4 Day / 5 Night Total Trip 1378 km / 827 mi

~Average days ride of 345 km / 207 mi ~
Calgary to Creston, BC 580 km / 348 mi
Trans Canada 1 west through Banff to Hwy junction of 1/Hwy 93 through Kootenay National Park to Radium, junction of Hwy 93/95 (run concurrently) south to Cranbrook.
Follow Hwy 95/3 through Yahk. At junction of 3 west and 95 turn west onto Hwy 3 to Creston. Overnight in Creston.

Highlights this section:

• Columbia Brewery “Tour, taste and photo opportunity with Sasquach”
  home of Kokanee Beer, brewed and bottled here.
• Creston Valley Wildlife Area – Canoe tour or walk on boardwalks through
  the marshes.

Day 1 Creston to Nelson, BC 275 km / 172 mi

Hwy 3A north along Kootenay Lake. This section is rated the #1 Motorcycle Highway in BC by Destinations Highways. Ride the Kootenay Lake Ferry which is North America’s Longest free ferry (45 minutes). Depart at Kootenay Bay.

Highlights this section:

• The Glass House – tour house made of 500,000 embalming fluid bottles,
  Boswell
• Crawford Bay Artisans – watch artisans make brooms, weave, forge, glass
  blowing, pottery, Crawford Bay
• Kootenay Lake shore – sweeping views, stunning scenery
  Kootenay Lake Ferry ride

Disembarking at Balfour, turn north on Hwy 31 onto the Selkirk Loop’s Super Side Trip named “North Kootenay Lake – Silvery Slocan” to Kaslo.

Highlights this section:

• Ainsworth Hot Springs – unique cave system and outdoor pool, Ainsworth
• SS Moyie – Tour a restored 1900’s paddle wheel ship, Kaslo

Follow Hwy 31A west to New Denver

Highlights this section:

• • Sandon Ghost Town – tour the remains of Sandon
  • Very rural, curvy section, rated #6 motorcycle highway

Silvery Slocan Museum – Captures a bygone era
Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre – Tour internment camp of Japanese-
Canadians from WWII.

Follow Hwy 6 south to the junction with Hwy 3A, turn east to Nelson.

Highlights this section:

• Silverton Outdoor Mining Museum & Interpretive Centre, Silverton
• Slocan Lake – Views of lake and Valhalla Provincial Park across the water.

Overnight in Nelson, population 9,500. Largest community on the Selkirk Loop. Fun shopping and dining district along Baker Street.

Day 2 Nelson to Colville, WA 275 km / 172 mi

Hwy 3A to Castlegar – follows along the outflow of Kootenay and Slocan Lakes to become the Columbia River. This is the Selkirk Loop’s

‘Rivers, Dams, and Mines’ Super Side Trip. From Castlegar follow Hwy 22/6 to Trail. From Trail, take a short, fun, uphill run to Rossland (10 km / 6 mi), Canada’s highest in elevation city and return to Trail. Cross the Columbia River and follow 3B through the small communities of Montrose, Fruitvale to Salmo.

Highlights this section:

• Station Museum – a tribute to railroads and dams in the area, Castlegar
• Doukhobor Discovery Centre – Tour of a restored turn-of-the-century
  village of a pacifist sect from Russia, Castlegar
• Teck Cominco Interpretive Centre – Tour of a modern smelter, Trail
• Rossland Gold Mine – Tour historic LeRoi Mine, richest gold strike in
  Canada.
• Stone Murals – View on the outsides of community buildings, depicting
  early life in the area, Salmo

Follow Hwy 6 south to the International Border Crossing at Nelway/Metaline ports
Open between 8 am to 4pm, Pacific time zone. Passports required to enter US.
Hwy 6 turns into Hwy 31 in the US to Tiger junction. Turn west on Hwy 20 to Colville. This is known as the Selkirk Loop’s “Flowery Trail – Little Pend Oreille” Super Side Trip. Overnight in Colville.

