, looking south. The Salmo River originates in the
Selkirk Mountains south of
Nelson. The headwaters are south of Apex summit at the Nelson Nordic Ski Club, just south of
Cottonwood Lake and very near the source of
Cottonwood Creek. The entire length of the river is 60 km and drains an area of 1,300 square kilometres.
Highway 6 parallels the river for the rivers entire length. The
Nelson-Salmo Great Northern Trail (
Salmo-Troup Rail Trail) also runs alongside the river from its headwaters to the town of
Salmo, where the trail diverts west. It flows south through the rugged mountains and forests of the
West Kootenays, being joined by several creeks along its course.
Apex Creek, which flows from
Ymir Mountain, joins the Salmo river just south of the turnoff from
Highway 6 for
Whitewater Ski Resort. From there it flows south to the community of
Hall, where is it joined by
Hall Creek. The river then continues south to the community of
Porto Rico, where it is joined by
Barrett Creek. The river then flows south to the town of
Ymir, where it is joined by
Stewart Creek,
Ymir Creek,
Quartz Creek and
Oscar Creek. Upon leaving Ymir, the river is joined by
Porcupine Creek and
Boulder Mill Creek, and Hidden Creek. The river then reaches the town of
Salmo, itself named for the river. In Salmo the river is joined by
Erie Creek (historically known as the North Fork of the Salmo), which provides a large portion of the water in the river. South of the Salmo townsite, the river is joined by
Sheep Creek. The
Salmo River Ranch, a large ranch that is known as the site of
Shambhala Music Festival (an annual electronic music festival that takes place at the end of July since 1998) is located on this portion of the riverbank. The river continues south to the southern junction of highways
3 and
6 where it is joined by the
South Salmo River as that river flows west out of
Stagleap Provincial Park. The South Salmo river also contributes a lot of flow to the Salmo. with the
Pend d’Oreille River Once the South Salmo joins the main stem, the river turns west and flows for a few kilometres before finally discharging into the
Pend d'Oreille River just north of the
Canada–United States border at the ghost town of Remac. The river is very popular amongst locals especially in the summer months. The rivers winding path through rocky mountains has created numerous swimming holes along the rivers' length especially suited for swimming. The rivers mouth at the Pend d'Orielle (where it enters the reservoir formed by the
Seven Mile Dam) is at the entrance to a
BC Hydro Recreation Area known as the "Pend d'Oreille Valley Wildlife Conservation Area" or the Pend d'Orielle Recreation Area. The area is popular for backcountry camping and swimming amongst locals. ==See also==