Activities
and Sightseeing
Select
region from list or click on map of British Columbia.
Locate town hosting activity or sightseeing
using selected trip maps from
Travel Packages webpage or British Columbia
road map link below.
Travel Packages
British Columbia Road Map
Activities and sightseeing
are subject to change. Some activities and
sightseeing may be out of date or have dates
change. Contact the activity or sightseeing
directly before going.
Northern British Columbia
The Exploration Place Science Centre and Museum
Prince
George
Lots of history,
especially on the Carrier, Cree and Kwakiutl peoples
and it's fun to check out the Nature Exchange, where kids can trade
rocks and other items they've found.
http://www.theexplorationplace.com
Prince George Railway & Forest Industry Museum
Prince George
Situated
beside Cottonwood Island Nature Park and features a large and growing
collection of train memorabilia, including many old cars and cabooses, a
unique 1903 wooden snowplow and a 1913 steam-powered crane. On the forestry
side of things, there's an antique chainsaw display and a logging arch
truck, used to push around logs.
http://www.pgrfm.bc.ca
The Museum of Northern British Columbia
Prince Rupert
Within a
post and beam styled First Nation longhouse. Through excellent exhibits and
superb documentation, the museum shows how local
civilizations enjoyed sustainable cultures that
lasted for thousands of years. Using
technologies based on steam, the people were able
to make items as diverse as soup ladles (from goat
horns) to canoes (from huge spruce logs). The
displays include a wealth of excellent Haida,
Gitksan and Tsimshian art. Special tours are well
worth the time. You'll learn fascinating details
such as who succeeded a Tsimshian chief (hint: it
wasn't the son).
http://www.museumofnorthernbc.com
Rocky Mountains
Yoho National Park
Lake O'Hara
Nestled high in the mountains
east of Field, this somewhat exclusive beauty spot
more than lives up to its exalted reputation. The
excellent walking trails definitely make it
worth the sizable hassle involved in reaching this place, an encapsulation
of the whole Rockies. Compact wooded hillsides, alpine meadows, snow-covered
passes, mountain vistas and glaciers are all concentrated around the
stunning lake. A simple day trip is definitely worthwhile, but more trails
(most fairly rigorous) are accessible if you stay
overnight in the back country. The very fine Alpine Circuit trail (12km)
offers a bit of everything. To reach the lake, you can take the shuttle bus
from the Lake O'Hara parking lot, 15km east of Field on the Trans-Canada
Hwy. This is prime grizzly bear habitat and a major wildlife corridor. In an
effort to alleviate human pressure on the trails, park
officials have come up with a quota system
that governs bus access to the lake. You can
freely walk the 13km from the parking area, but no
bikes are allowed. Make
reservations for the bus trip (250-343-6433) up to
three months in advance. Given the popularity of
Lake Q'Hara, reservations are basically mandatory
However, if you don't have advance
reservations, six day-use seats on the bus and
three to five campsites are set aside for
'standby' users, but you need to show up in person
at the park information center
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/activ/activ15a_E.asp
Kootenay National Park
Marble Canyon
For an adrenaline rush, head to
Marble Canyon, where a short trail begins at the
parking lot just off the highway and follows
the rushing Tokumm Creek, crisscrossing it
frequently on small wooden bridges. As you climb
higher, the drop below gets narrower and deeper as
the roaring water rages through the limestone and
dolomite (not marble) canyon walls. Some 2km
further south on the main road is the short, easy
trail through forest to ochre pools known as the
Paint Pots. For years first the Kootenay people
and then European settlers collected this orange
and red colored earth. They'd shape it into
patties, dry it, grind it, then mix it with fish or animal oil to
make paint. Today you can walk past the muddy red pools and read panels
describing the mining history of this rusty earth.
http://www2.parkscanada.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/kootenay/activ/activ1_E.asp
Radium Hot Springs
3km north of the town
of Radium Hot Springs
Even
though they are the largest hot springs pools in
Canada, the pools can get very busy in summer;
early and late are the times least crowded. The
facilities include showers and lockers. The water comes from the ground at 44°C, enters the
first pool at 39°C and hits the final one at 29°C.
http://www2.parkscanada.gc.ca/regional/sourcesthermales-hotsprings/itm2-/radium_E.asp
Banff National Park
Banff Park Museum
Town of
Banff
The park museum near the Bow
River Bridge at the southern end of town, sits in an old wooden
building, built by the CPR in 1903 before Banff had electricity.
