Grand Forks (population 4,126) is a small town with a colourful heritage and an enviable natural setting. Farmland and wilderness surround the community so closely that wild deer are a daily sight on city streets. People are drawn for hiking, mountain biking, swimming, fishing and camping in provincial parks. Downtown walking tours highlight the arts and architecture, while driving routes lead to farms and orchards and a variety of historical and heritage sites that explore the region's mining, railway and Doukhobor past.
Set in the Monashee Mountains at the junction of the Kettle and Granby rivers, Grand Forks is an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Swimming, canoeing and kayaking, tubing, fishing and camping are all popular both along the rivers and in provincial parks at nearby lakes. An 18-hole golf course is located minutes from downtown. The Trans Canada Trail, the VV&E rail trail and a host of other trails appeal to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders.
Grand Forks experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with mild, moderately cold winters and hot summers. Precipitation is higher than in many other British Columbia Southern Interior locations, but still fairly low.