Cranbrook

Cranbrook is a city of approximately 20,000 (2016) (26,000 in the area) that is the primary administrative and commercial center for the Kootenay region in the southeastern corner of British Columbia, Canada. It serves the surrounding area of over 82,000 people.

For other places with the same name, see Cranbrook (disambiguation).

Understand

History

The area was inhabited by Ktunaxa peoples. The land that Cranbrook now occupies was bought by European settlers, notably Colonel James Baker who named his newly acquired land Cranbrook after his home in Cranbrook, Kent, England.

In 1898, Baker had convinced Canadian Pacific Railway to establish its Crowsnest Pass line through Cranbrook rather than nearby gold rush boom town Fort Steele. Cranbrook became the major centre of the region, while Fort Steele declined; however, the latter is today a preserved heritage town.

Get in

Cranbrook is often visited unintentionally since it's on British Columbia's Highway 3 that crosses the southern portion of the province. Cranbrook is easily reached in 4 hr of driving from Calgary, and about 10 hr driving from Vancouver.

Cranbrook can be reached from the United States from either Idaho by crossing at the Kingsgate/Eastport crossing on US 95 or from Montana at the Roosville crossing on US-93.

Airport

🌍 Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC  IATA) (Located about 15 km north of Cranbrook on Highway 95A.), ☏ +1 250-426-7913. (updated May 2022) There are dally flights to Cranbrook from Vancouver (1.25-1.75 hours) and Calgary (1 hour).

Airlines

Canadian airlines operating to Cranbrook:

Other airlines operating to Cranbrook:

By bus

Get around

Being a small city, getting around Cranbrook is best done by automobile. Some roads in Cranbrook are in poor shape, especially side streets. Main arterial roads, however, have been given some much needed attention in the past couple of years and are generally in good condition.

Most restaurants and hotels are located on Highway 3/95, which is also known as Van Horne Street in the south end of the city and Cranbrook Street in the north end. The whole Hwy 3/95 going through Cranbrook is usually called "The Strip". Downtown stretches along Baker Street.

Much of Cranbrook is pretty flat so biking around town would also be a reasonable option.

By public transit
  • BC Transit (Cranbrook Transit System), ☏ +1-250-417-4636. Operates several bus routes within Cranbrook throughout the week. (updated Apr 2022)
    • Cranbrook's transit system consisting of seven routes connecting residential areas of the city to the downtown area as well as shopping centres. The Cranbrook transit system is geared more towards residents and is not of much use to tourists.
    • Below are Health Connections trips. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance. The trips are open to all members of the public, but as "Health Connections" trips, people traveling to medical appointments receive priority for reservations
      • Two days per week there is bus service between Golden and Cranbrook with a stop in Invermere. Travel time to Cranbrook from Golden is 3.25 to 3.5 hours and from Invermere is 2 hours.
      • Two days per week between Creston and Cranbrook with a stop in Yahk. Travel time is 2 hours between Creston and Cranbrook.
      • Two days per week between Elkford and Cranbrook with stops in Sparwood and Fernie. Travel time between Cranbrook and Fernie is 1 to 1.25 hours.
  • BC Transit (Kimberley Transit System), ☏ +1 250-427-7400. Two buses a day M-F (45 min) between Kimberley and Cranbrook. $3 (no change provided). (updated May 2020)

By taxi

See

Cranbrook has as its backdrop the Rocky Mountains. Any visitor equipped with a camera will find no shortage of locations to photograph nature. Elizabeth Lake, located at the south end of Cranbrook, is a wildlife sanctuary and home to many different birds and animals, ripe for the photographing. Cranbrook dates back to the late 1800s and has lots of history to check out around downtown.

