Kaslo

Kaslo is a village of almost 1,000 people (2016) in the West Kootenays of British Columbia. It is sometimes called the Switzerland of the Americas.

Understand
Kaslo was designated as a sawmill site in 1889, and grew on the silver boom of the 19th century. It retains much of the history from its mining days. The town today relies mainly on the industries of forestry and tourism. Kaslo was incorporated as a city on August 14, 1893, making it the oldest incorporated community in the Kootenays. It was an important center for shipping and silver ore mining. After the silver rush Kaslo's fortunes faded but it was re-incorporated as a village on January 1, 1959.



By car

 * Kaslo is about 65 km north of Nelson (British Columbia) along the west side of Kootenay Lake. The easiest way to get to Kaslo is by vehicle as there is very limited public transit in this area.

By plane

 * There is a small paved air strip near town which is used by small private planes but no commercial airlines land here.
 * The closest airport with commercial airline service is in Castlegar, almost 2 hours away.

By bus

 * Operates two days per week between Kaslo and Vancouver with stops in Balfour, Nelson, Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Rock Creek, Osoyoos, Keremeos, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and New Westminster. Travel time to Nalso from Nelson is 1 hour, from Castlegar is 1.75 hours, from Grand Forks is 3.25 hours, from Osoyoos is 4.5 hours, from Princeton is 6.25 hours, from Hope is 8 hours, from Abbotsford is 9.25, and from Vancouver is 10.5 hours.
 * Operates once per week between Calgary and Kaslo with stops in Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston, Salmo, Nelson, and Balfour. Travel time to Kaslo from Calgary is 10.75 hours, from Sparwood is 6 hours, from Cranbrook is 4 hours, and from Nelson is 1 hour.
 * Operates two days per week between Kaslo and Vancouver with stops in Balfour, Nelson, Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Rock Creek, Osoyoos, Keremeos, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and New Westminster. Travel time to Nalso from Nelson is 1 hour, from Castlegar is 1.75 hours, from Grand Forks is 3.25 hours, from Osoyoos is 4.5 hours, from Princeton is 6.25 hours, from Hope is 8 hours, from Abbotsford is 9.25, and from Vancouver is 10.5 hours.
 * Operates once per week between Calgary and Kaslo with stops in Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston, Salmo, Nelson, and Balfour. Travel time to Kaslo from Calgary is 10.75 hours, from Sparwood is 6 hours, from Cranbrook is 4 hours, and from Nelson is 1 hour.

Get around
Kaslo is small enough to be easily walkable and the main "shopping district" is only about a block long. Park your vehicle on a side street and wander. "Lower Kaslo", as the name suggests, is closest to Kootenay Lake and is where stores and shops can be found. "Upper Kaslo" is mainly residential with great views of the village's natural setting.

Buy
Kaslo has most of the essential shops available, including a grocery store, an organic food store, a bakery, liquor store, post office, a couple of gas stations and a selection of shops selling flowers, clothes and souvenirs.

Sleep
There is a good number of places to find overnight accommodation, including a hotel, a motel, many B&Bs and several campgrounds in the area.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.

Connect
Internet access can be obtained at several locations in town:



WiFi Hotspots

 * The Kaslo Hotel (see listing under "Sleep") has free Wi-Fi access.

Go next
If you really want to get out, consider going on a challenging backcountry hike. There are many to choose from and they've been keeping lots of the locals busy for years. These aren't always easy to find and they are challenging, so you need to be prepared. Arm yourself with a copy of the trail guide Where Locals Hike in the West Kootenay, the latest copy of the Backroads Mapbook of the area, possibly a topographic map, a high clearance vehicle and some knowledge of how to conduct yourself in mountainous terrain where bears live and visit some of the truly stunning destinations available in the area. Some examples would include Monica Meadows, Macbeth Icefield trail, Whitewater Creek (not anywhere near the ski hill, despite the similar name), Fry Creek Canyon, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.