Old Slocan Highway by the Lake

Come take a look at a hair raising section of road blasted out of the rock years ago, out in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia and near the community of Slocan City. It’s a narrow winding shelf, barely wide enough for two cars to pass and right there at lake level. Road meet lake and lake meet road. It must have been exhilarating to drive, even at the best of times, and you can bet many folks breathed a sigh of relief when it was bypassed.

While the new alignment higher up the hill is steep in places, there’s a clean line of sight, rockfalls are minimized and best of all there’s no dark water worries. Slocan Lake is deep one and if a car was to plunge into its depths along the old alignment, both it and occupants would never been seen again. It gives one the chills just thinking about it. Sure, there’s barricades, at least in the worst spots, but they don’t look terribly effective.

The Old Slocan Highway is now an ersatz walking path and we’re taking a little break from the road to get to know it while in the area. Come join in and have a little fun. Our plan was to see it in its entirely (a six click round trip) but the insufferable heat this day (mid-30s), had us rethinking our plans. The best parts are fairly early in, where as the final section bends away from the lake to later rejoin the current section of highway higher up. We’re certain the last bit has less to offer, but still lament not getting to see it.

Stunning views from the Old Slocan Highway.

The tunnel along the fist stretch is a highlight and it was almost blocked by a massive rockfall from about a decade ago. This seems to be where most people turn around, but we toughed it out a little longer before admitting defeat. We’re going to come back and see it all one day and the reason is just because.

Before this road, the only way to reach towns north up the lake was by boat. The Canadian Pacific offered a barge service and one could catch a ride on the tug, if need be but it was hardly convenient.

The mountains around Slocan aren’t particularly high, but they are especially rugged, so it wasn’t until the 1920s before they even considered putting in a connecting road. Completed later that decade, it remained in use into the 1970s. It was not a local road, but a provincial highway and that’s amazing. It’s more like a mine road or some cart track.

How did they do it back then? It’s sometimes single lane, probably deadly icy in the winter, visibility was severely limited and rocks often reigned down from above. Then there’s the lake…the exceedingly deep, dark lake…a short drop down and right there beside the road. Those barricades look wholly inadequate and we keep going back to that.

What’s not to like?

While gravel at the start (as were many “highways” back then), it was paved sometime in the 1950s. Records are not exactly clear and we’re further burdened by a lack resources when a snag is hit and things drag on. If only we had the budget to dig deeper without considering the time factor. Remains of the pavement can still be seen underfoot and seem in good shape in certain places.

Where there’s a road, there’s often communications lines right beside and using the same right of way. Usually they parallel the road on poles, but in places here they were strung above the traffic. There was just no other place for them to go. There’s remains of the occasional line pole or rock-anchored brackets that supported wires in places where there was no room for a pole.

The tunnel was a mistake and never planned, but when a large section of rock along this stretch slid into the water (the deep, dark water…oooo) during blasting, there was no other alternative. One can’t help admire the “fly by the seat of your pants” attitude of century ago.

The old roadbed is still in fairly good shape overall, but in one spot past the tunnel, a short section slumped into the lake. The deep, deep, lake…shudder. It’s not too drastic, however, and the section left behind wide enough to walk. There’s rockfall here and there, as well, and the biggest is right before the tunnel. It just missed the entry and there’s a narrow path allowing one to squeeze between the boulders and cliff-face.

Slocan Lake is close to forty kilometres end to end and flanked by mountains. The maximum depth is close to three hundred metres and the averages about one seventy. There is no shore in places and like here along the cliffs, it’s a straight drop down to the depths. It’s a gorgeous setting even if the road is something terrifying.

If anyone went over the edge, we haven’t found a record of that happening. It’s possible, but perhaps it turned out to be a safer drive than appearances would indicate. It was slow going, so perhaps that helped prevent disaster from happening. If a car did go into the drink (heaven forbid), it’s likely it and the people inside would ever be found. The thought of some mangled wreck deep underwater keeps popping into our heads and the stuff of horror movies.

Old Slocan Highway is in no way a forgiving road and there certainly must have been many close calls at least.

Natures taking back what’s hers and we were thankful for the many trees that have grown up since the highway closed. Damn, it was stifling hot and their shade welcome.

A section of cliffs early in seems to be a popular place to do a rock climbing, so look up and say hi. Around this section you’ll see these odd anchored metal loops in the rock by the lake and these were tie-downs for log rafts coming into the Slocan mill. That wood plant is long gone and the big vacant lot right at the start of the trail, the former location.

Slocan City* once relied on heavy industry to drive its economy but now it’s tourists that bring in the dollars. Still it’s a fairly quiet backwater, so not too busy and we love that.

The backdrop is gorgeous Slocan Lake.

Thanks to the heat, this short adventure is over and the road calls, but we hope to be back sometime in the coming years. The Slocan area has a lot to offer history-obsessed folks like us, and the call hard to resist. Hope you enjoyed this little write up and come back often for more new and interesting content posted regularly.

*Officially it’s call plain old Slocan today, but once it was once such an important centre (of mining mostly) that it had city status and the name has stuck ever since.

Know more about this amazing area (new windows): Slocan City BC and Beautiful Slocan Lake.

They’re saying…

”The subject matter is always interesting, and Chris & Connie do an amazing job…” Rik Barry.

A Then & Now shot at the tunnel…
Old Slocan Highway.

And one shot in town…
Slocan British Columbia 81 Years Apart.

Our East Kootenay adventure was awesome…
Alone in the Gulch.
Bridge Hunting: Brilliant BC.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of Adventure: July, 2021.
Location(s): West Kootenay Region, British Columbia.
Article references and thanks: BC Department of Highways, Town of Slocan, and BC Archives @ Royal BC Museum.

An old line pole left behind.

Guard rails are few and the lake’s a deep one.

Rockfall almost blocks the tunnel ahead.

Standing atop one of the boulders that came down.

Punched through in the 1920s.

A reverse view.

You can see a section back there that slide into the lake.

Nature’s reclaiming what’s been taken.

Odd sections of pavement can still be seen.

A rest spot and our turn around point.

Awe inspiring beauty, here in the West Kootenays.

Not until the 1970s was it bypassed.

At best there’s barely room for two cars to pass.

They had to bolt this pole to the cliff face.

Sometimes the lines ran above the road.

A break from the stifling heat (35c).

Hi up there!