Tag: Provincial Parks

In my opinion, calling this peak a “mount” is an insult to the peak. One of they key unexpected surprises is how twisty, up-and-down and basically mountainous Salt Spring Island is. By the time we were settled in our B&B, we had figured this out through driving and were listening closely when our hostess suggested that the Mount Maxwell view was stunning. However, she cautioned, the road was challenging for regular vehicles, but figured a regular sedan would do the trick. Taking Cranberry Rd from Ganges, you simply follow the signs. You will be going up and up. When the […]

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Shannon Falls Provincial Park is a favourite spot of mine in BC because it allows you to enjoy the stunning scenery without much effort.  Of course old aphorisms stating the journey is more important than the destination were composed by people who never sat beside a chain smoker in withdrawal on a 12 hour flight from London to Cape Town or hiked up a BC mountain with bad knees. Regardless, Shannon Falls is 335 m (1105 ft.) of wonder.  When you pull into the parking lot, if it’s a beautiful day, it will likely be full.  There was no signage […]

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Around the world there are scenic highways that are renowned for their beauty, and that must be driven on at least once in your life; well here in Canada that road is the Sea to Sky Highway, and, on a clear day at least, this is one of the most scenic stretches of road you’ll find anywhere. The Sea to Sky Highway is officially named Highway 99 and this most famous stretch of it runs along the coast from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, and heads 134 kilometres (83 miles) north, passing through Lions Bay, Squamish, Whistler and eventually Pemberton. […]

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For this particular side trip, we were based in Sooke. Port Renfrew is a slow 72 km (45 mi.) east of Sooke. I say slow because Highway 14, also known as the West Coast Road, winds a lot and is comprised of a mixed quality of roadway. It’s best to leave at least 90 minutes for the trip so that you can add on a couple of minutes to reach the Botanical Beach Park parking lot. To make our trip more challenging, we did this in March and the road changes elevations and also a couple of degrees in temperature. […]

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Wells Gray Provincial Park is the fourth largest park in the province of British Columbia, covering a vast area of wilderness that stretches for 1.3 million acres, or 5,250 square kilometres. It provides a wonderful place to get out and experience the wilderness of Beautiful BC, yet it has convenient access from the town of Clearwater and so its highlights can be enjoyed just in a day trip. Of course, if you come with your tent or travel trailer there are many places to stay in campgrounds within the park itself, and if you really want to enjoy what Wells […]

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Located near Egmont on the Sunshine Coast, this is an unusual Provincial Park for a number of reasons.  When you think “park” one often thinks of nice spots to have a picnic or enjoy a view.  The view at the end of the trail is the ultimate purpose of the park. Visitor Centres and your accommodations will have a tide chart for Skookumchuck Narrows.  Plan to arrive shortly before the tide ebbs or floods or you won’t receive the full reward for taking the trail. The Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park’s parking lot is off Egmont Road, about 6 km (4 […]

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You just have to love the potential for adventure in BC.  We were entertaining guests from the States, so we took a beautiful May day to explore the Sunshine Coast.  The highlight was an evening cruise with Bryce of Sunshine Coast Tours to explore Skookumchuck Narrows in Egmont.  Bryce is an excellent tour guide who freely shares stories and information about the area.  It was an extra large current day, and we happened to find some avid kayakers taking advantage of the rapids.  Even though it had been a rainy day, the skies cleared for our late afternoon cruise and we […]

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