With the Rocky Mountains to the northeast and the Purcells to the west, the city of Cranbrook provides access to some of the best mountain sledding opportunities in the East Kootenay. As the largest urban centre in the region, Cranbrook has a variety of restaurants, hotels and other services to make your sledding trip complete.
The top snowmobiling area around Cranbrook, Lumberton offers over 50 kilometres of groomed trails and several play areas for beginners right up to expert riders.
The Perry Creek drainage is an unmaintained snowmobiling area next to Lumberton that has plenty of old logging roads and steep cutblocks. There is also a VOR tower in this area and it is a popular spot to ride.
The Wild Horse is another unmaintained area that is for experienced riders only. Access can be difficult, but if you go with someone who knows the area, you can get into some large alpine play areas.
There is a $25 per day trail fee to ride Lumberton; it is collected at the trailhead or you can buy an annual club membership that includes your Trail Pass fee at All Seasons Motorsports, Peak Performance Motorsports or Mulisha Small Engine Repair. The annual club memberships are available online.
A digital map of the Lumberton snowmobile trails can be found on SnoRiders the Cranbrook Snowmobile Club’s website.
The Cranbrook Snowmobile Club is a very active group that has worked hard over the years to maintain access to the snowmobile trail system in the Lumberton area. The club is believed to have one of the best grooming crews in the province, having received several Riders Choice Awards for Favourite Groomed Trail Riding in B.C. Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of every month (October to April) at the Heritage Inn boardroom starting at 7 p.m.
Annual Poker Run
For more than 30 years, the CSC has hosted a family-oriented poker run on the Lumberton snowmobile trails. It usually takes place in late-February.
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 Cranbrook, B.C.
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