Access, Awareness, & Closures
Sharing the backcountry
British Columbia’s natural splendor and biological diversity serves as a backdrop to a host of world class outdoor recreation opportunities. The Province of B.C. balances the use of these landscapes to help protect human and environmental health and safety. Before visiting these areas, snowmobile operators must familiarize themselves with rules of use to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone.
Outdoor recreation laws and agreements are in place across B.C. to proactively address the social and environmental issues that can arise on the land-base. Failure to comply with laws and agreements can lead to fines, equipment seizures, and area closures.
Forest Service Roads
Sharing the road
Resource roads are rough, gravel routes built for industrial purposes or to access natural resources in remote areas. They are primarily used for logging, mining, gas, and agricultural operations and are not maintained to highway standards.
In winter, some forest resource roads in BC are transformed by local snowmobile clubs into groomed recreation trails, offering riders smooth paths and access to alpine freeride zones. At times, roads may remain plowed for industrial traffic. By law, snowmobiles are prohibited on forest service roads that appear snow-plowed or are otherwise suitable for travel by motor vehicles other than snowmobiles. Please always follow posted radio call-up and call-down procedures to prevent collisions when traveling by motor vehicle, and never block access.
For more information:
Resource road safety information
Forest Service Road use Regulation
Tenures
Sharing the land with other business & organizations
A wide range of popular outdoor adventure activities include nature-viewing, wildlife viewing, mountaineering, backpacking, caving, horseback riding, mountain-biking, off-road vehicle touring such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, kayaking, white-water rafting and heli-skiing.
A Land Act tenure is required for recreation operators on provincial Crown land (including land covered by water) if activities involve compensation or reward, received or promised, from residents and non-residents of B.C.. This includes the following types of recreation activities:
Guiding, transportation, training and entertainment
Improvements such as cabins, huts, lodges (including anchored floating structures), docks, campgrounds, and corrals
There are numerous tenures in Revelstoke. It is your responsibility to know when tenure borders are present.
More information:
Parks
Sharing the land with other recreationalists
BC Parks, Ecological Reserves and Protected Areas:
Snowmobiling is not permitted within any of the BC Provincial Parks, ecological reserves or protected areas in the Revelstoke Area. Anyone operating an off-road vehicle in sensitive habitats, including southern mountain caribou habitats, will face a $575 fine. The fine also applies to all provincial parks and protected areas, excluding locations where the use of off-road vehicles and snowmobiles is permitted by regulation. Violation tickets may be issued by Conservation Officers, Natural Resource Officers, Park Rangers or police under the Wildlife Act or the Park Act.
More information:
Interactive Map of BC
Ecological Reserve Regulations
National Parks:
The use of quads, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, or other off-road vehicles is prohibited anywhere in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks. Off road travel can result in long term damage to vegetation, soil, and can enable unauthorized access to sensitive areas of the park. Keep your vehicle on the pavement to avoid inadvertent infractions. Individuals snow-machining within national park boundaries may be prosecuted, resulting in a maximum fine of $25,000 and/or seizure of snow-machine. Look out for the yellow boundary markers and large ‘No Snowmobiling’ signs. Because not all sections of the boundary are marked, it is the rider’s responsibility to know their location at all times. Park Wardens patrol the boundary, so be prepared to produce identification at their request and be able to articulate where you are at any given time.
For more information, visit the National Park Regulations webpage.
For maps of National Park boundaries, visit Places administered by Parks Canada to download KMLs.
Wildlife & Caribou
Sharing the land with wildlife
Caribou Closures: January 1 – April 15
Winter in Revelstoke means world-class sledding and also a shared responsibility to protect the wildlife that calls these mountains home. Each year, seasonal closures help safeguard the endangered mountain caribou, ensuring that both riders and wildlife can thrive for generations to come.
Please visit the Wildlife and Caribou page before you ride!