Before trails first led curious wildlife watchers into the bush, the museum
also housed a zoo and aviary, so Victorian visitors to Banff could
catch a safe glimpse of the park's wildlife. The museum, declared a
National Historic Site, contains a collection of animals, birds and plants
found in Banff National Park, including two small stuffed grizzlies and a
black bear, plus a tree carved with graffiti dating back to 1841. A visit
here is just like stepping back to 1914.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/banff/index_E.asp
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Town of
Banff
The Whyte Museum complex
features an art gallery and a vast collection of photographs telling the
history of early explorers, artists and the Canadian Pacific Railway. The
archives also contain manuscripts, oral history tapes and maps. On the
property are four log cabins and two Banff heritage homes, one dating from
1907 and the other from 1931. The museum conducts tours of the complex and
walking tours of the town year-round;
check for details.
http://www.whyte.org
Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum
Town of
Banff
Located in a fort-like
wooden building this museum is worth your visit, it mainly explores the
history of the Native Indians of the Northern Plains and the Rockies
but also covers indigenous groups from all over Alberta. Through life-size
displays, models and re-creations, it depicts traditions such as buffalo
hunts. Note the woven porcupine quills, the old photographs and the human
scalp.
http://www.buffalonationsmuseum.ca
Banff Gondola
Town of
Banff
In less than 10 minutes, the
Banff Gondola formerly and still commonly known as the 'Sulphur Mountain
Gondola' lofts you up to the 2285m summit for spectacular views over the
surrounding mountains, Bow River and Banff town. You can hike up the steep
east side of the mountain in about two hours
one-way. You will be aptly rewarded with great views and a free lift down.
http://www.banffgondola.com
Lake Minnewanka
11km east of the Banff
Forests and mountains surround
this scenic recreational area, which features plenty of hiking, swimming,
sailing, boating and fishing opportunities. Boat tours offers cruises on the
lake to Devil's Gap.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/natcul/natcul4m_E.asp
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
Town of
Banff
This is the birthplace of
Banff. The discovery of hot sulphur springs in a cave here led to the
creation of Banff National Park. The complex, has been rebuilt in the
original style of 1914, but you're not allowed to bathe at the site.
Visitors can see (and smell) the cave and, sulphurous waters, as well as
view exhibits and a 30-minute film. You can stroll around the attractive
grounds, where you'll see both natural and artificially made pools, for no
charge. Several pleasant short walks begin here including the 400m
Discovery Trail, the 2.7km Marsh Loop and the 3.7km Sundance Trail.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/caveandbasin/index_E.asp
Upper Hot Springs
3 km
south of Banff
You'll find a soothing hot pool
and steam room at the Upper Hot Springs spa. Besides soaking in the balmy
pool (where water temperatures average 40°C), you can also indulge in a
massage or aromatherapy treatment. You can rent bathing suits, lovely
sulfur-colored towels and lockers.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/regional/sourcesthermales-hotsprings/itm2-/banff_E.asp
Bow Falls
Town of
Banff
This waterfall is most
impressive in the spring, when water from melting snows gives it added
momentum. Created from the forces of glacial movement, the falls are an easy
walk from downtown and offer visitors a glimpse of the area's local beauty
without their having to go too far out of town.
Castle Mountain
This spectacular rock formation
immediately catches your eye as you drive along the Parkway. The towering
spires bring to mind a fortified castle, as they did for early explorers,
who named the mountain after its imposing presence.
Hoodoos
Tunnel Mountain Road,
Banff
These rock formations, which
are essentially pillars of stone, look out across the Bow River from their
perch on Tunnel Mountain. Sculpted by erosion, the Hoodoos are an intriguing
example of geological activity; other similar formations can be found at
Lake Minnewanka. Native Americans believed the pillars were giants who threw
rocks at travelers each night or that they were homes for evil spirits.
Johnston Canyon
Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy 1A),
Banff National Park
This canyon is known for the
seven waterfalls that tumble along its course. The limestone canyon is
crisscrossed by boardwalks, providing close-up views of local vegetation. At
about a 4-hour hike from the highway, the Inkpots are a collection of
springs found in the vicinity of the canyon. Thanks to mineral sediments,
they're coloured an unnatural, but beautiful, blue. If you want a quicker
jaunt, some of the lower falls are a much closer walk – less than 2 miles
from the road.
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
Obviously you need to go and
see Lake Louise with the iconic Lake Louise Chalet opened in 1890.
In summer a gondola takes you to the top of the mountain, where you
can hike the trails and enjoy views of Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier. The
ticket price includes an array of programs, including guided walks and
hikes, and there is an interpretive center. Though
lesser known than Lake Louise, Moraine Lake may be more impressive, naturally
speaking. Surrounded by peaks and a deep teal in color, it is nothing less
than stunning. Look for an attractive lodge, gift shop and numerous trails.
