Slocan was the smallest incorporated city in the British Commonwealth, and perhaps the smallest city in the world, before it lost its city incorporation in the 1950s. The Village of Slocan is located at the extreme southerly end of Slocan Lake in the Slocan Valley.
Slocan City, as the town was previously called, was a booming mining town back in the 1890s, when silver was discovered at Sandon. The town was once the end of the line for railway travellers into the valley, and served as a freight and passenger depot for sternwheelers heading up the Slocan Valley.
Today, Slocan serves as an excellent base for outdoor adventure seekers wishing to explore the mountains, parks, lakes, rivers and streams in the area. The village provides a shopping, a gas station, auto repair, accommodation, post office, two churches, and a restaurant.
Population: 359
Location: Slocan is located on Highway 6 at the southern end of Slocan Lake and Valhalla Provincial Park, 12 miles (19 km) north of Winlaw and 19 miles (30 km) south of New Denver.
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Valhalla Provincial Park is a magnificent world-class wilderness encompassing 49,600 hectares of natural landscape, and 30 kilometres of pristine shoreline along Slocan Lake. The park is located high in the Valhalla Mountain range along the west shore of Slocan Lake, with numerous cascades and waterfalls scattered throughout the park. Backcountry hiking and camping are popular in the park.
Slocan City Logging Sports Day commemorates the old-fashioned logging methods annually in early July. Watch contestants compete for cash prizes in chopping, double-bucking and log burling competitions.
Biking: Cyclists can join one of the legs of the Kootenay Mountain Bike Tours that use Slocan as a stop along the way. The Slocan Valley Tour takes 3 days and 2 nights to cover the almost 100 km from Nelson to the southeast .
Paddlers can canoe on Slocan Lake or spend a glorious day on the Slocan River, launching at Slocan and taking out alongside Highway 3a, where the Slocan River flows in the Kootenay River.
Golf: Golfers can head to the challenging 9-hole, par-35 Valley View Golf Club in Vallican, located south of Winlaw on Highway 6.
Golf Vacations in British Columbia.
Ghost Town: Travel back into history, to the Ghost Town of Sandon, once the Capital of the Silvery Slocan. Sandon was an incorporated city of 5,000 people at the height of the mining boom in 1892. Two railroads once served this Monte Carlo of Canada, with its twenty nine hotels, tweny eight saloons, an opera house, two newspapers, five men’s clothing stores, a bank, and several other gambling halls, brothels, offices, stores and businesses. Now a renowned and restored historic site, located 5 miles (8 km) east of New Denver, Sandon Ghost Town lures thousands of fascinated visitors each summer.
South of Slocan is Winlaw, a small community located on the eastern bank of the Slocan River. Situated in the picturesque Slocan Valley, Winlaw offers a host of recreational activities amongst the surrounding mountains, rivers and lakes.
North of Slocan is the village of New Denver and Silverton, a small village first settled in 1892 by miners working the south face of Idaho Mountain. The area was first inhabited by the Kootenai and Salish First Nations, whose pictographs can still be seen along the shores of Slocan Lake.
Circle Tour: See the best of the area on the Okanagan and Kootenay Rockies Circle Tour. Travel the sunny interior of British Columbia, north through the Okanagan to Sicamous, following Highway 1 into the mountains of the BC Rockies. From Golden, head south through the Columbia Valley to Creston, and west through Boundary Country and the Southern Okanagan to complete the loop.
Circle Tours in British Columbia.
Premier Listings
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Four lovely vacation condos on the Slocan River and rail-trail, half an hour from Nelson or Castlegar. Built in 2005, these charming view condos feature functional kitchens with a dishwasher and large counters. Patios, balconies, sunrooms, swings, wifi, satellite TV, BBQ, hot tub, phone, and wheelchair access (#3) make your stay easy and fun. Whether coming for adventure, respite, or work, you will love your stay on the Slocan River!
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Waterfront West is the first and only marketplace dedicated exclusively to buyers and sellers of waterfront and water view real estate in British Columbia. Advertising Realtors’ listings, private sales and developments, we are pioneering the market for this prime real estate. Featuring private and brokered sales, waterfront developments and a complimentary Buyers’ Club.
