Fernie's summer season begins as soon as the snow melts in May and lasts until October, when snow once more starts to fall. The mountain world is green with lush vegetation, a change indeed from the white canopy of the winter months!
Choose your adventure below:
Look no further than Fernie, B.C. for some of the best mountain biking in Canada. Fernie offers a plethora of options, ranging from cross country, downhill, singletrack and dual slalom trails with and without chairlift access.
Fernie's bike park at Fernie Alpine Resort offers a substantial 40 km of terrain for riders of all abilities. 34 runs, accessed via two chairlifts, range from smooth and easy dirt tracks to epic, downhill single-track and dual-slalom courses to screaming steeps and stunts targeted to beginner, intermediate and advanced riders respectively. Adults can access the Bike Park via 2 quads for $33/day.
There is also a huge selection of trails to choose from in other areas of Fernie, not located at the resort, that can easily be accessed right from the town.
Be sure to get your hands on the Fernie Mountain Bike Map, now in its 3rd edition - available at Polar Peek Books & Treasures and other fine Fernie retailers.
Also be sure to check out the official site of the Fernie Mountain Bike Club - www.bikefernie.ca
Fernie is fast becoming an international destination for sport fishing. Whether you're looking for walk-and-wade river fishing, fly fishing, stillwater lake fishing or ice fishing, Fernie is guaranteed to offer you an unforgettable experience.
One of the first things you notice upon arriving in Fernie is the emerald water of the Elk River. The Elk and its many tributaries offer a world class mecca for fly fisherman and the backcountry offers some great alpine lakes for the float tube enthusiast. Enjoy excellent fishing for a variety of species from Bass to Brook, Rainbows, and Native Cutthroat Trout.
The City of Fernie offers a public boat launch located downstream of the 4th Avenue extension to provide river-access for larger non-motorized watercraft.
Be sure to check the recent regulations before heading out. Click here to download a copy.
Originally founded in 1918 The Fernie Golf & Country Club is noted for it's majestic mountain setting and playability, this golf course has something to offer for both the low handicap player and beginner alike. With luscious greens, silica sand bunkers, varied terrain and a stunning view of the Rocky Mountains the golf course is a players dream. The course is a par 70, and is 6,556 yards long. Rated in the top 25 of BC's courses you won't want to miss this one on your next golf getaway!
Check out a Virtual Shot-by-Shot Tour of the Fernie Golf and Country Club Here.
Fernie will soon welcome a second world-class 18 hole golf course. Blackstone Resort, scheduled to open in 2009.
Fernie's network of river systems can take rafters and kayakers from wet and wild whitewater to a more relaxed meander downriver. River travel offers a fantastic way to check out Fernie's wildlife and incredible biodiversity.
Let one of Fernie's rafting companies take you on the ride of your life.
Check out this video of Rafting the Bull River
And this one from the Elk River Canyon
Why not enjoy a game of tennis at one of the many tennis courts available for all to enjoy.
James White Park (formerly Mount View) has 4 courts available for the public to use at no cost.see the City of Fernie recreation map here.
The Fernie Alpine Resort Tennis Club offers 2 courts, lessons and equipment rentals. Courts can be booked at the Mountain Pantry, and are open from 9 am - 6 pm.
COURT RENTAL
Per Hour Per Court $5
Season Pass ( unlimited access ) $50
EQUIPMENT RENTALS
Court, 2 tennis racquets & Tennis Balls $15.00/hr
Tennis racquets& Tennis Balls $5.00/hr
LESSONS
Tennis Lessons Available:
Mon - Fri 1:00pm - 6:00pm
Sat - Sun 9:00am - 6:00pm
Lessons include certified instruction, court and racquet rental.
Max of 4 participants.
$20/hr Kids
$30/hr Adults
The Lizard Range Disc Golf Course, established in 2004, is located in James White Park. The course consists of 18 holes, 9 baskets and 9 tones. Discs are available at Giv'ER Shirt Works on Historic 2nd Avenue.
Check out the course map here.
For further information on the LRDGC, please visit their independently maintained website:
Lakes
In under an hours drive, you can be resting on the sandy shores of a number of lakes south of Fernie. Check out the lakes info page for more information
Fernie Aquatic Centre
Featuring a 6 lane - 25 metre sized competition pool complete with a one metre diving board and tarzan swing. A 15 metre leisure pool ranging from 0 depth to 1 metre with spray fountains. A 25 person hot tub kept at a balmy 104 degrees along with the most amazing view available from any hot tub. There is also a 15 person steam room. And lastly a 150 foot waterslide with its own run off lane.
Tubing is a fun and exciting way to see the wonders of Elk River. From the white water action to the magnitude of the mountains above, tubing offers more than just a refreshing ride on a hot summer day. It's like river rafting  for one.
It's fun, refreshing and only incurs a one time monetary investment of a big, black, tire tube (and maybe a patch kit just in case) which can be purchased at any local garage or auto parts store. They run anywhere between $10 and $30, depending on the store and whether or not it's peak-tubing season.
With an incredible array of scenic hiking trails through ancient old-growth cedar forests, alpine meadows and high mountain peaks, Fernie is hiking heaven. Located on the edge of town, Mount Fernie Provincial Park is a small park with a big personality - a camper and nature lover's delight of forested hiking trails. The mountains surrounding Fernie are all equally accessible from town, an interwoven trail network connecting the micro urban environment to the rocky reaches of the high alpine peaks. The Cedar Valley, Fairy Creek Falls and Mt. Proctor are to name but three trails only minutes' access from town, and Mt. Fernie, Mt. Bizzaro, Mt. Hosmer, Mt. Trinity and the Three Sisters equally provide a gateway to outstanding scenery and wildlife viewing. Black bear, deer and elk are abundant in these parts, so if they drop by for a visit you had better be on your best behaviour and fully Bear Aware
Also be sure to check out these downloadable maps.
Fernie Alpine Resort Trails - Summer
Being the centre of many mining and logging activities, there is a huge network of "back-roads" that are easily accessible right from the city of Fernie.
These roads provide access to some of the most rugged, and un-touched wilderness found anywhere in the world. There are backcountry lakes, rivers, recreational campgrounds and cabins, and so much more to discover in this pristine wilderness.
But don't head out on any back-roads without knowing where you are going, the network is so expansive it is easy to take a wrong turn and never find your way back to where you came from.
Be sure to get your hands on the "Back-Roads Mapbook" available at Polar Peek Books before heading out.
Enjoy an exciting game of Bocce or Horseshoes at one of the local City Parks.
Annex Park has a large horseshoe pit under a large canopy of trees to keep you cool on a hot summers day.
James White Park (formerly Mount View) is also home to well maintained horseshoe, and bocce pits.
A horseback ride is one of the most peaceful and original ways to experience the beautiful wilderness of the Elk Valley.
There are lots of climbing possibilities around Fernie. Information is limited, and it is recommended that you talk to a local to find the best place to climb.
On the other hand, there is a great indoor climbing wall located at the College of the Rockies
The Fernie Skateboard Park came into being through the commitment and dedication of a local group of citizens. Through their fund raising, grant writing, and pure dedication the park opened to the youth of our community in 2001.
Check it out for yourself - the park is located close to the downtown core, at the intersection of Pine Avenue and Ridgemont Avenue (close to the Fernie Aquatic Centre).