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Located between Sayward and Riverside Avenue, this quiet shaded campground offers easy walking access to Salmo’s downtown core. It is within KP Park, which encompasses a children’s playground, baseball diamonds, a small BMX bike skills track, gazebo and numerous picnic areas. The campground and park areas also feature washroom and hot shower facilities and an attractive treed area for campers.
The campground is open seasonally from mid May to early September. Occupancy is on a first-come, first-serve basis with a user fee of $20 per night per sleeping unit (e.g. tent, trailer, motor home, etc.). Please contact the Village office if you have any questions. Further information is available on the bulletin board at the campground.
Getting there: From Highway 6 (Railway Avenue), turn onto 2nd Street, travel for two blocks and you will see the campground and park on your right. Our camp host will collect fees and be available to answer any questions you might have.
Salmo has a beautiful 9-hole public golf course that is well known for its inexpensive green fees, a friendly atmosphere, and flat open fairways that are ideal for seniors and beginners. No tee times necessary! Age 12 and under pay for free. The Golf Club is also home to the very popular “Bunkers Grill” which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to golfers and non-golfers alike. Visit Golf Salmo for details.
For a change of view there are several wonderful courses just a half hour away in the Nelson/Castlegar area, plus Champion Lakes Golf just 20 minutes away.
Nearby Erie Lake and our surrounding rivers and creeks are abundant with fish and aquatic life. Our fishing is great! Whether you are angling for bass or trout, ice fishing in the winter, or simply paddling a canoe, this is an ideal recreation and relaxation location for all ages. This beautiful natural setting is a ecosystem in itself. Providing local fish, wildfowl, bear, moose and deer and our favorite turtle family with an abundance of food and shelter.
Our BMX track, located at the bottom of the ski hill, has something for everyone. Weekly local races are all about fun and learning and there’s plenty of time to practice and just cruise the track. The sport is for boys and girls of all ages including 2-5 year olds on balance bikes to 61 years and older. There is also a small BMX bike skills track in town at KP Park.
West Kootenay BMX is located at 434 Ski Hill Road. For more info contact Lyndon Schiewe at 250-357-2874, West Kootenay BMX Racing, or the track’s Facebook page for current updates.
The Salmo Valley Trail Society is a registered non-profit organization responsible for building and maintaining many multi-use trails in partnership with landowners and other stakeholders in the Salmo Valley. The Salmo Ski Hill offers incredible hiking and mountain biking, the Delaurentis Bluffs trails provide a wilderness hiking experience minutes from the centre of Salmo. The Hooch trail network gives hikers, runners and mountain bikers many opportunities to exercise and enjoy the wilderness. Other trails in the Salmo area include the Sheep Creek Trails, Lost Mountain Trail and the Quartz trail network in Ymir. Information about the trails and other events and activities are available on the Salmo Valley Trail Society website https://salmovalleytrailsociety.org and Trailforks. Salmo Ski Hill Trail Network – PDF
Salmo is part of the Great Northern Rail Trail. The trail covers approximately 48 km (30mi) between Salmo and Nelson. In the early days, the rail line formed an important connection for the West Kootenay mining towns, allowing efficient shipping of their rich ores to the US. Passenger traffic also flowed between Nelson and Spokane from 1893 to 1941. All train traffic into the region ceased in 1989. In 1998, the rails and ties were removed. A part of the TransCanada Trail system, the Great Northern Rail Trail is a multi-use recreation trail suitable for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. The trail’s gravel surface improves north of Ymir, where motor vehicles are prohibited.
The old-growth forest in Springboard Park along the Salmo River offers peace and tranquility and exceptional natural beauty. This majestic natural forest area offers a 0.86km maintained trail where you will see the remains of Salmo’s early logging heritage. Huge cedar stumps remind us of the valley’s former old growth forests, harvested near the turn of the century. Further along the trails you will come to overlook the meandering Salmo River located at the base of Bakken Road, accessible from Cedar Avenue in Salmo.
Salmo is close to many wonderful regional parks. Click here for the Regional Park Map.
