The RBS Rail Trail

In 1889, surveyor George Dawson documented a First Nations foot trail running from Nakusp to Summit Lake and along Bonanza Creek to Slocan Lake. 1 During the 1890s, along much the same route, the CPR built the Nakusp and Slocan Railway to connect the booming silver mines around Sandon to the transport system on the Arrow Lakes.

Well over a century later, and after 20 years of study and public consultation, a section of the now abandoned rail route has been legally established by the Province of BC as the Rosebery-Bonanza-Summit (RBS) Rail Trail. Running north from the Galena Trail in Rosebery, it follows the shorelines of Slocan Lake, Bonanza Creek and Summit Lake.

The gentle grade of a rail trail provides an opportunity for active living for all skill and age levels. Extending over 26 km, this non-motorized trail offers beautiful Selkirk mountain scenery and a wide range of recreation options including walking, cycling, trail running, bird watching, and cross-country skiing. It provides residents and visitors alike with opportunities to appreciate the history and pristine nature of the area.

For detailed information about each section of trail please see Trail Sections and Seasonal Conditions.

Established trails can also aid in the protection of the natural environment while retaining public access. The Bonanza Creek and Summit Lake trail sections pass through the Bonanza Biodiversity Corridor - a year-round active wildlife corridor providing a wide range of habitats and food sources for a variety of mammals, birds, amphibians and other wildlife.

The RBS Rail Trail is part of the Rosebery to Summit Lake Trail Network which includes a separate route for motorized use utilizing existing roads and some new trail to link Forest Service Road systems in the area. See Acceptable Use and Safety for more information.

1. Eileen Delehanty Pearkes, The Geography of Memory, 2002, Kutenai House Press, p. 18-19