About Fernie
Fernie and the enchanting Elk Valley of southern British Columbia is one of the last great,
accessible wilderness regions of North America, and is located just two hours north of Kalispell,
Montana, and 3 hours south of Calgary, Alberta. Nestled in the heart of the towering Canadian
Rockies, the majestic little town of 5,000 friendly Fernieites is surrounded by towering peaks,
untrammeled wilderness, and offers unparalleled powder skiing. There is superlative alpine skiing
at one of Canada's finest ski areas, Fernie Alpine Resort, which receives more than 29 feet of
fluffy powder every year.
The Elk Valley is an area of four seasons with an array of un-crowded, high quality outdoor activities. It is a magical spot yearning to be discovered by the avid fly fisherman, outdoor enthusiast and skier at almost unbelievably reasonable prices compared to virtually any other Mountain Resort Community. Like its American cousin, Jackson Hole (but without the glitter), Fernie is the gateway to stunning Elk Lakes Provincial Park, two Canadian National Parks (Waterton and Banff), and to Glacier National Park in the United States. It is the perfect blend of pristine wilderness, resort accouterments-excitingly remote yet conveniently accessible. Fernie is only about 3,000 feet in elevation. The heavily treed slopes of the Canadian Rockies, towering to 10,000 feet, surround the town and stand as jagged sentinels on both sides of the valley. Tree mix is more than 50% deciduous, primarily aspen and birch making the fall colors march in a blaze toward the rugged, snowy peaks, nothing short of phenomenal.
Southwest of discovered Banff and Lake Louise, Fernie and the Elk Valley offers visitors a welcome escape from crowded mega-resorts. Fernie is known for its consistently deep snowpacks and its close proximity to the best skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling in the Canadian Rockies. Explorers wishing to venture further back into the Elk Valley will find more deep powder snow, spectacular Rocky Mountain vistas, and pristine solitude.
Fernie and the Elk Valley also offers a variety of other fun winter activities to enjoy the great outdoors. Be sure to click on Activities for more information!