No dogs, snowshoes, biking or walkers on the trails please. The area around the hut will be lit every Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Cedar & Lizard Lookout
Groomed & trackset
Jan 21
From Hut to bridge
Groomed & trackset
Jan 21
Runt & Grunt
Groomed & trackset
Jan 21
Evergreen Loop
Groomed – no trackset
Jan 19
Galloway Loop
Groomed & trackset
Jan 21
Lizard Creek Loop
Groomed & trackset
Jan 19
FAR Boomerang Way connector
Open and groomed
Jan 13
FAR Highline Drive connector
Open and groomed
Jan 13
All trails except for the Lizard Creek and Evergreen Loops were groomed on Tuesday evening. The Kids Loop and stadium area were also groomed on Wednesday morning. The FAR connectors were not groomed – but watch for construction equipment. Enjoy! Access to the Nordic Centre from FAR is through Boomerang Way or from Highline Drive – now open.
Fernie Golf Course
The skate lanes were refreshed on Wednesday morning. Grooming is done daily every morning. Enjoy the views! Level of difficulty: Easy
No dogs, snowshoes or walkers on the golf course please.
Other locations where one can ski in the Fernie area are listed below. Please note that these trails are dog-friendly and operated by other organizations.
Fernie Alpine Resort
The Silk, Scandia and Manchuria trails were groomed and trackset on Monday morning.
Off-leash dogs are now allowed on the trails if they are still under ‘vocal control’.
Fernie Dyke and City Trails
The backcountry trail was groomed on Wednesday morning. The dyke is groomed regularly when snow conditions are good.
It is a multi-use trail for walking, snowshoeing, snow biking and skiing with your dog. Additionally the dyke from the north bridge to the boat launch will be groomed and trackset after a sufficient new snow fall. Level of difficulty: Easy
Montane
The trails are snowmobile groomed daily when conditions allow. Access to the trails is from the trailhead.
Additional Information
Anyone may send text updates to 250-430-2719 at any time.
The Fernie Nordic Society maintains the trails at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre and at the Golf Course in partnership with the Fernie Golf Club. The crosscountry ski trails in the region are made possible by the involvement of several land owners, the Fernie Alpine resort, the Fernie Golf Club and the City of Fernie. During the ski season, look for a ski trail map at local sports shops. Visit the great Tourism Fernie website here for more activities to do in Fernie.
Ski in any of these locations within 10 minutes drive from Fernie:
About 10 kilometres of groomed trails are now available for the 2021-2022 ski season. The first trails of the Nordic Centre were set during the fall of 2013. A bridge across the Lizard Creek was installed in November 2014 to give access to additional trails (in purple and yellow on the map). The bypass trail ”The Runt” (in red) was added in the fall of 2015. The Lizard Creek loop is a new short trail running along the Galloway Loop trail. Curious about our interpretive kiosks? Check this page for the surprising details.
How to get there: To reach the Elk Valley Nordic Centre, go west from Fernie on highway 3. At 3 km from the bridge, turn right at the Island Lake Lodge sign. Follow the road for 0.9 km to the Mt. Fernie Provincial Park sign. Turn left into the overflow parking lot at 0.2 km. The trail head is located on your left about 50 m before the parking lot and it is indicated by a sign. A trail map is posted at the kiosk located in the clearing. Please NO DOGS ON THE TRAILS at any time. Note that more walking trails are located at the far end of the parking lot. Enjoy!
The starting point is the Warming Hut (49.485633 N, 115.090980 W) More trail and elevation info on this page
Access from the Fernie Alpine Resort side: UPDATE: For the 2024-25 winter, the access is now through Snow Pines Rd and Boomerang Way. This multi-use trail connects with the Galloway Loop. The former access from Highline Drive is is also open although some construction work may happen to close access temporarily.
Map
Fernie Golf Course and Fernie Dyke
About 8 km of groomed tracks are available on the golf course. There is little change of elevation on these trails so it is optimal for beginner skiers. The start of the trails is at the Clubhouse of the golf course where you will find ample free parking. The trails are jointly groomed by the Golf Course and by the Nordic Society volunteers on a regular basis. A 4km stretch of the Fernie Dyke is also groomed by the personnel of the golf course. Enjoy the views as you ski on this multi-use trail – Dogs are welcome here. How to get there: To reach it from the highway 3, turn south at the 13th Street light, then turn left again on 6th Avenue for 400 metres, then right again on Fairway Drive for 800 metres to the parking area. There is a kiosk next to the Clubhouse for signing up and to deposit your fee for the $15 daily pass or $25 per family, or you may purchase a pass online here. Show your support for our volunteers! You may consider getting a Nordic Society season pass for $100/adult or $220/family here. The management of the golf course has specified that NO DOGS be allowed on the trails of the golf course. The starting point is at the clubhouse ( 49.516403 N, 115.047922 W )
More Cross Country ski trails near Fernie
Several easy skiing trails can be found in Fernie and also within a short distance of the city. Just bring some water and snacks for a wonderful time out on the trail. Be aware that other skiers like to enjoy the trails and the great outdoors without having to encounter doggy leftovers. Skiers with dogs are welcome on several trails.
Fernie Alpine Resort
The FAR resort grooms two skiing loops on the southwest side of the resort. The entire course is about 9 km long but it has a bypass at the half-way point. A map of the trail is displayed at the parking lot. This trail is easy but the short section to reach it from the parking lot is steep and a little challenging. Beginners may carry their skis to the start of the loop. Dogs are permitted off-leash on these trails if they are still under ‘vocal command’.
How to get there: From highway 3 west from Fernie, turn right at the FAR sign, about 8 km. Follow the main road keeping to your left at the ski hill buildings until you reach the parking lot #4. The trail starts straight ahead. The resort does not charge for the use of their trails, but support of the resort businesses is appreciated.
