Kootenay Bay Ferry
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The east end of the Kootenay Lake crossing. Ride Highway 3A north out of Creston and Kootenay Bay is where the road runs out of lake and you wait for a boat.
The crossing runs between Kootenay Bay on the east shore and Balfour on the west. It is about nine kilometres of open water, it takes 35 minutes and it costs nothing. Longest free scenic ferry crossing in the world, and it runs every day of the year.
The M.V. Osprey 2000 is the year-round boat and carries 80 vehicles. The M.V. Balfour, built in 1954, comes out of the shed for the summer to add sailings when the lineups get long.
What a rider needs to know
Crossing: 35 minutes, no fare, no reservations
East landing: Kootenay Bay, Highway 3A, 70 km north of Creston
West landing: Balfour, 35 km east of Nelson on Highway 3A
Winter sailings: Osprey 2000 leaves Balfour 6:30 am to 9:40 pm and Kootenay Bay 7:10 am to 10:20 pm
Summer sailings: Same boat, plus the M.V. Balfour from 10:40 am out of Balfour and 11:30 am out of Kootenay Bay. Summer runs from late June to the Labour Day weekend
Spare fuel: Dangerous goods are restricted on the crossing. Check the limits before you roll on with a jerry can strapped to the rack
Contact
Phone: 250-229-4215
Operator: Western Pacific Marine, for the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit
Schedule: Kootenay Lake Ferry, Province of BC
Rolling off at Kootenay Bay drops you on the east shore. Crawford Bay and its artisan studios sit about 10 km down the road. Riondel is north up the side road. Carry on south another 18 km and you are at Gray Creek, which is the bottom of Gray Creek Pass.
Sailing times move with the season and the boat schedule. Check the current times before you commit to the last leg of the day.