Highlights this section:

• Boundary Dam overlook – less than 3 km south of the International Border
• Eagles Nest overlook – an interpretive site south of Metaline.
• Hwy 20 – Declared a favorite stretch of road by 10 female motojournalists
  who toured in Sept. 2009. (See their stories posted on the Loop’s
  website).

Stevens Counties award winning “Keller House Museum” tour, Colville.

Day 3 Colville, WA to Sandpoint, ID 289 km / 181 mi

Follow Hwy 395 south to Chewelah. In the center of town watch for the signs that say “49 Degrees North Ski area” and “Flowery Trail Rd”, turn east. Making this turn takes you through a two block long historic downtown section before heading uphill. This is another rural stretch with lots of sweeping curves. This section from Chewelah to Usk is a newly built, paved highway.

Highlights this section:

• Very rural, from Chewelah to Usk on the Flowery Trail. Go over a 4,000 ft Pass.

Flowery Trail intersects with Hwy 20, turn south toward Newport. Hwy 20 turns into Hwy 2 eastbound through Newport to Priest River. At Priest River (stoplight) turn north (left) onto Hwy 57 to Priest Lake. There is no through road, therefore this 46 mi./73.6 km (one-way) is optional if time allows. After 19mi / 30 km go right at the junction to Coolin. After Coolin there will be ample opportunities to view Priest Lake, named “Idaho’s Crown Jewel”, known for it’s crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Return to Hwy 2 and proceed east to Sandpoint, ID. Overnight in Sandpoint.

Highlights this section:

• Newport – Downtown, Visitor Center / Museum
• Albeni Falls Dam / Visitor Center – a few miles east of Newport. Free tour
  of dam if time allows.
• Priest Lake – Idaho’s Crown Jewel
• Hwy 2 follows along the “Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage” Scenic
  Byway.
• Sandpoint – Largest community along the US portion of the Selkirk Loop.
• Lake Pend Oreille Cruises – catch a 2 hr cruise at City Beach.
• Pend d’Oreille Winery – Downtown, winery taste and tour, named “Idaho’s
  Winery of the Year”.

Day 4 Sandpoint, ID to Creston, BC 234 km / 146 mi

Follow Hwy 2 north out of Sandpoint. At light, stay on Hwy 200 (east) to Hope, ID.
This section is the Selkirk Loop’s “Lake Pend Oreille – Kootenai River” Super Side Trip and also referred to as “Pend Oreille National Scenic Byway” to the Montana State Line.
The roadway curves along the northern contour of Lake Pend Oreille to Clark Fork.

Highlights this section:

• Views, views, views of the “second largest lake west of the Mississippi” Lake Pend Oreille is the 13th deepest lake in the world with depths of 1,150 ft / 351 metres.

Turn north on Hwy 56 32 km / 20 mi east, after crossing into Montana. Hwy 56, also known as Bull Lake Road is rural riding, with the Cabinet Mt. Wilderness on the east side of the roadway. Turn west at the junction of Hwy 56 / 2 toward Bonners Ferry. Rest area at this junction.

Highlights this section:

• Ross Creek Cedars – 16 mi / 25 km north of Hwy 56 / 200 junction. Easy walk through ancient cedar grove.
• Kootenay Falls – 3 mi / 5 km EAST of Hwy 56 / 2 junction. Suspension bridge, views of falls, picnic area.

Follow Hwy 2 through the small community of Troy, MT. Continue west to Bonners Ferry, ID. At Hwy 2/95 junction, turn south onto 95 to visit historic downtown Bonners Ferry (2 mi / 3.5 km), otherwise turn north at the Hwy 2/95 junction for 13 mi / 21 km.

At the junction of Hwy 95 / 1 you can return to Creston, crossing the international border at Rykerts, BC then retrace your ride back to Calgary, OR at the Hwy 95/1 junction remain on Hwy 95 to the Kingsgate, BC border crossing through Yahk, BC – overnight in Cranbrook.