Fernie
Fernie is a town in British Columbia Canada. Originally a mining town, it's location in the Canadian Rockies has led to the development of the Fernie Alpine Resort (FAR). Fernie is renowned for its powder skiing and snowboarding - the resort receives an average of 875cm of snow per year!
Get in
The closest airports to Fernie are Cranbrook and Calgary. Cranbrook currently only services domestic flights, but improvements are underway to upgrade it to an international airport. Shuttles to Fernie from these airports run regularly but can be expensive. Greyhound offers busses from Calgary (5 hours), Vancouver (18 hours), and most resorts and towns in between.
Get around
Fernie has no public transport system. Fortunately everything in the town is within walking distance. There are a few options for getting from town to the resort and vice versa.
- Kootenay Taxi [1] run large purple busses up and down every hour (every half hour in the morning). Check the website for schedules. The bus passes most major hostels and condos in town. The trip costs $3 each way. There are racks on the outside of the bus for skis and snowboards.
- A free shuttle [2] runs on evenings during peak season. The bus is useful for visiting bars and clubs downtown if you are staying on the mountain. The shuttle runs every hour from 6pm until 11pm (2am on Friday and Saturday nights), excluding 8pm.
- Hitchhiking is an accepted way to get to and from the resort. Getting a ride is usually very easy. For trips up the mountain, wait at the metal post known as the 'hitching post' on the highway past the bridge to West Fernie. For trips down, wait at the intersection below the resort centre. Police are fine with hitching from these areas but dislike people hitching within city limits.
See
Do
Winter Sports
During winter months, skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, telemarking and whatever else takes your fancy are the focus of the entire town. The Fernie Alpine Resort [3] offers amazing terrain and huge amounts of fresh powder on a regular basis. Season passes are $1139 and day tickets are $69.
Hiking
Heiko's trail up the Three Sisters mountain.
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Heiko’s Trail, Water Gate, Three Sisters hike -
Heiko’s Trail, Three Sisters hike -
Heiko’s Trail, Bisaro cave, Three Sisters hike -
Heiko’s Trail, Waterfall along the way, Three Sisters hike
Ski Hill - If your looking for something relatively easy and close to town, hike up to the top of the ski hill. Nice view of the town from the top.
Island Lake Lodge - There is a large network of trails up by Island Lake Lodge. This includes walking through an old growth cedar forest. There are trail maps on virtual fernie.
Mt. Fisher - The tallest peak in the Kootenay Range at 9500' or close to 2900m. Although technically in Cranbrook it's only an hour drive from Fernie. It's a great Hike. The top part is bit of a scramble, it's recommended only for experienced hikers only.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
- Raging Elk hostel, 892 6th. Avenue, ☏ +1 250 423-6811. Offers a free pancake breakfast, large kitchen, theater room, large common areas. rooms $55, Dorm $25.
- 1 Red Tree Lodge, 1101 7th Avenue (Right on hwy 3), ☏ +1 250 423-4622, toll-free: +1-800-977-2977, info@redtreelodge.com. Budget friendly; Amazing, dedicated staff; Pet friendly; Very clean, with queen rooms, king rooms, bunk/family rooms, as well as a full suite available. All rooms feature en suite bathroom, air conditioning, T.V., microwave, small fridge and in-room coffee. Amenities include breakfast snack, free wireless internet, free parking, movie room with free guest rentals available, games room with poker table, pool table, foosball table, indoor pool, private hot tub & sauna, large clean guest kitchen accessible to everyone with everything you need games room. Meeting spaces available for 10 -160 people. Average prices range from $130 in peak season (Jan-Mar, Jul-Aug) to $110 or less offseason. Watch for frequent specials. Repeat guest, corporate and group discounts.
Mid-Range
- Fernie Alpine Lodge, 5291 Highline Drive, ☏ +1 250 423-4237. Convenient ski in ski out access, great room with two fireplaces and an adjoining dining room for 20, slopeside jacuzzi and sauna. All bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms. $100.
- Griz Inn, 5369 Ski Hill Road (At the base of Fernie Alpine Resort), ☏ +1 250 423-9221. ski-in/out, hotel rooms, 1-3 bedroom suites with full kitchens, some with lofts; air conditioning; cable TV, DD phones; elevator; sauna; indoor pool; outdoor hot tubs; massage; licensed restaurant; lockers. Around $100 a night, about $10 less in the summer.
- Snow Valley Motel & RV Park, 1041 7th Avenue. Renovated in Spring 2003, and has 21 rooms including family rooms for 5 to 7. regular & rustic kitchens with free movie channels, a/c, DD phones, internet service, in room coffee, microwave, fridge, BBQ patio & indoor hot tub. Pets welcome $80-150 about twenty buck less for the summer. RV in the winter for around $35 a night.
- 2 Fernie Stanford Resort Hotel, 100 Riverside Way, ☏ +1 250-423-5000. Indoor aquatic center pool with water-slide, onsite restaurant, hot-tubs, 24hr fitness centre, banquet facilities, free high-speed Internet, pet friendly. The hotel also has 5 bedroom chalets available for rent.
- Travel Lodge Three Sisters, 401 Highway #3, ☏ +1 250 423-4438. whirlpool, sauna, indoor pool, satellite TV and FREE movie channels. Kitchen units with separate bedrooms are available. Rates starting from $45.00.
Splurge
- Park Place Lodge, 742 Highway #3, ☏ +1 250 423-6871. Nice but pricey boutique style hotel with dining room, lounge, indoor pool and whirlpool. Traditional style hotel rooms plus larger studio suites complete with gas fireplaces, balconies and full kitchens. Max Restaurant open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The Pub is downstairs which makes slaying dragons easy as pie. Rooms $124 and up.
Go next
| Routes through Fernie |
| Hope ← Cranbrook ← | W  E
|
→ Sparwood - Crowsnest Pass → Lethbridge |