We love winter in Salmo! The Kootenays are famous for fabulous skiing, fresh powder and panoramic views. Overlooking the village and the Salmo valley, Salmo Ski Hill is renowned for its great night skiing on fully lit runs that are always groomed to perfection. Offering a wide variety of skiing opportunities for all ages and levels, the hill has varied terrain including groomed runs, gently sloping runs, moguls, steep slopes, pristine powder, racing courses, half pipe, and a bunny hill.
Operated by the Salmo Ski Club, Salmo Ski Hill is a volunteer-run ski hill with very friendly staff, excellent skiing both during the day and the night, and no lift lines. It’s a really great place to bring your family and have some fun. Visit Salmo Ski Hill
Salmo residents and visitors can also enjoy the sublime pleasures of two world class ski and snowboarding resorts as Salmo is conveniently located a 30-35 minute drive from two fabulous big mountain ski destinations – Red Mountain Ski Resort in Rossland, and Whitewater Ski Resort just outside Nelson.
Cross country enthusiasts of all skill levels can enjoy the local pleasures of the Great Trail Network by literally just stepping out their back door. For greater adventure they can head off on a short drive to the surrounding mountains and valleys to enjoy the groomed trails of the Beaver Valley Ski Club at Champion Lakes, the Apex trails operated by the Nordic Ski Club at the Whitewater turn off, or head up the mountain to Whitewater Ski Resort for their multiuse trails.
The Castlegar Nordic Ski Club operates the largest XC trail network in the region, sometimes referred to as ‘Paulson Summit’ or ‘Nancy Greene’. Castlegar Nordic features a mix of trails from beginner to advanced to backcountry, and opens up to picturesque vies of the Monashee Mountains. Rossland’s BlackJack Ski Club is considered one of the premier cross-country ski facilities in western Canada due to their excellent grooming, variety of trails, abundant reliable snowfall, and convenience of their proximity to Rossland.
Salmo is an ideal location for snowmobilers. The Selkirk Mountains transform into world class sledding terrain for the winter season and the area is well known for a wide variety of thrilling sledding opportunities. Elevations run from 2,000 feet all the way up to 7,000 feet, with the main season running from December to April. In fact, around mid-April you could snowmobile one day and golf the next.
Snowmobilers can access the local pleasures of the Great Trail Network and numerous backroads from the convenience of their homes or motel. The Nelson Sno-Goers Snowmobile Club maintains several trails in the Nelson area.
The Salmo Valley Swimming Pool is open June, July, and August of every year. Come visit us at 303 7th Street Salmo, BC, and cool off!
Locals and visitors alike are well-known to enjoy the many swimming holes along the Salmo River and Erie Creek and many wonderful nearby lakes.
The Salmo curling rink is a full-sized rink and offers leagues for juniors (ages 7-18), and ladies, men, and mixed leagues from November 1st to March 31st annually. A membership is $120.00 per season and $8 per night for drop-in. Contact the Salmo Valley Curling Rink Association for more details.
The Salmo Valley is a rich and sunny valley perfect for growing a range of vegetables and fruit. With numerous farms in the area, several with farm stands for direct farmer to consumer sales, and a thriving farmer’s market you can get your fresh produce needs and support our valley economy.
Salmo Valley Farmer’s Market – The Salmo Valley Farmer’s Market (SVFM) is held Thursday evenings from late June to mid-September, in KP Park downtown Salmo. Featuring local produce, fresh baked goods, cottage foods, locally made artisanal items, music and entertainment (subject to COVID Provincial health recommendations), the farmer’s market is a wonderful way to connect with the community and experience the best of the Salmo Valley. You can find Salmo Valley Farmer’s Market on Facebook and Instagram.
Shambhala is an annual electronic music festival held every August at the Salmo River Ranch, a 500-acre (2.0 km2) cattle ranch. The festival lasts 3 days and 2 nights and offers a fantastic mix of music and art in nature. Named “Best Music Festival in North America” in 2019 by DJ Magazine, the festival began in 1998 and has grown to become the largest and one of the longest running electronic music events in Canada. Visit the festival website for more information.
The Salmo Valley Youth & Community Centre (SVYCC) is a busy and active place featuring a full-size gymnasium, a fitness center, meeting rooms and a commercial kitchen! We have a Youth Centre with weekly drop in nights, an after school drop-in program, an art studio, music studio, indoor skate bowl, summer programs for children and facility rentals for all. Phone 250-357-2320 to find out more information check out our website www.svycc.ca and like our Facebook page Salmo Valley Youth Community Centre.
