Winter trails and recreation sites in BC
Recreation Sites and Trails BC manages the campsites, trails and day-use areas on provincial Crown land outside parks. 439 of them list a winter activity: 202 snowmobiling, 116 cross-country skiing, 92 ski touring, 111 snowshoeing and 81 ice fishing. Together the trails among them run about 8,165 km on the provincial map.
A listed activity means the site or trail is managed for it, not that it is groomed this week. Many are maintained by local snowmobile and ski clubs under partnership agreements, and some charge a trail fee in winter: check the club before you go. Many recreation sites get no maintenance in winter, and their access roads may not be plowed.
| Recreation district | Sites and trails | Trail km | Snowmobiling | Cross-country skiing | Ski touring | Snowshoeing | Ice fishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary - South Okanagan | 21 | 445 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 4 |
| Cascades | 48 | 659 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 15 |
| Chilliwack | 4 | 28 | 4 | ||||
| Columbia-Shuswap | 29 | 825 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 1 |
| Headwaters | 34 | 303 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| Kamloops | 33 | 844 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 11 |
| Kootenay-Boundary | 46 | 211 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| Nadina-Skeena | 32 | 381 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| North Coast - Kalum - Cassiar | 15 | 94 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| North Okanagan | 14 | 730 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Peace - Ft. Nelson | 24 | 633 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Prince George-Mackenzie | 13 | 711 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Quesnel-Central Cariboo | 29 | 665 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| Rocky Mountain North | 15 | 164 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | |
| Rocky Mountain South | 18 | 146 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | |
| Sea to Sky | 15 | 134 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 5 | |
| South Cariboo - Chilcotin - Central Coast | 33 | 797 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Sunshine Coast/South Island | 5 | 63 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Vanderhoof-Ft. St. James | 11 | 330 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Columns: Snowmobiling, Cross-country skiing, Ski touring, Snowshoeing, Ice fishing.
Open the full BC Crown land map
Before you ride or ski
- Snowmobile closures. Large areas of the province are closed to snowmobiles under the Wildlife Act, mostly to protect mountain caribou. A trail listed for snowmobiling can still cross or border a closed area. The closures are a layer on the map; the winter guide explains the rules.
- Avalanche terrain. Ski touring and mountain sledding routes often reach avalanche terrain. Check the Avalanche Canada forecast for the day, carry a transceiver, probe and shovel, and know how to use them.
- Resource roads. Access to many winter sites is by active logging roads. Use the posted radio channels and call your kilometre markers, and expect loaded trucks.
Source: Recreation Sites and Trails BC (sitesandtrailsbc.ca) for activities and status; trail lines and site locations: BC Geographic Warehouse, FTEN_RECREATION_LINES_SVW and FTEN_REC_SITE_POINTS_SVW (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).