Fernie Travel | Fernie Accommodations and Things to do in Fernie

British Columbia Travel Guide

The unofficial BC Travel & Tourism Guide

Fernie is located along Highway #3 also known as the "Crowsnest Pass Highway", 50 kilometers west of the border to Alberta, in the southern most eastern corner of British Columbia. Over the past decades tourism has soared and Fernie was awarded "Best Little Town in BC" twice in a row by the BC Recreation and Parks Association. Fernie has plenty to offer in winter and summer sports. Its ski resort boasts some of the finest powder snow in Canada.

It is not surprising that this scenic location is home to a thriving arts community. Photographers, painters, musicians, and actors who are featured all year long in local galleries, shops, local venues, and the Arts Station cultural hub.

This charming restored heritage town is inviting and inspiring to those who live and visit here!

Population: 5,040+

Highlights:
Incredible Mountainous Backdrop
Wilderness Adventures and Wildlife Viewing
Extreme Sports
The Townsite
The Arts Station
Renowned Skiing Facility / Resort
Elkford and Sparwood Coal Mine Tours (Summer)
Geological sites: Mount Hosmer, the Palliser Formation, and the Coal Creek ammonite.
The old townsite on the Coal Creek Heritage Trail
Fernie Historical Museum
Elk River or Heli-fishing
Heritage Walking Tour
Crowsnest Provincial Park
Ice Fishing (Winter)

Things To Bring:
Caution: The Cowboy Trail (Hwy 22) can be a challenge in poor weather, rather, travel South out of Calgary on Highway #2 toward Fort McLeod to Crowsnest Highway (Hwy #3) turn west.
Caution: Watch for wildlife on the roads / highways.

History:
First Nations tribes inhabited the region around and through where Fernie exists today for over 4,000 years. Their semi-nomadic live style was heavily dependent and determined by the forces of nature; the extreme weather conditions at higher elevations and the changing of the seasons. Along the Rocky Mountain range the lakes and rivers supplied fish and the forest supplied shelter, game, and material for tools. The spirited lives of the First Nations is depicted in history books, legends of the Indian Prince and her father - the Ghostrider Lore (a shadowed marking on the hillside), and the stories told by remaining elders and their families.

Up to this day Fernie, named after William Fernie the first coal prospector, is still a coal mining town. The town had seen many devastations. In its past history it was destroyed by fire and therefore town officials decreed in 1908 that the town be reconstructed in brick. Many of these stone and brick heritage houses now beautify Fernie's downtown area.

Climate:
Summer average 19 degrees Celsius
Winter average -2 degrees Celsius
(Mountain extreme weather conditions can apply and varies depending on elevation.)