Family MTB Trip to Nakusp & Mt Abriel
Mt. Abriel is worth the trip. If you've been on the fence about making the drive to Nakusp, the trail network there offers a mix of green and blue trails that works for mixed-ability families — flow, berms, rollers, and enough variety to keep both a 5-year-old and a trail-hungry parent happy across multiple days.
We came in with high expectations after everyone we talked to raved about it. It delivered.
Here's what we learned about the trails, where to stay, and how to structure a trip that keeps everyone riding and nobody melting down by day two.
Quick Notes
- Best ages: 5 and up, depending on trail selection and skill level
- Riding time per day: 1.5–3 hours with breaks, more if you're shuttling
- Drive from Revelstoke: ~1.5 hours including the Shelter Bay ferry
- Drive from Nelson: ~2 hours via Highway 6 through New Denver
- Mt. Abriel rec site: First-come, first-served — arrive by Thursday for summer weekends
- Nakusp Municipal Campground: Full hookups, close to town amenities and the beach
- Pack: Water shoes, bathing suit, and towel if you're planning a stop at Halfway Hot Springs or a post-ride dip in the lake
- Shuttle option: Drive the Lower Road (north past the main parking) to drop into Dusty Panther at the ACME junction
- Note: The Northside road up to Upper Dusty Panther can be rough — 4x4 and high clearance recommended
Getting to Nakusp
From Revelstoke, head south on Highway 23. The drive takes about 1.5 hours, and you'll cross Upper Arrow Lake on the Shelter Bay ferry — add roughly 30 minutes for that leg. The ferry runs every hour, so checking the schedule before leaving saves you from sitting in the lineup longer than necessary. On a busy long weekend, expect at least one sailing wait.
Coming from Nelson, it's closer to 2 hours via Highway 6 through New Denver. The road winds along Slocan Lake and through some of the prettiest scenery in the Kootenays. It's not a fast drive, but the views make the pace feel intentional rather than frustrating.
Why Staying in Nakusp Worked for Us
We chose the Nakusp Municipal Campground over the Mt. Abriel rec site, mostly for convenience. Our kids could ride their bikes to the Adventure Playground at Centennial Park on their own, and our RockyTalkies had enough range to call them back for dinner. Evenings meant pedalling over for ice cream — the kind of low-key routine that makes a camping trip feel easy.
Full hookups helped too. The 10-minute drive to Mt. Abriel each morning felt like a fair trade for a guaranteed spot with services and no early-Thursday scramble.
Mt. Abriel Recreation Site: The Other Option
Camping at the rec site puts you steps from the trails and right on the lake. Kids can walk to the pump track in the morning and swim in the afternoon without anyone loading bikes into a vehicle. The sites are well-spaced and shaded, which matters on a hot August afternoon.
There are no reservations — it's all first-come, first-served. On summer weekends, arriving by Thursday afternoon improves your odds considerably. If you're pulling a larger trailer (ours is 26ft), it's worth knowing which sites accommodate bigger rigs before you commit. The access roads can feel tight if you're going in without a plan.
Other Options Worth Knowing
- MacDonald Creek Provincial Park: About 10 minutes south of Nakusp on Highway 6 toward Fauquier, with reservable sites — useful for families who want a guaranteed spot during peak season. There's a beautiful beach area that makes ride-free days easy to fill near the water or on a paddleboard.
- Camp Valhalla at Summit Lake: 10 minutes toward New Denver, quieter setting with excellent swimming — though farther from the main riding. Our kids love it here. Hot showers, a solid playground, a pump track, and free boat rentals make it an easy place to spend time.
Trails Worth Knowing at Mt. Abriel
The network splits naturally into two zones: trails below the highway that stay closer to the lake and tend to be mellower, and trails above that offer longer descents with more technical features. For a first visit with younger kids, starting below the highway and working up makes sense.
The Family-Friendly Loop (Below the Highway)
Lake Trail runs close to the water and stays cool on hot days. Flat enough in sections for younger riders, it connects to the rest of the network without demanding any climbing upfront. A good warm-up for kids who are still waking up.
