Motorcycle Touring in Southern British Columbia: Nelson to Agassiz

By Kimberly Walker

Travelling by motorcycle in Southern British Columbia is an excellent way to spend a sunny summer week or two. In the first part of our series we travelled from Agassiz to Nakusp. In part two, we journeyed from Nakusp to Golden. In part three of our trip we explored between Golden and Nelson. The final leg of our journey took us from Nelson back to where we started in Agassiz.

Nelson is a fun community to explore and for many, it epitomizes the artistic, laid back vibe of the Kootenays. We camped about 20 minutes outside of the city of Nelson at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.

In Nelson there is a ton of arts and culture to explore. The city has over 350 heritage buildings that can be viewed as part of self guided walking or biking tour. The community also has around 50 murals that can be visited as a free audio tour using the Kootenay Lake Road Trip App. The audio tour introduces the artist and inspiration behind each mural. This is an excellent way to see the community and enjoy the public art available.

When we visit Nelson, one of our favourite activities is to take a stroll on the Nelson Lakeside Path. The six kilometre out-and-back trail starts near the Nelson Airport and continues into town, past the city wharf (another popular starting location), along the shores of the West Art of Kootenay Lake, and all the way to the Big Orange Bridge – affectionately known as BOB. The trail offers plenty of benches, gardens, and beaches, and passes through Lakeside Park, which has a nice playground and a concession.

After leaving Nelson, our next destination was a quick run across the Glade Cable Ferry in order to complete our circuit of the free Inland Ferries in the Kootenays!

After our ferry and a quick drive through Glade, we were off to Castlegar to experience some of the Doukhobor heritage sites including the Brilliant Suspension Bridge. Originally built in 1913, designated a National Historic Site in 1995, and restored in 2010, the Brilliant Suspension Bridge is a lovely walk. On past visits I have enjoyed exploring more of Castlegar, including the Doukhobor Discovery Centre and Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park, but on this visit we were short on time as we were headed all the way to Oliver in one day!

After a long afternoon of riding, we arrived at sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ park in Okanagan Falls. The campground is managed and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band and is located within the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band. The place name sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ means “little falls” and the location was traditionally an important fishing site. In the 1950s, a flood control dam was constructed and the falls that give the park its name were blasted away. There is a nice walking trail along the dike on the west side of the Okanagan River that continues through the park and then beyond the park boundary and we enjoyed walking by the river in the evening.

Our final day of motorcycle touring was returning on Highway 3 through Manning Park and back to where we started in Agassiz. Overall our motorcycle trip took 10 days and around 2,000 kilometres of riding. Southern BC is excellent motorcycling territory. The scenery is beautiful and diverse and there are plenty of things to see and do along the way. We are already planning our next adventure!

Check out the other blogs in this motorcycle camping series:
Motorcycle Touring in Southern British Columbia: Agassiz to Nakusp
Motorcycle Touring in Southern British Columbia: Nakusp to Golden
Motorcycle Touring in Southern British Columbia: Golden to Nelson

For accommodations in this area and elsewhere in British Columbia check out https://www.travel-british-columbia.com/

Share your BC travel photos using hashtag #travelinbc

There’s always somewhere to #travelinbc

Published: June 27, 2024
Last Updated: June 27, 2024

About the Author

Kimberly is a Special Education, Elementary School teacher in Hope, BC. Previously having worked ten years at the Hope Visitor Centre & Museum promoting tourism in Hope and British Columbia, Kimberly worked on many local history projects in the museum as well as researching and writing articles for the local newspaper. Kimberly loves travelling with her husband Dale and their dog Alpine. In the fall of 2014, they spent the first 78 days of married life travelling and camping their way across Canada - just the two of them and the dog - travelling in a Hyundai Elantra! Kimberly loves various outdoor recreation types and exploring our beautiful province.