The
Coast Mountains |
Intensely scenic,
the Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99) crosses paths with two historic
routes, the Pemberton Trail and the Gold Rush Heritage Trail,
which linked the coast with the interior in the days before the automobile.
Along these ancient pathways, generations of Coast Salish people traded
with their relations in the Fraser Canyon, while in the 1850s, prospectors
stampeded north towards the Cariboo gold fields.
By the mid 1960s, the prospect of skiers heading from Vancouver
to the fledgling trails on Whistler Mountain, prompted the provincial
government to open a road north from Horseshoe Bay through Squamish
to Whistler.
Space being
a premium along steep-sided Howe Sound, North American's southernmost
fjord, the road and railway parallel each other for much of the
28 miles (45 km) between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish. By 1975 the
highway was pushed through to Pemberton, and by 1995 the last stretch
of gravel road was paved between Pemberton and Lillooet. Today,
vehicles breeze along the entire route in five hours, the time it
took in the 1960s to make the journey just from Horseshoe Bay to
Whistler.
Departing Vancouver,
along the Sea to Sky corridor, north of Horseshoe Bay travellers
trace the coastline of Howe Sound as this cliff-hugging highway
winds precariously through a dramatic glacier-carved landscape.
Of all the natural features in this area, none have greater visual
presence than the Lions, or the Two Sisters, as they are called
by local Native peoples. Geologists believe that these two peaks
are the remnants of a volcanic cone.
Porteau Cove Provincial Park, north
of Horseshoe Bay, offers swimming, fishing and excellent scuba diving.
Stop at the BC Museum of Mining in Britannia Beach - the old Britannia
Copper Mine is now a National Historic site. With almost a half-million
visitors annually, Shannon Falls Provincial
Park is one of the most beautiful picnic spots in the entire
Sea to Sky corridor - extensive picnic grounds surround the base
of BC's third-highest waterfall.
Next stop is Squamish, situated at the head of Howe Sound,
and surrounded by the sheer faces of the Coast Mountains. Squamish
is cradled in natural beauty, as only a west coast town can be.
Squamish is well known for two features that outdoors people will
appreciate: winds peculiar to the area provide some of the best
windsurfing anywhere on the Pacific Coast; and there's spectacular
hiking and rock climbing at the Stawamus Chief Mountain, the largest
free-standing granite monoliths in the world.
Whistler is a European-style resort, which has been recognized
as one of the top five international skiing destinations, and arguably
the best, in North America. In the summer months Whistler offers
a bounty of activities including alpine sightseeing, mountain biking,
hiking, river rafting, horseback riding and backcountry tours. Or
ride a gondola chair to the top of one of the mountains for breathtaking
vistas of the surrounding area.
Pemberton is about 30 minutes north of Whistler. As the Pemberton
Valley opens up, so too does the number of roads leading off from
Highway 99, providing quick access to hiking, climbing, and mountain
biking routes that will be of interest to those seeking backcountry
adventure.
Visit
Hat Creek Ranch |
Lillooet
is reached along Hwy 99 from Pemberton. Like many of the towns in
the Cariboo, Lillooet was born of the gold rush, and within twenty
years of its founding, the town had swelled to almost 15,000 residents.
Rockhounds and history buffs will find Lillooet to be a real treasure.
Lillooet is also a contender for the most unusual gold course in
B.C. - a local sheep farmer has converted his scenic farm into a
golf course. Watch where you step!
Stop at the
gold rush town of Cache Creek and visit Hat Creek Ranch,
and the 1862 roadhouse that served the teams and passengers of the
B.C. Express Stage Line that travelled the original Cariboo Wagon
Road.
Continue your journey
to Lytton, located where the green waters of the Thompson River
meet the brown, silt-laden rushing waters of the mighty Fraser River.
Lytton is perhaps best known as the "Rafting Capital of Canada" -
numerous first-class commercial rafting companies guide visitors through
the white waters of these adventurous river routes. Lytton was also
on the path taken by hardy prospectors who made there way north to
the gold fields. Gold rush history and native culture is evident in
the different buildings and activities, such as Remembrance Day Pow
Wow. Definitely a destination of unique and exciting adventures! Want
a closer look at Hell's Gate? Take the airtram for breathtaking views
of the Fraser River as it roars through this famous gorge.
On your way back to Vancouver, visitors will want to spend several
days exploring the lush Fraser Valley. Hope is a pretty little
town with great appeal for outdoor adventures. Kawkawa Lake Provincial
Park is nearby, as is Coquihalla Canyon Provincial
Park. Not far away is Manning Provincial
Park, with more lakes and hiking trails. The local joke here is
that no matter which way you are going, the rest of B.C. is "beyond
Hope".
After a hectic day of sightseeing, relax and rejuvenate the soul at
the Harrison Hot Springs. Called the "Spa of Canada", Harrison
Hot Springs is a resort town with recreation and health at the
forefront.
Complete your circle tour with a stop at Chilliwack, Cultus
Lake, Abbotsford, Langley and Fort Langley.
Towns on
or near this Route - Click on a town name to learn more about
that town.
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