Five Slocan Valley non-profit organizations have formed a new society that will partner with Rec Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) to manage the Rosebery to Summit Lake rail trail for non-motorized recreational use.

This winter, after 20 years of study and public consultation, the 26 km section of rail trail was legally established as a non-motorized trail by the Province of BC as part of the Rosebery-Summit Lake Trail Network. This network also includes a separate 29km route for motorized use consisting of existing roads and some new trail to link Forest Service Road systems in the area. 

The decision to have separate trails resulted from government- funded environmental impact assessments and from policy in the BC Recreation Manual, used by ministries to plan and design trails, which states that “…in most cases motorized and non-motorized use on the same trail is not recommended.”

The non-motorized rail trail hugs the shorelines of Slocan Lake, Bonanza Creek, and Summit Lake.  The south end connects to the Galena Trail in Rosebery, and the north end connects to the Summit Lake-Nakusp rail trail.

The Rosebery-Bonanza-Summit (RBS) Trail Alliance has an initial Board of Directors that includes representatives from the North Slocan Trails Society, Hills Recreation Society, Slocan Lake Stewardship Society, Valhalla Hills Nordic Ski Club and the Rosebery Parklands Development Society. All of these groups have been involved with the trail for many years.

The RBS Trail Alliance is now welcoming individual and organizational members to join in support of operation and maintenance of the trail, and an inaugural annual general meeting is being planned for later this year. It is also actively collaborating with RSTBC this spring to install signage, gates and other infrastructure to provide information on trail use and to control access, especially during seasonal trail closures for western toad and grizzly bear habitat protection.

The rail trail passes through prime wildlife habitat, and all trail users should take steps to avoid and be prepared for wildlife encounters. In spring, grizzlies descend into the Bonanza Creek corridor between Hills and Summit Lake. Spring through fall, black bears can be expected along the entire route. In late summer watch for signage in the Summit Lake area related to western toadlet migrations.

Spring is also bird breeding season, and about half of the local breeding species nest in this section of the rail trail and in adjacent wetlands. Walkers should remain in the middle of the trail and not wander off into the shrubbery. If you do see a bird flush from a nest, move along quickly as eggs can get chilled if left exposed for any length of time. Dogs must be kept under owner’s control or on a leash.

In all seasons, the rail trail is a beautiful, peaceful, and easily-accessible route through lakeshore, wetland, and creek-side terrain with spectacular mountain scenery. Thanks to the efforts of many individuals over many years, it is now securely established as a public non-motorized recreational trail.

For more information, email RBS.TrailAlliance@gmail.com.  

– June 2022

We have a management plan…

You may be aware that the post-2015 Rosebery-Summit Lake Rail Trail management plan talks under Rec Sites and Trails BC have been nearing completion. It’s been a long and arduous four years, but last week the planning group agreed to a final framework for the rail trail, a motorized bypass, and establishment of a day-use recreation site at the former Girl Guide camp on Slocan Lake.

The proposed management plan and map are available on this site for viewing or downloading. To access them go to the 2020 Management Plan page and click on the relevant links.

The plan contains background info, a summary of identified issues and recommendations to address them, information related to implementation, and more.

In a nutshell:

• The rail trail will be designated non-motorized for its entire length, from Rosebery to the junction with Ruby Range/Island View Rd north of Summit Lake (fall 2021).
• The RDCK and Rec Sites and Trails are investigating shared management from Rosebery up to and including the Girl Guide Camp.
• An ATV bypass route will use and enable connections between the existing Summit, Shannon and Slide Creek (between Hills and Rosebery) FSR networks. To make these connections, ATV owners will need to obtain individual permits from the local RCMP to use Ruby Range/Island View Roads (north end) and the Bonanza Cr. Bridge and Bonanza Rd (south end). There will be no new crossings of Bonanza Creek.
• Gates, seasonal closures and other measures will address impacts on various species at risk.

This week, planning group facilitator John Cathro will issue a press release for immediate distribution. We are reviving the 2015 roseberysummitrailtrail.com website as an information update site.  An open house is being planned for the spring.

A new society will be established to manage the non-motorized rail trail in partnership with Rec Sites and Trails, as in the south valley; more about this in coming months. The Slocan Lake ATV club will manage the motorized bypass. Implementation will be a joint project.

Environmental impact assessments in 2018-19 and other inputs have guided us in negotiating agreements over the past year and re-enforced what we all know: this trail network lies in very special and often very complex and sensitive terrain. Management plan implementation will require attention to detail, continued expert advice, and lots of volunteer energy. We hope you’ll want to be part of this effort and look forward to working with you going forward.

 

Richard Allin

Mike Koolen

Rosebery-Summit Lake Rail Trail Steering Committee