Explore the lakes and mountains of south-central BC from this small riverside community.
Surrounded by the desert-like hills of British Columbia’s Boundary region, small Grand Forks sits along Highway 3 at the confluence of the Kettle and Granby rivers. Many Doukhobors, a pacifist religious group with roots in Russia, settled here in the early 1900s, and you can visit the town’s Boundary Museum to learn about this heritage. For hikers and cyclists, sections of the Great Trail—the cross-Canada multi-use pathway—run through the region, including the nearly 650-kilometre (400-mile) Kettle Valley Rail Trail. For campers, Grand Forks has a municipal campground and nearby provincial parks with camping areas.
Summer and fall, when the weather is typically sunny and mild, are the peak seasons for camping in the Grand Forks area and throughout south-central British Columbia. Weekends in July and August are especially busy, so if you’re planning a short summertime trip, travel mid-week if you can. Throughout central British Columbia, snow can fall anytime from mid-October through March, and temperatures often fall below freezing. Spring weather can range from cold and rainy to sunny and comfortable.