Fitness and Recreation classes are also offered through the RDCK’s Salmo & District Recreation Department.
The Salmo Arts and Museum Society was established in 1970 and administers the Salmo Museum. The museum acquires archival material relating to Salmo and area, including Ymir, Sheep Creek, Pend O’Reille, and Erie. The holdings include maps, reference books, business records, miscellaneous documents and photographs related to the mining history of Ymir, Sheep Creek, Pend O’Reille, Erie and miscellaneous mines, community newspapers, manuscripts, scrapbooks, photographs, minute books and ephemera relating to businesses, people and community activities in Salmo and satellite communities.
The museum is located at the corner of Fourth Street & Railway Avenue and maintains the following hours: June-October: Daily, 10:00-16:00. November-May: Monday – 1pm – 3pm, Tuesday 10am – 12 noon and 1pm – 3 pm, Wednesday – Closed, Thursday – 10am – 12 noon and 1pm – 3pm, Friday – 10am – 12 noon, Saturday – Closed, Sunday – Closed.
Call in advance to schedule a visit at 250.357.2200 or via email at salmomus@telus.net or salmoch@telus.net.
The Salmo Valley Public Library provides equal access to information and information services for all residents of Salmo, Ymir, Erie, and surrounding area G free of charge. Our mission statement best captures the purpose of our organization:
The Salmo Public Library strives to meet the needs of the citizens it serves by:
Visit the library website for more information.
Take a short walking tour around Salmo and visit our seven unique flagstone murals depicting Salmo’s mining history. The “rock project” began in 1990 when quarry owner Iris Lamb was looking for a way to rejuvenate stone sales. That was when the Stone Masonry Training Institute opened. Stone murals artist Charlotte Planidin and student masons used the rock by number technique to place the different coloured stones. (from kootenayrockies.com)
Visit our photo gallery for a full description and location details of all the rock murals in Salmo.
Salmo is home to the world’s largest penny which stands 8 feet tall. It was dedicated on July 1, 1995, Canada’s birthday, in honor of Penny Power.
Penny Power started in Salmo, on March 10, 1995, as a campaign to collect hoarded pennies and donate them to the government of Canada to reduce the national debt. Salmo residents made this donation as their Greatest Birthday Present, demonstrating a renewed faith in their ability to make a difference. You can see this penny on Highway 6 North.
Salmo is home to the world’s oldest phone booth. A long standing local attraction, the phone booth is made from a hollowed out cedar tree from the Trout Lake area. Originally placed in 1977, Local residents and employees of the Ministry of Forests counted the rings and averaged the age of the tree to be 465 years old.
The booth is located under covered shelter at the Sal-Crest Motel found at 110 Motel Avenue.
The village of Salmo is proud to be part of the Accelerate Kootenays network of fast-charge EV stations.
Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) are planned across the region, with 13 currently installed. By the end of summer 2018 the network will consist of 40 “Level 2” 240-V charging stations . Electric vehicle drivers now have a fast charging corridor across Highway 3 in the Kootenays, which, by project completion, will provide over 1,800 kilometres of connected electric vehicle travel.
Salmo has 15-minute DCFC fast-charge station on the Main Street side of the Village office and a companion Level 2 EV station capable of charging all makes of electric and hybrid vehicles on the Davies Street side. In addition there is a 64A Single Phase Tesla charging station capable of charging up to 64kwh next to to Davies Street Level 2 EV charger. Travelers in all kinds of EVs can now charge-up while they take in the lovely sites and scenery of the beautiful Salmo community. See EV Station map.
The Salmo Valley Seniors ATV Club has over 65 members from 40-83 years old. Every second month, members meet to provided updates on club activities, trail work progression, as well as other ongoing projects. The club enjoys almost weekly trail rides, both locally and throughout the Kootenays. Club motto: “SHARE – PROTECT – ENJOY”
For more information on the Salmo Valley Seniors ATV Club, please contact Club President, Doug Lockwood at 250-551-4109 or email: svsatvclub@gmail.com.
Contact
Ph: (250) 357-9433
Fax: (250) 357-9633
Email: info@salmo.ca
Hours
Monday to Friday:
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Closed: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm daily
