How to get there
Where is Fernie?
The town of
Fernie is in the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenay region of the southeast corner of BC Canada, about 60km from the Alberta and US borders. Fernie is located on highway 3, a 3.5 hour drive southwest of Calgary International airport.
Fernie Alpine Resort is about 5km (3 miles) south of town. The ski resort is located in the Lizard Range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and is part of the Powder Highway, although we like to call it the Powderhounds Highway!
Other Ski Resorts Nearby
Ski resorts nearby include:
There’s a shuttle service from Fernie to Kimberley each Thursday. Register at the Guest Services Sales Centre by 5pm the day before. On Saturdays the Canadian Rockies Connector Service provides trips between Fernie, Kimberly, Panorama and the Banff/Lake Louise Resorts.
Cat Skiing near Fernie
The Fernie ski area is blessed with three cat ski operations.
Fernie Wilderness Adventures is based about 20 minutes from Fernie. FWA are the day cat skiing specialists.
Island Lake Lodge is located 15km from the town of Fernie. Island Lake Catskiing provide indulgent and luxurious multi-day cat ski packages that include accommodation at the Island Lake Lodge. In the 2009-10 season they also added day skiing (on a standby arrangement) to their bag of tricks.
Their sister company,
Powder Cowboy cat skiing, is based about 50 minutes west of Fernie. They too provide multi-day packages as well as day skiing on a standby arrangement.
Flights to Fernie
There are numerous gateway airports for Fernie Alpine Resort. The closest airport, Cranbrook (Canadian Rockies International airport – 1:15 hours away) has direct flights with Delta from Salt Lake City, as well as regional flights with Air Canada Jazz from Vancouver and Calgary.
Calgary International Airport is 3.5 hours away, whilst the Glacier International Airport in Kalispell Montana is only 2 hours away. Spokane airport in Washington is another option (4 hours away), particularly if you’re visiting Red Mountain or any of the cat skiing near Nelson. Use one of our recommended
flight search engines to compare flights into any of these airports.
Obviously the cost of flights is a major factor in deciding which airport to fly into, but you should also consider the costs of car hire. Depending on the currency exchange, hiring a car in the US is generally more expensive than in Canada.
Shuttles & Transport from Calgary Airport to Fernie
The Shuttle operates twice daily at a cost of about $109 per adult between Calgary airport and Fernie Alpine Resort and Fernie town (2010 rate). Drop offs are made at most hotels and motels in the area, but pick-ups are only from a couple of select locations.
Airport Shuttle Express also runs charter vans on demand for door-to-door transport. As a guide to rates, it costs about $525 one-way for up to 10 passengers in a van (2010 rate). Journeys West also provide van transport that starts at $550 one way for 5 persons.
Kootenay Taxi offers a taxi and van service from Calgary Airport to Fernie at a cost of $490 for up to 6 people (2010 rate)
Greyhound provides bus service from downtown Calgary to downtown Fernie, so if travelling from the Calgary airport you’d first need to get an airport shuttle to the Greyhound bus station (about $15 per person) or a taxi. The bus fare from Calgary to Fernie is about $64 one-way (2010 rate).
Shuttles & Transport from Cranbrook Airport to Fernie
Kootenay Taxi also provides door to door transfers from Cranbrook airport to Fernie for up to 6 people for about $169 (2010 rate).
Transport from the Kalispell Airport to Fernie
Your best bet is to drive, or if you’re coming to Fernie to go cat skiing with Island Lake, they can organise a van for you.
Driving to Fernie
If you are only visiting Fernie Alpine Resort and don’t plan to do too much exploring, you’ll manage without a car. However if you’re staying in town or want to travel around, having your own wheels will be advantageous.
Car rental is available at the Calgary, Cranbrook, Kalispell and Spokane airports. To find a good deal, use one of our recommended
car hire search engines that search various car hire companies to get the best price.
The drive from any of the airports is pretty easy on wide well maintained highways with no major mountain passes.
Getting Between Town and the Resort
There are shuttles that operate between Fernie Alpine Resort and the town. The schedules change each season so check with your accommodation or guest services for the most up to date schedule. The Smokey Mountain Ski Shuttle offers four trips in the morning and four in the afternoon, but these are spread about an hour apart. One-way costs $3 or you can buy a book of 10 for $27.50 (2010 rates).
If you want door to door on-demand service, hail or call a Kootenay taxi (
250-423-4408).
Lots of people hitchhike between town and the resort. An “official hitchhiking spot” has been designated just past the West Fernie Bridge heading towards the ski hill.
Getting Around Fernie Alpine Resort
The ski resort is compact so it’s very easy to get around on foot.
Car parking is located at the base of the resort (and at various accommodations) within easy walking distance of the slopes, and best of all it’s free!
Getting Around Fernie
The main part of town (ie Fernie historic downtown) is between the railway line and 4th Avenue, and between 3rd Street and 9th Street (2nd Avenue is the main street). This part of town is easily navigated on foot, and lots of tourist maps of the town are available at accommodations and other key spots around the resort and town.
Transport Operators
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Queen City Shuttle & Charters
Individual & group transport. Small passenger vehicles to large coaches. Nelson/Rossland - Castlegar/Spokane airport transfers. Inter-resort & cat / heli ski shuttle services.
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