Recreational acreage bordering Crown land & established mountain bike trails. Above the town of Ymir, 20 mins south of Nelson. Access is via 1.5 km of FSR (unmaintained). Ideal for an off-grid cabin. Land has been logged. Lots of internal roads & cleared high mountain terrain.
Foreign Buyer Ban does not apply to this property
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Quarter section of prime recreational land (160 acres) 20 minutes south of Nelson above the rural community of Ymir. The property is located approx. 1.5 km off of Quartz Creek Road, an unmaintained Forest Service Road (FSR) with no snow clearing.
The lower section of land has more slope than up above where the land crests as it connects with the Crown land in behind. There is an excellent network of internal roads extending from the lower section up to the top (from the logging activity). The majority of the upper half has been logged along with the lower/southeast corner. The lower northeast corner has not been logged (see aerial images).
There are some amazing cabin sites up above with expansive 360° mountain views.
The land has approximately 1,350 feet of vertical drop and would make a sweet mountain bike and/or motorcross property with all the existing roadways, a mixture of slopes, and the fact that the land borders on the Quartz Creek Mountain Bike trails. You could mountain bike down to down quite easily form an elevated cabin site.
The upper more gently sloping section has deep snow-packs and great snowmobiling terrain and some nice pitches for a private little ski slope.
The property is off the grid/no services and lends itself to an off-grid cabin/residential campsite for an outdoor/backcountry-oriented lifestyle.
Quartz Creek FSR - Ymir, BC
Contact Listing agent for access - 4WD required, or a mountain bike or quad (1.5 km)
Ymir is a village in the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Ymir is located where the Salmo River meets Quartz Creek, and Ymir Creek. The locality, on BC Highway 6, is by road about 10 kilometres northeast of Salmo and 34 kilometres south of Nelson. The town has a few inns and accommodation options, a spa, several historical buildings, a bakery/café open 4 days a week, a nice little disc golf course, established mtn bike trails and Wild Horse Cat Skiing’s base operation and of course amazing snowmobiling.
Ymir was a booming mining town in the late 1800s, with many hotels and a very modern hospital. The earliest miners in the area arrived in 1860s when mining claims were recorded on Quartz Creek. In 1885, the Hall brothers and their group prospected on Wild Horse Creek. The Nelson and Fort Sheppard Company laid track through the Salmo River Valley in 1893, linking the United States with the Kootenay goldfields. The Ymir mine was first staked in 1895. In 1897, three Rossland businessmen filed claim to 620 acres in the area surrounding Quartz Creek. Within two weeks, the land was surveyed, lots were sold and the roots of the town of Ymir were created.
The average temperature during the winter month of January is a mild -2° Celsius. During July, temperatures usually top out at 27°C, with a comfortable average of 19°C. One can expect to see around 640 mm of rainfall and 130 cm of snow. The closest regional airport is at Trail and Castlegar airports. Trail is serviced by Pacific Coastal Airline, providing flights to Vancouver eight times a week. Castlegar is serviced by Air Canada/Jazz with flights from the major cities across most of Canada. Kelowna International Airport is a four-hour drive to the Okanagan. BC Transit bus service provides transportation from Salmo to destinations throughout the West Kootenays.
A small town located 10 minutes to the south (population over 1,000) and nestled in the beautiful Selkirk Mountains at the junction of the Crowsnest Highway 3 and Highway 6. Mining was undeniably the primary industry within the community. Today, Salmo is a community of primarily forestry workers. Tourism within this quaint and beautiful community is also a solid economic driver. Besides the surrounding opportunities for outstanding recreation, Salmo is known for interesting historic and intriguing artifacts, one being the world’s oldest telephone booth. The rugged booth, carved from a cedar tree, is estimated at 465 years old. This town is also home to the world’s largest penny standing at a whopping eight feet tall. Heritage buildings and stone murals chiselled out of rock, showcased throughout the town, depict local historical scenes. The Salmo Valley is fertile and sunny, ideal for growing a wide range of high-quality vegetables and fruit. A thriving farmer’s market supports the ‘Farm to Table’ philosophy and brings the community together.
Ymir is more than just a small community that is close to Nelson. Here you will find a cool little disc golf course, great mountain biking, lots of forest service roads for motorized recreation, world class cat skiing and snowmobiling and a rich mining history.
The land borders directly onto Crown land offering excellent access for hunting and other backcountry pursuits, and just to the south are the Quartz Creek Mountain Bike/Hike Trails offering 9 km of trails; an ascent route and a couple options for the descent. A portion of these trails use the access road (Quartz Creek FSR) to this property. If a cabin were built on the land, one could bike down to Ymir—approximately 1.5 to 2 km depending on route—drop into the mountain bakery for something tasty and make your way back up to the cabin.
In winter, the area receives an abundance of snow at the upper elevations. The top of the land is approximately 1,215 metres. There is a vertical drop of approximately 410 metres from the upper to lower section of the land and the internal road network makings is idea for recreational pursuits.
Just to the south (10 minutes) is a beautiful 9-hole public golf course bordering the meandering Salmo River. This course is well known for its affordable green fees, friendly atmosphere, and flat open fairways. Granite Point Golf Course is just 25 minutes away in Nelson and offers a highly regarded track. In winter, the community ski hill in Salmo has a T-bar, rope tow and is also home to a BMX park and hiking trails in non-snow months. And the power haven of Whitewater Resort is just 20-25 minutes to the north.
The Great Northern Rail Trail, a portion of the TransCanada Trail system, is a multi-use recreation trail suitable for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing runs, it extends between Salmo and Nelson and runs by Ymir providing approximately 48 km of trails.
The outdoor/active lifestyle is thriving in this quiet little community. A great place for a recreational property.
Please see the mapping section, all boundaries are approximate.
49°17'15.49"N and 117°14'4.78"W
Off-grid property—no power, no septic, no gas. Internet is possible via Starlink and Wi-Fi calling comes with that service.
Bare land.
$1,647.10 (2025)
The Regional District of the Central Kootenay has merged the OCP/zoning. This land is labeled R3 (Rural Residential). Permitted uses include a cabin, house, duplex, horticulture, portable sawmill and accessory dwelling unit, tourist accommodation, and camping accommodation among other uses.
Contact the RDCK for more details and to confirm your intended use suits.
PARCEL A (SEE 137856I) SUBLOT 23 DISTRICT LOT 1238 KOOTENAY DISTRICT PLAN X55
PID 009-237-453
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Our property descriptions and geographical information are taken from the BC Assessment Authority, Land Titles Office, government maps and other sources. While LandQuest® does not guarantee the information, we believe it to be accurate, but should not be relied upon without verification. This communication is not intended to cause or induce breach of an existing agency agreement.
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