Roll Ups climbs gradually and links to Pounce Cap and Dusty Panther. Kids 5 and up on 20" bikes can handle most of it, though a few steeper pitches might mean some walking — or pulling out a TowWhee if you've got one along.
Sky Captain is a green-rated descent back to the campground gazebo. Flowy and predictable, it's exactly the kind of trail that builds confidence in newer riders. Our 5-year-old wanted to lap it twice.
Rollie Pollie is also green-rated and connects with Sky Captain. It's wide and flowy with a few rollers — our oldest loved it. Our youngest had a harder time with a couple of steep corners and ended up dragging his feet or hopping off to walk. He was happy to get back to Sky Captain. Those two trails gave us a clear picture of where each kid was at, which was useful information for the rest of the trip.
On our first day, we strung together Lake Trail, Roll Ups to Pounce Cap, Dusty Panther, and then Sky Captain back to the gazebo. The whole lap took about 1.5 hours with breaks. Both kids — ages 5 and 7 — finished smiling. That's the benchmark we use.
Intermediate and Advanced Options
Turn 'Er Up is the climbing trail for the network above the highway. It's well-built and — we'll say it — actually fun for a climbing trail. Both our kids made it to the trail junction bridge about halfway up. Read our post on what makes climbs work better as a family and you might be surprised how far your kids get before needing a breather.
Dusty Panther is the signature blue trail: berms, flow features, and enough length to feel like a proper ride. You can shuttle the lower section of Upper Dusty Panther by driving the Lower Road north past the main parking to where ACME and Dusty Panther meet — a worthwhile option once you've got the layout in your head.
Red Shed Redemption is rated black and gave our 7-year-old a solid challenge on the second lap. It's short enough to add without committing to a big push, and the features are readable — nothing that jumps out at you if you're paying attention.
A Sample Four-Day Itinerary
This is roughly what we did. It held together well for a mixed-ability group across four days.
Day 1 — Get the lay of the land. Ride the lower trails to understand how the network connects. Lake Trail to warm up, Roll Ups to Pounce Cap, Dusty Panther, then Sky Captain back to the gazebo. Total ride time around 1.5–2 hours with breaks. Spend the afternoon at the lake.
Day 2 — Shuttle day. Drive the Lower Road and drop in at the ACME junction for the lower portion of Dusty Panther, or shuttle all the way to the top of Upper Dusty Panther for a longer descent. Repeat as many times as legs allow. Our kids wanted three laps before calling it.
Day 3 — Rest day. We drove to Halfway Hot Springs, about 20 minutes away, and soaked in the natural pools beside the creek. Bring water shoes — the approach involves some creek scrambling. We got there on a quiet morning, which made the whole thing feel like a proper find rather than a tourist stop.
Day 4 — Let the kids lead. By this point, they know which trails they love and which features they want to hit again. We went back to Dusty Panther and added Red Shed Redemption. Nobody needed convincing.
The rest of our week alternated between paddleboarding on the lake and another visit to Halfway Hot Springs. Nobody got burned out on riding, and everyone stayed excited to get back on the bike when we did — probably the best outcome you can hope for.
Beyond the Bikes
Nakusp and the surrounding area give you plenty of options when legs need a break or the afternoon heat makes riding less appealing.
- Halfway Hot Springs: Rustic natural pools beside a creek, free to access, and worth the short hike in. The natural setting is most of the appeal — it doesn't feel like a resort, and the creek scrambling to get there is half the fun for kids.
- Upper Arrow Lake: Paddleboarding, swimming, and beach time right at the rec site or at the big sandy beach in town. Easy to fill an afternoon.
- Nakusp town: Grocery stores, ice cream, and the Adventure Playground at Centennial Park for when kids want to climb something that isn't on a trail.
Mt. Abriel is the kind of place that rewards a longer stay. Two days feels like a solid introduction; three or four lets you settle in and ride without rushing. We'll be back to dig into more of what this area has to offer.