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Meadow
Creek
Meadow Creek is located 40 km (25 miles) north of Kaslo
and 99 km (62 miles) south of Galena Bay on Hwy 31, just past the
northern end of Kootenay Lake.
Meadow
Creek Farmland
The countryside around Meadow Creek is made up mostly of farmland
that has been formed from the Duncan and Lardeau Rivers plus the
surrounding northern shoreline of Kootenay Lake.
Selkirk
and Purcell Mountains
The slow-moving Meadow Creek meanders through this small community.
In the far background, the Selkirk and Purcell Mountain ranges rise
very steeply to form large, jagged peaks.
Main
Centre on Hwy 31
Besides the farmland the main centre for Meadow Creek is located
on Hwy 31 where there is the Meadow Creek Store featuring a Lucky
Dollar Foods and White Service Station. Situated next door is a
drinking establishment called Drifter's Restaurant & Lodging
which has some accommodation, pub and a small café. Other
lodgings include the Meadowdown B&B.
Kootenay
Lake
Kootenay Lake is located just south of Meadow Creek with the small
communities of Cooper Creek and Lardeau on the north-west side on
Hwy 31 and Argenta and Johnsons Landing on the north-east side of
the lake. To get to Argenta there is a gravel road that travels
near the Duncan River. Once at Argenta, you travel south to Johnsons
Landing.
Eco-Tourism
Operations
Meadow Creek is very a popular for snowboarding, snowcat and backcountry
skiing because of the close proximity to the Selkirk and Purcell
Mountains. Lately Meadow Creek has transformed itself into a base
for eco-tourism operations with several companies establishing eco-tours.
Lardeau
Valley Historical Society
There is also a small museum sponsored by the Lardeau Valley Historical
Society located just north of the Meadow Creek Store. Near the museum,
across Hwy 31, is a small sawmill - the area's main employer.
Great
Recreation
Surrounded by Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges, Meadow Creek
has some great recreational things to do. There are great alpine
hiking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, swimming, unbelievable
whitewater rafting experience, boating, caving and rock hounding
opportunities.
Heli-Skiing
For heli-skiing, Stellar Heli Skiing offers up to 320 sq. km (199
sq. miles) of unexplored terrain of untouched powder for superb
enjoyment.
Snowcat
Skiing
Besides heli-skiing, the backcountry has also been opened up for
the use of snowcats that can operate in all kinds of weather conditions.
One company Highland Powder Skiing offers you up to 18,000 vertical
feet a day with runs ranging from 1,000-4,000 vertical feet in the
heart of the Selkirk Mountains.
Duncan
Dam
BC Hydro has a dam located just south of Meadow Creek on Duncan
River called Duncan Dam. The storage dam was built in 1967 and is
located 10 km (6 miles) north of the north end of Kootenay Lake.
Duncan
Lake
Duncan Dam was part of the Columbia River Treaty for the control
of the Upper Columbia River Basin. The result was Duncan Lake with
a storage size of 1.7 billion cubic metres of water with a length
of 45 km (28 miles) at full pool. Duncan Lake offers some excellent
water sports in the summer as the water is very clean and tends
to be warm, a good spot for access is at Glacier Creek Regional
Park.
Hwy
31 to Trout Lake
Travelling to Meadow Creek from Kaslo on Hwy 31, the highway is
paved all the way. After Meadow Creek travelling north on Hwy 31,
the road changes to two lanes of gravel all the way to the Lardeau
River Bridge at the south end of Trout Lake.
Hwy
31 - Alongside Trout Lake
Hwy 31 travelling north alongside of Trout Lake is single lane with
pull-outs and quite rough with washboard conditions, not really
suitable for pulling a trailer. The views though of Trout Lake,
the Lardeau River and mountain scenery are spectacular.
Hwy
31 - Trout Lake to Galena Bay
Once at the community of Trout Lake,
the road condition changes back for the better with wider lanes
and not so full of potholes all the way to the turnoff for Beaton.
From the Beaton turnoff to the ferry terminal at Galena Bay, the
Hwy 31 changes back to pavement and is in fairly good shape.
Information
on Meadow Creek
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