn more about this riding area, check out this article.
Located 17 kilometres south of Invermere, Brewer Creek is a more challenging area. The terrain here consists of gorgeous meadows and high alpine bowls. Keep in mind, however, that this area is not maintained and that there are high avalanche hazards.
To learn more about this riding area, check out this article.
If you are an experienced rider, you might want to venture out to Rocky Point—an advanced and unmaintained area located west of Brisco. Rocky Point is accessed along the Bugaboo Forest Service Road, and there are a number of slide paths along the steep climb, so use extreme caution if you are riding in this area.
This is a small and unmaintained area near Canal Flats. There is an older warming hut here that was originally the birthplace of the Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society. With several avalanche paths along the way, this area is not recommended for inexperienced mountain riders.
Paradise Mine is a privately maintained area by Toby Creek Adventures. If you want to see the switchbacks, alpine basins and open ridges here, you can book a trip with Toby Creek. They offer guided tours that are great for everyone, including families. Riders who would like to visit this area on their own are asked to please respect the private lands and facilities, and obtain written permission from Toby Creek Adventures prior to unloading.
Trail fees apply to the Forster Creek area. It is $20 per day, per sled, so you'll want to bring cash with you to the staging area so that you can purchase a trail pass from the snowmobile club's booth. Trail passes are also sold at the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce in Invermere and at the Tourism Radium office. You can also purchase an annual membership from the Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society.
For an overview of the snowmobile areas and trails around Radium Hot Springs, download the map on SnoRiders. Hard copies of the trail map for Forster Creek are available from whomever is manning the snowmobile club's toll booth. There is a stack of trail maps at the Forster cabin as well.
Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society
The Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society is a local non-profit club that has worked hard to keep riding areas in the Radium Hot Springs area open for future use. Annual memberships to the club are available online. The club also has a group page on Facebook.
The laws governing snowmobile use differ by province and can be confusing. Here, we make it easier to understand what local and out of province snowmobilers will need in terms of insurance, registration and licensing to ride B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Trial maps, top snowmobile trails, club contacts and other useful information you can use before planning a snowmobile trip to Radium Hot Springs, B.C.
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