  • 🌍 Cranbrook History Centre (Canadian Museum of Rail Travel), 57 Van Horne St S, ☏ +1 250-489-3918. Tu-Sa 10AM-3PM or 4 PM, closed Su & M. Museum dedicated to the history of Cranbrook and the surrounding area. Includes a fossil exhibit, train car collection and model railway. No train buff's trip to Cranbrook would be complete without a trip here. Static exhibits of passenger rail cars built in the 1920s for the CPR and in the 1900s for the Spokane International Railway. The gift shop features products made by local artisans. Cranbrook historic walking tours offered in the summer. $5.50/adult, $3.50/senior, $3.50/child, train tours extra. (updated Sep 2020)
  • 🌍 Fort Steele Heritage Town, 9851 Highway 93/95, Fort Steele (17 km NE of the city), ☏ +1 250-417-6000. A ten-minute drive north of the city, Fort Steele is a collection of heritage buildings set up as a North-West Mounted Police outpost. Staff in period costumes help illustrate how live was during that era. Adult or senior $7, youth 6-17 $5, child free. 
  • 🌍 Key City Theatre, 20 14 Ave N, ☏ +1 250 426 7006. From internationally renowned performers to community productions, this is the heart of the Kootenay's performing arts scene. A 600-seat centre for performing arts, conferences & cultural events, with an on-site gallery. (updated Sep 2020)

Do
  • 🌍 Cranbrook Golf Club, 2700 2nd St S, ☏ +1 250-426-7812, . They call themselves the "Hidden Gem of the Kootenays". Good golf at a good price. 
  • 🌍 Cranbrook Community Forest (east of town along Sylvan Lake Rd). Has over 100 km of hiking trails. Is a common place for mountain biking. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Mount Fisher. Hike to the top of this mountain, which is tallest peak in the Kootenay Range at 2,846 m (9,336 ft). The top part is bit of a scramble: it's recommended only for experienced hikers only. To reach the trailhead, it involves travel along a rough 10 km road requiring a four wheel drive vehicle. (updated May 2023)

Learn

Buy
  • 🌍 Baker Street (Baker St near Cranbrook St N). Along Baker Street is an interesting mix of clothing stores and specialty shops, and also is in the area of Cranbook's downtown. As with many growing cities, the downtown seems to be suffering as more and more people shop at the malls and big box stores located at the north end of the city along Cranbrook St N. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Tamarack Centre, 1500 Cranbrook St N, ☏ +1 250-426-2231. Has a number of shops, fast food outlets, and a movie theatre. (updated Mar 2023)
  • With its growing collection of big box stores, Cranbrook is a good place to stock up on supplies before you head into the wilderness There are numerous options on Cranbrook St N (also known as Highway 3 and Highway 95) at the north end of the city.

Canadian dollars are the official currency here, but given Cranbrook's proximity to Idaho and Montana, US dollars may be accepted too. Just ask.

Eat

Cranbrook has most major fast food restaurant chains. Casual dining is somewhat limited and includes chain a number of chain restaurants. You will find that fine dining is severely limited.

Some local favourites include:

  • 🌍 Max's Place on Victoria, 301-21 10 Ave S, ☏ +1 250-489-3538. Trendy coffee shop. A good place for lunch with fresh sandwiches, salads and desserts. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Pita Wrapbit, 1517 Cranbrook St N, ☏ +1 587-227-6009. Pita Wrapbit specializes in wraps, pitas, juices, soups and smoothies. There is also a location at the College of the Rockies. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 East Side Mario's, 1201 Cranbrook Street N, ☏ +1 250-489-2822. East Side Mario's is everything you like about Italian. The warm welcome, the relaxed, fun and friendly atmosphere - this is the essence of Little Italy. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 The Sports Grill, 408 Cranbrook Street N (south end of strip near petro-can), ☏ +1 250-489-3525. In business for 23 years, Perry makes homemade pizza, burgers, steaks and cold pints of draft. Fully licensed. $5-25. (updated Mar 2023)

Drink

Cranbrook has its share of bars, most of which are in the downtown core, off Baker Street.

Sleep

Cope

Newspaper

Hospital

Go next

Getting out is much the same as getting in. Other interesting places to visit in the area are Kimberley and Fernie.

A paved biking trail has been completed, connecting Cranbrook with Marysville, just south of Kimberley. This is a "rails to trails" conversion, running mostly parallel to the highway through pine forests and fields, about 25 km.

Routes through Cranbrook
Castlegar / Nelson via ← Creston ←  W  E  → Fernie → Lethbridge
Banff ← Fairmont Hot Springs ←   N  S  → and becomes → Eureka → Kalispell
Golden ← Fairmont Hot Springs ←   N  S  → and becomes → Bonners Ferry → Coeur d'Alene
Merges with ← Kimberley ←   N  S  → ENDS at



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