Kocanusa on the Long Weekend

[Ferrari]

Just out camping and riding at Koocanusa. The trails are great but there is a fire ban and the conservation officers and RCMP are here. RCMP had set up a check stop right at Dorr Cutoff entrance. The conservation officer told us we could only ride on the roads, no single track or quad trails. He said if a truck can drive on it, you can drive on it. This was after my 50km ride! Heading back out for a ride today once the family wakes up! Fingers crossed!

[Ferrari]

Well....day 2 at Koocanusa was fantastic also. Rode another 50km. No RCMP and no Conservation officers. Spoke with a few riders and they had not seen anyone also. The campgrounds off Dorr Cutoff Road did not have a fire ban. Found a lot of new trails. Does anyone know if you can ride on the east side of highway 93?
Thanks

[malcolmzilla]

We went over on the east side from the Dorr cutoff and had a lookie loo, didn't see any singletrack for the few km of old logging road we looped, might head a bit farther east next time towards the hills and see what's there... I'm street legal though.

[malcolmzilla]

Google Earthing it, looks like there are some farms and FSR's between the hills and the east open area, but some stuff up on the hills, but may need to be road legal to get up there. Maybe there's something along the Elk river valley leading in... More to explore next time!

[Ferrari]

Thanks for the info. I think we'll pull our motor home into the East Side next time and explore. I'll let you know what I find.

[trailguy]

I used to ride on the east side, but we ran into alot of angry Ranchers over there. No single track, lots of fences & private land, one Rancher gets his drinking water from a creek that flows from the mountains to the east.These Ranchers were/are pushing hard to get everything shut down to OHV's ( west side of road included)for this reason I don't go east of the highway anymore.Malcom is correct that you can access logging/fire roads in the mountains to the east but you need to be street legal to get there.
We need to be careful, as we've almost lost this primo riding area a couple of times now.

[malcolmzilla]

Thanks for the tips. We will just avoid it then, and head farther east up the FSR's on the dual sported bikes.

[Ferrari]

Sounds like it's not the place to explore. I'll stick to west side which has no shortage of trails. Thanks for the heads up!

[Hendrix13]

Sounds like it's not the place to explore. I'll stick to west side which has no shortage of trails. Thanks for the heads up!

[Patrick]

Planning on taking the family to Koocanusa for first visit in Sept. We are taking the trail machines. So I'm open to tenting or RVing.

Where is the best spot to tent or RV and have access to trails? I can haul bikes to trails in the pickup if necessary.
Stay west of highway 93 and head south from Dorr Cutoff road?

Pack rats will try to cozy in our tent with us ?

Thanks!
Patrick

[RJHenry]

Never been to kooc, have a few questions.
Is their random camping? Directions?
Any place to get water nearby for the trailer, don't really want to haul water all that way.
Firewood?
Any one else going out and would like to go for a ride.

Thanks,
Dennis

Campgrounds have picnic tables and firepits, and outhouses in the campground - but no water. There is lots of random camping places.
Sparwood has a public sani-dump at the tourist info (next to the largest truck in the world) - they have water that should be on by now.
Directions are as follows:

Here is a post from Thanksgiving thread:

Subject: 5th annual Thanksgiving at the Kook

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Crows ... r&t=h&z=12

Thanks very much Tom! Based on your instructions, this was my guess. But, based on Google's definitions of roads may not quite fit the last t intersection instruction. Is either of these the place? If you zoom in to D & E on satelite view there looks like two campgrounds, the 1st one a bigger loop than the 2nd one.

Bring your own firewood or be prepared to go cut standing dead:

Firewood!!!!

Here is the self issued free firewood permit from the BC government website. Fill it in, follow a few rules and Bob's your dinner buddy! No need to bring any from home.

firewoodfup.pdf

(45.89 KiB) Downloaded 38 times

[Patrick]

excellent thanks!

[BRod]

I'm heading there for the first time and looking for ideas on where to start. From what I've read,

1. Dorr Road. Where on Dorr? The campground area? I was also looking at Dorr Road south by the border, but don't know if that is an option or not.

2. Across the single lane bridge, there was talk on BCdualsport about parking on the west side of the bridge, north side of the road and riding around there.

Thanks

[malcolmzilla]

We will be riding there Saturday, quite familiar with the area. Shoot me a text, meet up perhaps, directions at least.

Malcolm
403 966 087zero

[BRod]

Thanks. Stored your number. Where are you riding? Either of the two areas I mentioned?