Elkford (population: 2,500) is one of the most remote communities in the Kootenay Rockies, and the gateway to two of BC's pristine provincial parks.
People come here for this proximity to raw wilderness, for the wildlife and for the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Founded in 1970, the community owes its existence to coal mining, which had been practiced in the Elk Valley since the late 1800s.
Coal Mine Tours
Today, unseen by the casual visitor, a series of huge open pit mines is reshaping the mountains on the east side of the Elk Valley from south of nearby Sparwood to Elkford, and beyond. Mine tours reveal the scale of these massive engineering projects.
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A Young Community
The people that make their home here are primarily mineworkers and their families, although some homes in the community have recently been sold as vacation properties. Elkford residents are a younger than average demographic, although a significant number of young mineworkers live here on a half-time basis that is regulated by shift schedules.
Picks Ups, ATVs & Snowmobiles
People are prosperous here. Family income in the community is way above the provincial average, and locals spend it on their homes and on the toys that they use to access the great outdoors. Big pick-up trucks, ATVs and snowmobiles are all popular items in Elkford. The municipality is one of two in BC that issues permits for snowmobiles, enabling them to be legally driven from home or hotel to trailhead. Similar permitting is in the works for ATVs.
Things to Do in Elkford
Take the short hike to the 25m/82ft Josephine Falls on the Fording River. The trailhead is located 5km/3mi north of the village. Ride a mountain bike up the valley of Boivin Creek. Pick up the trail near the Wapiti Ski Hill.
Learn the true meaning of "economy of scale" by taking a mine tour. Teck's open pit operations are located in the mountains north and east of Elkford.
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