Montane Nordic and Multi-use Trails
The Coal Creek Heritage Society is doing the trail management and snow grooming on the Montane Property. The trails are now signed and color-coded as follows: all of the road system on Montane Green trail (about 10km) is snowcat groomed and snowmobile groomed for Nordic Skiing Only. For non-motorized multi-use, all of the Montane Blue trail (20 km), Uprooted and Resurrection are available for walkers, dogs, bikers, snowshoers. Also the trail along Coal Creek and the trails close to the Montane housing development are being groomed for multi-use. We have put up one hundred signs showing the routes.
This private land is 3 kilometers long and one kilometer wide, covering the area from Coal Creek to Cokato (Roots Trail Powerline) and below the River Road Extension to Cokato Road. The entire property is signed as non-motorized use. Please follow the signage to respect the trails groomed for nordic skiers.
How to get there: As of summer 2024, the trail head of the network has been moved so access will be from the Pine Ave/Cokato Road area. More trail and elevation info on this page. The entire Montane property below River Road Extension is non-motorized.
Our three qualified instructors, Susan, Emily and Tarah, have started ski training sessions. Private and small group sessions may be booked with one of our intructors. Send us a message. Read all the details on our page HERE.
We have just updated this page for the 2024-2025 winter season.
Instructors Emily, Susan and Tarah will be offering adult classic and skate lessons for beginners and intermediate skiers through private or semi-private lessons. Tarah is a Level 3 CANSI instructor and will also be offering advanced lessons.
Most lessons will take place at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre, located a few minutes drive from downtown Fernie. Meet at the staging area outside the warming hut. Some lessons will take place at the Fernie Golf Course. At this location, meet at the FNS kiosk just outside of the Clubhouse. Your instructor will confirm the location and meeting place. Your instructor will confirm the cost and the duration of the lesson.
Preparedness
Payment for your lesson must be made BEFORE your lesson starts.
Please come prepared for all types of weather (cold, wet, snowy, windy, sunny, etc) as your comfort is your responsibility and we may not have access to the hut to warm up cold toes. Lessons may be rescheduled in the event of extreme weather.
Please make sure you have the right equipment properly sized for your weight/ability. We do not have rentals. Contact Tarah for questions about equipment and rentals BEFORE your lesson.
Please ensure that you have a day pass or club membership at the time of your lesson. Day passes are available online HERE.
Once your lesson has been confirmed, you will be requested to make an online payment:
Option 1: send an e-transfer to info@fernienordic.com
Option 2: pay by credit card using the Payment button below
Frequently Asked Questions
Coach Qualifications We currently have three instructors who are CANSI certified.
Scheduling of lessons Each instructor will be available at different times during the winter season. Contact us with your day/time preferences and your nordic ski goals. We will get you in touch with an instructor.
Lesson Types Private lessons are offered by each instructor. It is also fun and more economical to learn in a group, so if you have some friends with similar nordic skills and goals, you may choose a semi-private or a group lesson.
The lessons may be for absolute beginners in the classic ski or skate ski technique. Or intermediate/advanced skiers may just be looking to improve their technique and performance.
Beginner 1 : first time on skis
Beginner 2 : feel confident on various terrain types – no previous lessons
Intermediate : have had a lesson or have 2 + years of experience skiing
Advanced : very confident on skis, looking to improve performance or technique
Lessons If you have a special request, please let your instructor know when you get in touch with us. Participants will be asked to sign a waiver prior to the lessons.
Payments Once you have confirmed a time and the number of participants with your instructor, please make the payment in advance of the class to confirm your session. Payment details can be found elsewhere on this page.
What to Wear? Dress in layers so that you can adjust your clothing accordingly. A hat and neck warmer are very helpful for maintaining your body warmth. Nordic specific gloves or mittens help with grip and are more user friendly with ski pole straps.
Gear fit is Important If you have questions about your gear, discuss with the local outdoor stores that sell Nordic gear or a specialty Nordic shop. Fit really does matter!
Equipment Rentals We do not offer or arrange any rentals of ski equipment. A few local shops have cross country ski gear available for rent. They are located either in downtown Fernie or at the Fernie Alpine Resort. More details on this page.
Gift Certificates Thinking of offering a present to a friend? We offer gift certificates for ski lessons. Just let us know the details when you contact us. Certificates may be picked up locally or mailed out.
Cold Temperatures Fernie gets cold and windy from time to time. Sometimes conditions are not suitable for learning. Instructors or participants may need to reschedule a lesson in extreme conditions.
Tarah Leggott is a CANSI Level 3 instructor that is passionate about cross country skiing as a lifelong, family-oriented sport that can be pursued competitively or as recreation in our beautiful, little corner of BC.
Emily has been cross country skiing for over 20 years. She grew up as a competitive racer for Foothills Nordic in Calgary. She has coached in adult and youth programs in both Calgary and Whistler. “I’m looking forward to connecting with the Fernie ski community and helping you reach your nordic goals!”
Susan is passionate about nordic skiing and she looks forward to helping you and your family to become more efficient and dynamic on your skis. She combines her knowledge of body mechanics and CANSI training to target your individual needs.
On December 27-28, the Race Team has another ski waxing fundraiser. If you missed the earlier one, it is not too late to get your skis in shape. Getting your skis ready helps our athletes going to the Ski Nationals in Canmore in March.
Cost: $30 per pair
click to enlarge
Pay at the time of pickup. Or pre-pay at Polar Peek Books, or as a Christmas gift ! Small race team branded cowbells are also available.
‡ ‡ ‡ If your child is in the SDP program and has a set of the club rental skis, bring the skis for a FREE waxing.
