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, north of Horseshoe Bay, is a designated
provincial marine park and 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 Recreation
area. 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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