The lake sits in the gorgeous Valley of the Ten Peaks.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit1b_e.asp
Icefields Parkway
230
km road (Hwy 93)
This highway links Lake Louise
with Jasper and remains one of the most spectacular stretches of
scenic drivingt in Canada. The highway follows a lake-lined valley
between two chains of the
Eastern Main Ranges, which make
up the Continental Divide. The mountains here are the highest,
craggiest and maybe the most scenic in all the Rockies. Animals
including goats, bighorn sheep and elk often linger beside the road or even
on it.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit1c_e.asp
Athabasca Glacier
About halfway between Lake
Louise and Jasper
The vast Columbia Icefield is a
big frozen river whose meltwaters feed many rivers, creeks and lakes.
The Icefield Centre across the highway from the glacier, contains
numerous well-designed displays that explain glaciers. One of the best is a
time-lapse film showing a glacier in action as it alters the
ground beneath it.
http://www.columbiaicefield.com
Jasper National Park
Jasper-Yellowhead Museum & Archives
Jasper
This small but classy
institution provides a context to the Canadian Rockies that's missing from
other exhibits. Stories of the area are presented in an engaging manner; the
development of tourism shows how rich tourists 100 years ago swanned around
the Rockies on the backs of laborers earning $3.50 per day.
http://www.jaspermuseum.org
Jasper Tramway
Jasper
This tram goes up Whistlers
Mountain, named for the whistling marmots that live up top. Offering a
panoramic view 75km south to the Columbia Icefield and 100km west to Mt
Robson. The upper terminal sits at the lofty
height of 2277m. You'll find a restaurant and hiking trails up there. From
the upper terminal, it's a 45-minute walk to the summit over the tree line,
where it can be very chilly.
http://www.jaspertramway.com
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
Wells Gray Provincial Park
About
halfway between Kamloops and Jasper
This enormous 541,000-hectare
wilderness park, a seldom-visited jewel filled with incredible waterfalls.
The drainages of the Clearwater River and its tributaries define the park's
boundaries and give visitors five major lakes, two large river systems and
plenty of waterfalls to explore. Many sights, including the absolutely
incredible Helmcken Falls, where the Murtle River plunges 137m into a misty
abyss, are accessible by a short road branching off the Wells Gray Corridor,
which travels the 68km length of the park.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/wells.html
Tweedsmuir Provincial Park (South)
Hwy 20 is the only road through
this mostly wilderness park, and it skirts the
park's southern tip.
Bella Coola and Chilcotin Indians thrived
within this gigantic, roughly
arrowhead-shaped park full
with rivers full of
salmon.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/tweedsmu.html
Barkerville Historic Town
Barkerville
More than 125 buildings
have been restored to their former glory,
including a hotel, various stores and a saloon. In
summer people dressed in period garb roam through town, and if you
can tune out the crowds the effect is quite
neat. (In the Theatre Royal, dancing shows are
staged in a family-friendly manner the
rough-and-tumble miners would have hooted at.) The
free historic walking tours relate the history of
the gold rush, the experience of the Chinese workers who built
the Cariboo Hwy and the finer details of
the art of panning for gold.
http://www.barkerville.ca/newindex/index03.html
The Islands
Royal British Columbia Museum
Victoria
The 2nd floor hosts the
temporary exhibits and the permanent 'Living Land,
Living Sea' gallery. The life-sized dioramas make
it appear as if you're actually hanging with the animals in the seashore, forest, river or Arctic environments. The First Peoples exhibit on the 3rd floor is packed with carvings, canoes, beadwork
and basketry. Visitors can wander through the
displays of totem pole sections, a model of the
19th-century Haida village of Skedans and a re-creation of Nawalag-watsi,
'the cave of supernatural power'. The old town
displays on the goldrush, coal-mining and early 20th-century era are meant to impress. The museum also
includes the National Geographic IMAX Theatre.
www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Royal London Wax Museum
Victoria
Making a look-alike of a person
from a wickless candle
is pretty impressive. The displays in the wax
museum do it dozens of times, depicting Napoleon,
Cleopatra, Prince Charles, Gordie Howe and Little
Red Riding Hood, to name a few. More than 300 wax
models stand motionless, waiting to be stared at.
www.waxmuseum.bc.ca
Whale Watching
Offered at many Vancouver
Island Communities
Around 90 resident orcas
(killer whales) arrive between April to October in the waters just off the island's southern
tip.
