The Enchanted Forest & Around Revelstoke

We had several nights booked in Revelstoke which allowed us a few days to explore the city and some of the surrounding areas. There are many beautiful places around Revelstoke, with the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges on either side, with old growth and temperate rain forests in the surrounding areas. One of the attractions we set out to see during our trip was the Enchanted Forest, located east of Revelstoke on the Trans Canada Highway. Here you can find fairy tale inspired art from the 1960ss and the tallest Tree House in British Columbia.

While researching our trip to Revelstoke, pictures of the Tree House popped up quite often on social media, so we needed to check it out. The Enchanted Forest was a retirement project for the Needhams, Ernest and Doris, the latter of whom was an artist that created figurines out of concrete which were painted and placed in the forest. The couple cut their own trails into the forest and it evolved into one of the most unique destinations on the Trans Canada Highway.

Our first stop after leaving Revelstoke, BC – we started the day with a wander around the local Farmer’s Market – was a trip down Highway 23 to go and see Sutherland Falls. This is located inside Blanket Creek Provincial Park, but when we arrived at the access road, it was closed for the season. Instead of trying to make our own trail down the steep hills we decided to continue our drive to the end of the highway in search of different views. The highway ends at the Shelter Bay Ferry, which connects to Galena Bay on the other side of the lake, where Highway 23 continues south towards the Kootenays.

This area is part of Arrow Lakes Provincial Park, a protected area that sits on the shore of this massive “man-made” lake. The two Arrow Lakes (upper and lower) are now connected, part of a reservoir that was created during a hydroelectric project built in the 1960s, and separated by a short stretch by an area called the narrows. We found a great campground here with a boat launch, where we snapped some great pictures of the surrounding mountains. After a snack, we hopped back into the car and moved on to the main attraction; The Enchanted Forest.

The Enchanted Forest is located a few kilometers east of Revelstoke along the Trans Canada Highway. It is a classic “road side attraction” like many that popped up in the 1950/60’s when the automobile changed the way that we traveled around North America, and this place was made accessible by the new cross country highway that passed by here. This fantasy land destination showed up in the 1960’s, a retirement project for Doris and Ernest Needham. Together they made trails and pathways through the forest, and put her artwork on display.

There are over 350 hand crafted fairy tale settings showcasing some famous fairy tales like the three little pigs, snow white and the 7 dwarves, and the Wizard of Oz. It is the type of place that will awaken the inner child inside of people of all ages. More recently, this place has become famous for the tree-forts that are located here, including this tall one which we had seen posted on social media. There is a really nice nature walk here, which takes you along the Eagle River, where we got to watch the Salmon spawning in the shallow water.

We spent about two hours here exploring this amazing place. It was one of the best things we did in Revelstoke!

Revelstoke has many great things to do, and if you’re interested in seeing more from our adventures, have a look at our first post from Revelstoke, BC. We hope you enjoy these pictures from our adventures outside of town, including the incredible Enchanted Forest.

Arrow Lakes (South-West of Revelstoke)

Enchanted Forest:

Salmon Spawning on the Eagle River