Sea To Sky
Expect a highlight reel of the Sea to Sky corridor’s river valleys, lakes and mountains that are part of the same geographical events that created the chain of U.S. volcanoes; Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt St. Helens and Mt Baker.
Firstly, it’s not flat around here.
At around 550km (330 miles), the more you want to adventure and drive, the deeper we can take you, and the more magic spots we can show you. This trip is perfect for all driving skill levels.
This trip delivers from the very beginning. The departure from Vancouver is very dramatic as you drive out of the city, over the Lions Gate Bridge and head North towards the wall of the North Shore Mountains.
You will instantly be in awe of the wild lands that the Coast Salish peoples have been stewards of for thousands of years.
With the cityscape behind you, you’ll round the corner with your first view of the Howe Sound, North America’s southernmost fjord.
The Howe Sound links you into ‘The Sea To Sky Corridor’ and on to Squamish, the outdoor capital of Canada. For all of the aspiring Geologists out there, this corridor will keep you intrigued. The violent history of events are easily identifiable through the entire area, leaving behind a dramatically varying landscape. We recommend doing some homework with some of the resources provided below, just so you know what you are looking at as you pass through.
If you managed not to get distracted by the hiking, biking, climbing, kite surfing, local artisans or micro breweries in Squamish (Skwxwu7mesh) you are ready to swing a left off Hwy 99 and into the Squamish Valley for your first rip on the the dirt.
North America’s southernmost fjord.
The Great Valley
The twisting valley stretches for over 80km of exploring with views that could simply be explained as that moment in The Land Before Time when the dinosaurs find 'The Great Valley'.
Now you have to make the tough choice of finding the perfect spot to put it in park, cook a meal, watch the sun go down and cozy up to a campfire for a night, or 2, or 3.
Beyond Squamish
Once you decide it is time to move on from the Squamish Valley, you’ll make your way back to Hwy 99 to continue North, you will pass Garibaldi Provincial Park which houses the hard to miss pinnacle of Black Tusk Mountain, towering in the background. Ya, that’s a volcano! The Black Tusk hike is a big day but there are several very quick stops more fitting for flip flops to show off the marvels of the dramatic volcanic landscape.
A must do is the 15min walk right off the Highway to Brandywine Falls, a 70m waterfall featuring a perfect time capsule of lava flow layers that date from 1.3M to 9,300 years ago. Imagine the layers inside a well made TiraMisu, one might call it ‘Terra Misu’. ;)
Beyond Brandywine you’ll find the resort town of Whistler for more endless options of ‘to do’s’ such as hiking, mountain biking, more lakes, zip lining, shopping, a hot spring spa. Or, if escaping people and that world is what you are looking for you can simply drive right past it.
If you made it out of the Scandinave Spa in Whistler you are ready to roll downhill through the small town of Pemberton, a great place to pick up local fruit and vegetables grown right in the very valley. This is where we start to close the loop and turn back South at Lillooet Lake hitting the dirt again and yet another booming Valley. You will hug the valley floor past a few sneaky hot springs and on to Harrison Lake. This freshwater lake is so big it feels like an ocean inlet. Choose from over 50kms of sneaky hidden waterfront campsites to find your own space or make a reservation at 20 Mile Bay recreation site with assigned and maintained campsites. The protected 20 Mile Bay is the ideal location to get out the paddle board or Oru Kayaks to explore the shoreline or float in the sun.
When the time comes to venture back from Narnia you will pop out at the South end of Harrison Lake. You can ease your way back to reality with an ice cream at Harrison Hot Springs or make your way along the mighty Fraser River for about 1hr45min back to Vancouver.
Pemberton Valley to Harrison Lake
