hanajournalsThe Sea to Sky Highway is one of the most stunningly beautiful scenic drives in Canada. Starting from West Vancouver and ending in Pemberton just north of Whistler, it’s definitely one of those drives on the west coast that you have to do once in your lifetime!
1. Cypress Provincial Park
The first stop along this beautiful highway is at Cypress Provincial Park. On one side, you get to see beautiful views of Downtown Vancouver, and on the other side, the stunning views of Howe Sound. The park has hikes of various difficulties, Bowen Lookout and Saint Marks Summit being the most famous ones. Winter recreations such as skiing, snowboarding and tubing are popular activities here.
2. Whytecliff Park
Located on the coastlines along the shores of Howe Sound, Whytecliff Park offers gorgeous sceneries to enjoy. Only a 25 minute drive from downtown Vancouver, it’s one of those places with great accessibility from the city. Find out more about this beautiful park here.
3. Porteau Cove Provincial Park
Located on the most southern Fjord in Canada, Porteau Cove Provincial Park includes waterfront campsites with a view over Howe Sound and with mountain backdrops. The park gets extremely busy in the summer, so it’s best to get here early due to the limited parking spots.
4. Murrin Provincial Park
Murrin Provincial Park, located about 10 minutes south of Squamish, has various activities to delve into. The park has a trail that takes you along the perimeter of Browning Lake, which is regularly stocked with Rainbow Trouts for fishing. Our favorite hike was the Murrin Loop and Jurassic Ridge Trail, which we have a detailed guide on right here.
5. Stawamus Chief Provincial Park
The Chief is one of the most popular hikes among the locals. This challenging hike has 3 different peaks, all offering different flavors to the views of the area surrounding Squamish, including Howe Sound and north to Garibaldi Provincial Park. If you’d like to avoid hiking while still getting this amazing view, the sea to sky Gondola also offers similar views. Ticket prices go at about $56 CAD per adult. The suspension bridge walk is included in the gondola price and it’s truly a unique experience with many trails to be explored at the top. It’s a place that can be explored for a full day, with activities for all ages.
6. Alice Lake Provincial Park
Alice Lake Provincial Park consists of four fresh water lakes that take up most of its landscape. Swimming, fishing and canoeing are popular activities here, especially in the largest one, Alice Lake. The most popular trail here is The 4 Lakes Trail, which is a 6 km long scenic and easy 2.5 hours hike that loops around Alice Lake Provincial Park, with little to no elevation. It passes by lakes, creeks and groves of Cedar, which are simply spectacular. The trail is well marked at every cross points. We have a detailed guide on this trail on our website here.
7. Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
A 5 minute walk away from the parking lot, the views from the lookout point at Brandywine Falls is absolutely magical. On the opposite side of the falls, you would get to see a valley with a river flowing through, the rapids, a rock wall and snow covered mountain peaks. Look out for the train tracks on the walk here!
8. Alexander Falls
Alexander Falls is located at Madeley Creek in the Callaghan Valley area, close to the town of Whistler. The falls can be easily viewed from the wooden platform that’s accessible directly from the carpark.
9. Alta Lake
Alta Lake has tons of flat and easy trails that make for a fun day of hiking with the family. There’s a bike trail along the lake, and is also a popular spot for fishing. It’s also a great place for stargazing due to low light pollution in the area. In most winters, the lake gets frozen enough to skate on.
10. Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola
The Peak 2 Peak gondola is a gondola lift at Whistler Blackcomb Resort which links the Blackcomb Mountain (Rendezvous Lodge) with Whistler Mountain (Roundhouse Lodge). The cable cars are suspended above 436 metres and spans 4.4km across the aforesaid mountains. Soak in the Stunning 360-degree views of Whistler Village, mountain peaks, lakes, glaciers and forests. Ticket information can be found here.
And there’s our 10 favourite sights and places to stop at on the Sea to Sky highway. Check out some of our other posts on British Columbia like the one in Vancouver & Kelowna. We also have the ultimate 14 day road trip guide from Vancouver to Banff here, which includes the sea to sky highway portion, so be sure to check them out!
