Rainforest to Rockies: North to Mount Robson

Escape to the 1,000-acre Stanley Park rainforest from your downtown hotel on foot or by bike and explore the network of trails. 

Image credit: Stanley Park | Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout

Stroll to one of the city’s sandy beaches for a swim, or get out on the water with the locals by renting a kayak or SUP.

Image credit: False Creek | Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout

Cross the iconic Lions Gate Bridge to the North Shore Mountains, legendary in the world of mountain biking. Or if hurtling down a mountain on two wheels feels a bit too intense, challenge gravity instead and hike up—or take a gondola to the top of Grouse Mountain—for a panoramic view of the city with its many parks and waterways laid at your feet.

Image credit: Grouse Mountain | Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout

In Squamish, watch for the Stawamus Chief, one of the world’s largest granite monoliths and a destination for hikers and rock climbers.

Image credit: View from the top of the Stawamus Chief | Ben Girardi

Squamish’s location at the head of a fjord makes it a draw for all manner of watersports, which explains why so many active residents happily commute to Vancouver, and why pro athletes make their home here.

Image credit: SUP tour in Howe Sound near Squamish | Hubert Kang

Before choosing your adventure in Whistler, ride the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains to take in the view of Whistler Village and the peaks, forests, glaciers, and waterways that surround it.

Image credit: PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola | Blake Jorgenson

The section of highway north of Whistler is known as Duffey Lake Road. It features thick forests, big-mountain views, and steep switchbacks, and is a favourite route for motorcyclists. 

Image credit: Duffey Lake Road near Pemberton | Ben Girardi

Spend time with Xwisten Experience Tours in Lillooet for insight into the many ways Indigenous communities have been inextricably linked to the land, the water, and the wildlife for millennia.

Image credit: Xwisten Experience Tours | Cariboo Chilcotin Coast/Jonny Bierman

At Historic Hat Creek Ranch, home to an 1860s gold rush roadhouse, hear stories of the McLean family who founded the ranch and the many fortune seekers who passed through. You can also explore a reconstructed Shuswap Village at the ranch’s Indigenous Interpretation Site.

Image credit: Historic Hat Creek Ranch | Blake Jorgenson

As you drive past Kamloops Lake, you’ll notice the surrounding rocky bluffs—the perfect place to hike and take some frame-worthy pictures. This 29-kilometre-long lake is a hotspot for rainbow trout fishing and boating.

Kamloops itself is the second-largest city in BC’s Interior. In addition to myriad outdoor opportunities, it’s home to some great spots to enjoy a craft beer on a sunny patio.

Image credit: Kenna Cartwright Nature Park overlooking Kamloops | Jordan Dyck

Cross a bridge to the north side of the city and you’ll find sprawling grasslands. Watch for bighorn sheep and mule deer at Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area.

Image credit: Lac du Bois Grasslands | Andrew Strain

And keep an eye out for unique rock formations called hoodoos. These thin rock spires, formed over time by erosion, can be found along Cinnamon Ridge Trail, part of the protected area. Mind the cactus!

Image credit: Cinnamon Ridge | Hubert Kang

As you travel through BC’s interior, a stay at a guest ranch is just the thing to help you tap into your inner cowpoke.

Image credit: Sundance Guest Ranch in Ashcroft | Cariboo Chilcotin Coast/Michael Bednar

As you leave Kamloops, consider a detour to the all-season Sun Peaks Resort for lift-accessed mountain biking and alpine hiking in summer, and shredding the country’s second-largest ski area in the winter.

Image credit: Sun Peaks Resort | Tourism Sun Peaks/Kelly Funk

And in Wells Gray Provincial Park, four-legged residents such as black and grizzly bears, moose, caribou, and wolves reign. Local guiding companies will arrange everything from hiking and horseback riding to canoeing and whitewater rafting.

Image credit: Canoeing on a lake near Wells Gray | Thompson Okanagan/Allen Jones

Mount Robson, with its peak elevation of 3,954 m, looms large as you approach the Canadian Rockies.

Image credit: Route 16 to Mount Robson | Jongsun Park

The deep green of the forest starkly contrasts the blue-white of the park’s massive glaciers.

Image credit: Near Berg Lake in Mount Robson Provincial Park | Steve Ogle

If carrying your food and accommodation on your back is not for you, book a helicopter ride and see the park and the peaks from the air. This rarified view will have been shared by many of the nearly 200 bird species documented in the park.

Image credit: Berg Lake and Mount Robson | Owen Perry