This mountaintop city, with its charming downtown heritage area and golden past, is one of Canada’s highest cities and an excellent base for outdoor activities.
Ski on powder slopes, ride along legendary trails or simply enjoy the town’s sidewalk coffee scene. Rossland is one big outdoor playground.
Rossland sits at 3,410feet (1,023 metres), situated about halfway between Vancouver and Calgary and just north of the US border. Nestled in the crater of an ancient volcano between the Monashee and Selkirk Mountain ranges, the city forms the heart of the West Kootenays of British Columbia.
The original settlement was named by 1890s gold miner Ross Thompson. Enjoy the timeless atmosphere in The Flying Steamshovel, which lays claim to being one of the oldest pubs in British Columbia. The historic Rossland Court House is another reminder of those prosperous gold rush days.
Before you venture out in nature, browse the downtown Rossland Visitor Centre, Museum & Discovery Centre. Learn about Rossland's gold mining and skiing history, then visit its Geology Centre. Try your hand at gold panning and enjoy the picnic and kids’ play areas. Tour the museum's outdoor displays in summer.
During the warmer months, play alpine golf at Redstone, hike through alpine meadows full of wildflowers or speed things up on a bike. As the “Mountain Biking Capital of Canada,” Rossland has trails for all levels. Ride along old railway beds and miner’s wagon trails or, if you are game, take on the legendary Seven Summits Trail. This 22-mile (36-kilometre) single track takes you over dramatic ridges and through sub-alpine meadows and forests. You can even go “bikepacking,” taking a tent and food with you on a multi-day adventure.
After dropping its colourful fall foliage, Rossland transforms into a powdery winter wonderland. Enjoy cross-country skiing at Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club or snowshoe to the Strawberry Pass, where rustic day-use cabins are the perfect setting to rest your legs and have a picnic. On nearby Red Mountain, try Nordic skiing or snowboarding and sign up for snow-cat adventures. This multi-peak ski resort is blessed with snowfalls of 300 inches (760 centimetres) per year.
Rossland’s own climate is surprisingly gentle, with far less snow and about 2,000 hours of sunshine per year. Whether you come here to relax or for serious action during mountain-top challenges, Rossland is a comfortable base.
