Historic & Heritage Sites

The Teck Interpretive Centre, featuring hands-on exhibits, videos and an interactive computer game, appeals to both adults and kids. Learn about the smelting and refining processes that are used to produce a wide range of metals, and discover how many everyday products use these raw materials. This mini science centre is located in the Trail Visitor Centre (on Bay Ave, across from the Cominco Arena).

Guided Smelter Tours

For a more in-depth experience, take a tour of the smelter facilities in the company of a retired Trail Operations employee. The two- to two-and-a-half hour itinerary includes a long walk through the site that navigates more than a few stairs along the way. For safety reasons, people with pacemakers and children under the age of 12 are not permitted to take the on-site tour. There is also a dress code – no bare legs or arms.

Le Roi Mine

The road between Trail and Rossland winds up a 10km/6mi hill to the world-famous Le Roi Mine. While there are many mines in the area, Le Roi Mine was once the epicentre of Rossland’s late 19th-century gold rush. Visit the Rossland Museum, on Highway 22 just west of its intersection with Highway 3B.

Learn more about mining in Trail, the Teck Interpretive Centre, and Le Roi Mine at the Visitor Centre.

Stone Walls and Staircases

Starting in the 1920s, workers at the Trail smelter began to build their homes on the steep slopes of West Trail, within easy walking distance of the plant. To create the terraces upon which to construct their homes, they built impressive stone retaining walls, often with no mortar. The result is a showcase of intricate stonemason work.

Trail's same early residents constructed a network of stairs to facilitate quick and easy pedestrian access down into the commercial district. These days, the staircases are covered by red metal roofs and have been described as "a giant game of snakes and ladders."

Rock Walls Walking Tour

The Rock Wall Project Entusiastico Society, a group of Trail residents, has created Trail's Rock Walls – A Walking Tour Adventure. This publication details 10 separate walking/stair-climbing tours ranging in length from 1.5km/1mi to 3.6km/2mi. Complete some or all ten of these tours to learn everything there is to know about Trail's rock walls, and see some impressive views of the Columbia River Valley.

Trail's Rock Walls is available at the Trail Visitor Centre on Bay Street, across from the Cominco Arena. Set in Stone – A History of Trail's Rock Walls by Eileen Truant Pedersen is also available at local booksellers.

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