Kayaking
Coastline and Lakes
A peaceful paddle in the
protected waters just off the
coast or meandering a quiet lake gives a
different perspective on
British Columbia's beauty.
Windsurfing
The winds whipping through Juan
de Fuca Strait aren't as strong as those you'll find further up the island's west coast along the
Pacific Rim National Park, but they're
enough to catch some air.
Butchart Gardens
North of Victoria
Robert Butchart noticed
limestone deposits and chose this site in 1904 for
his cement factory; his wife Jennie planted sweet
peas and a single rose at the nearby residence, though she knew very little about gardening. One hundred years later,
20 hectares of the elaborate Butvhart
Gardens. Don't miss the impressive Sunken Gardens and the
peaceful Japanese Garden.
www.butchartgardens.com
BC Forestry Discovery Centre
Duncan
This centre features both
indoor and outdoor exhibits on its 40 hectares.
Stroll through a stand of 200-year-old, 55m-tall Douglas firs, take rides on a working steam
train, visit the bird sanctuary, hike nature
trails or view a replicated logging camp.
www.bcforestmuseum.com
North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre
Parksville Area
Dedicated
to teaching about the importance of BC's wildlife.
It includes a wildlife museum and exhibits on its
efforts to rehabilitate bald eagles and black
bears.
www.northislandwildliferecoverycenter.org
Hot Spring Cove
Tofino tour
operators
One of the
more sought out day trip. Located in Maquinna Provincial
Marine Park, 37km north of Tofino. Sojourners
travel by Zodiac boat or seaplane, watching for whales and other sea critters en route.
From the boat landing, 2km of boardwalks lead to a
series of natural hot pools that rejuvenate the
soul.
Meares Island
Tofino tour
operators
Visible from Tofino, Meares
Island is home to the Big Tree Trail, a 400m boardwalk through oldgrowth forest, including a l500-year-old red cedar. The island was the site of the key 1984 antilogging
protest that kicked off the modern environmental movement in Clayoquot Sound.
Tofino Botanical Gardens
Tofino
Cleverly and artistically laid
out, even borderline
abstract, these gardens
display the unique plants of
Clayoquot Sound and other rainforests.
www.tofinobotanicalgardens.com
The Whale Interpretive Centre
Telegraph Cove - local tour operators for whale
watching.
This
is worth a visit to see the Bones Project,
including the skull of a gray whale, which aims to
increase awareness about these fascinating
creatures. Hundreds of orcas migrate through Johnstone Strait each year to see the thousands of people who come to
'the community on stilts'. It's easier for them to see you on one of the daily whale-watching trips.
www.killerwhalecentre.org
Grizzly Bear Tours
Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy - local tour operators for
grizzly bear watching.
Grizzly bears
don't care much about seeing people, but from
August through October, local
tour operators lead trips up Knight Inlet to see them.
Caving
Port Hardy
area
The caves in the area around
Port Hardy draw international attention among
spelunkers. Reappearing rivers, sinkholes and land bridges are examples of what to
expect at sites like Eternal Fountain and
Disappearing River.
Vancouver Coast and Mountain
British Columbia Museum of Mining
Squamish
It looks like a collection of
old decrepit warehouses, but under the surface
this museum tells the story of the Britannia Mine.
It was once the largest copper producer in the British Empire and had produced 650,000
tons of copper before society began to hate the
penny and the mine closed in 1974. A small train
takes visitors into one of the mine's 360m
tunnels, where you'll see demonstrations on ore
extraction. During the tour you can also pan for
gold and see the huge
Concentrator, itself a National Historic Site,
along with a 235-ton 'super' mine truck.
www.bcmuseumofmining.org
Mountain
Biking
Whistler
It doesn't get any easier than
riding the Whistler Gondola to mid-mountain and enjoying a gravity fed adrenaline rush down. Opportunities range from easy trails
for recreational riders to hardcore mountain descents for
experienced cyclists. Whistler is also expanding
its traditional coverage by adding more terrain
accessed via the Fitzsimmons chair, resulting in a total of 1100m of vertical.
Hiking
Whistler
To experience some alpine
hiking the easy way, take the lifts to the top of
Whistler and access the 48krn of trails, the views go forever.
Horseback
Whistler
Saddle up. Most ranches are
north of town and two-hour trips typically head up Cougar Mountain for views of Mount Robie
Reid.
Glacier Air Tours
Whistler
Glaciers seen from afar are
impressive enough, but a half-hour flight above
them reveals the
astonishing mass and strength of these shields of
ice.
www.glacierair.com
Thompson Okanagan
The Desert Centre
3 km
north of Osoyoos
Sitting
on 27 hectares of the Antelope Brush ecosystem, a
fragile extension of the Sonora and Mojave
Deserts. Estimates suggest that only 9% of this
endangered ecosystem is left in the world. The
Desert Centre features interpretive kiosks along
raised boardwalks that meander through the dry
land. Though plenty of unique animals live here, such as Great Basin pocketmice, spadefoot
toads and tiger salamanders most of them are active only at night. But during the day, you can still learn a lot, as well as hear plenty of birdsong and the occasional tickle of a
rattlesnake's tail. The center offers 90 minute
guided tours throughout the day.
www.desert.org
Nk'Mip Desert & Heritage Centre
Osoyoos
Developed
by the Osoyoos Indian
Band, who control access to most of the remaining
desert. This worthwhile stop features cultural demonstrations and guided tours of the sandy highlights.
The climate makes Osoyoos Lake among the warmest
lakes in the country, and every summer thousands
of people lounge on the sandy beaches and splash
around in the water.
www.nkmipdesert.com
Vaseux Wildlife Centre
Located
at the north end of Vaseux Lake off Hwy 97
You'll see lots of birds here, and you might catch a glimpse
of bighorn sheep or the northern Pacific rattlesnake. From the center,
you can hike to the Bighorn National Wildlife Area and the Vaseux Lake National Migratory Bird
Sanctuary, where more than 160 bird species nest.
There are also nature trails of varying lengths.
Rock Climbing
Penticton
area - local tour operators for gear
Drawn by the dry weather and
compact gneiss rock, climbers from all over the world come to the Skaha Bluffs to enjoy
a seven-month climbing season on more than 400
bolted routes. The rock is compact but still has
plenty of holes to make the climbing excellent for experienced and novice climbers.
Kootenay
Revelstoke Railway
Revelstoke
Situated on Long St across the
tracks from the town center and within a beautiful
building right off Victoria Rd downtown, this
great museum contains restored steam locomotives,
including one of the largest steam engines ever
used on CPR lines. Photographs and artifacts
document the construction of the CPR, pay tribute
to its hardy workers and relate the railway's
original financial woes. Volunteer railway
engineers are often on hand to recount stories
about the heyday of rail travel.
www.railwaymuseum.com
Revelstoke Museum
Revelstoke
This interesting museum holds a permanent collection of furniture
and historical odds and ends, including mining,
logging and railway artifacts that date back to
the town's establishment in the 1880s. Also look
for the many historical plaques mounted on
buildings around town.
Beardale Castle Miniatureland
42 km
west of Revelstoke
The
first combines historical buildings, a stage show,
a motel and more in a large frilly complex; the
second involves numerous fairies and other figures, including a crafty pirate, scattered around a forest;
the third displays handcrafted tiny towns and
teensy trains. If you're in the mood to buy trinkets or hunks of fudge, you'll get
your fill at any of these places.
Whitewater Rafting
Canyon Hot Springs, Apex runs
mellow, two-hour guided trips on the IIlecillewaet River in spring and summer. The trips are
perfect for first-time rafters or for anyone
wanting to just kick back and enjoy the scenery. Whether you're looking to soak
up some rays or get soaked by the river, two
rafting companies offer trips on the Bull and Elk Rivers.
Mountain Biking
Once the snow melts, ski runs
become excellent mountain-biking trails. Check out the local ski hills.
The best thing about mountain
biking is the choice of terrain, from easy toodles
along trails to steep granny-gear uphills and log
jumping downs.
Hiking
Fernie
Great hiking trails radiate in
all directions from Fernie. The excellent and
challenging Three Sisters hike winds through
forests and wildflower-covered meadows, along limestone cliffs and slopes. The 2744m summit offers incredible
360-degree views of the Elk Valley, Fisher Peak and surrounding lakes. Another hike affording spectacular
views, the Hosmer Mountain Trail. This moderate hike takes about 2.5
hours one-way.
Hot Springs
12km northeast
of Nakusp off Hwy 23
The springs get a diverse crowd
of families, aging hippies, backpackers and others
who want to chill out in the hot water. The tranquil Nakusp Hot Springs are a mere
2km from the spring's source. Though the squeaky
clean pools tend to ruin some of the natural vibe,
the gorgeous scenery reminds you that you are
steeping deep in nature. Instead of driving you
might want to make the beautiful 8km hike on the Kuskanax Interpretive Trail from Nakusp.
The Visitor Information Center has a detailed
brochure with the route.
www.nakusphotsprings.com/hotsprings.htm
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