Car
From its junction with Highway 4, the Pacific Rim Highway runs 20 miles (32 kilometers) up the peninsula to the town of Tofino, passing Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and beaches along the way. In town, the highway becomes Campbell Street.
If you arrive in Tofino without a car, you can rent one from Budget (188 Airport Rd., 250/725-2060, www.bcbudget.com) at the Tofino airport.
Bus
The free Tofino Transit shuttle bus (www.tofinobus.com; 11am-8pm daily late June-early Sept.) runs during the summer between town and Cox Bay, with stops near several beaches. Buses leave about once an hour in each direction, so check the schedule online before setting out.
Bike
Cycling is a good way to travel between the village of Tofino and the beaches. Ride along the 3.75-mile (6-kilometer) Multi-Use Path, locally known as the MUP, a fairly flat, paved trail that parallels Highway 4 from town to Cox Bay. TOF Cycles (660 Sharp Rd., 250/725-2453, www.tofcycles.com) and Tofino Bikes (1180 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250/725-2722, http://tofinobike.com), both located between MacKenzie and Chesterman Beaches, rent bikes.
UCLUELET
Once considered the workaday counterpart to more upscale Tofino, 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the north, Ucluelet (population 1,600) is coming into its own as a holiday destination. While it’s close enough to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to explore the trails and beaches, you can also enjoy the sand and hiking routes in and around town.
SIGHTS AND RECREATION
Ucluelet Aquarium (180 Main St., 250/726-2782, www.uclueletaquarium.org; 10am-5pm daily mid-Mar.-Nov.; adults $14, seniors and students $10, ages 4-17 $7) has a rare “catch and release” philosophy. In the spring, staff bring in sealife from the local waters of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds to populate the kids’-eye-level tanks, releasing them in the autumn back to the wild. The “please touch” displays are fun for youngsters and not-so-youngsters alike.
For hikers, the Wild Pacific Trail (www.wildpacifictrail.com) has several moderate options at the foot of the Ucluelet peninsula. The 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) Lighthouse Loop starts and ends on Coast Guard Road south of Terrace Beach. The hillier Artist Loop takes you 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) along the cliffs starting from either Brown’s Beach or Big Beach Park near Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. Get a map on the trail website or from the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre.
along the Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet
FOOD
Stop into Zoë’s Bakery and Café (250 Main St., 250/726-2253; 7:30am-4pm Tues.-Fri., 8am-4pm Sat.-Sun.; $5-10) for pastries, soups, quiche, sandwiches, and other baked goods. Try the Savory Breakfast Egg Bake Thingy, a delicious mash-up of sourdough bread cubes and bacon, topped with an egg. Zoë’s is also known for its carrot cake.
ACCOMMODATIONS AND CAMPING
The Ucluelet First Nation runs the unique S Wya Point Resort (2695 Tofino-Ucluelet Hwy., 250/726-2625 or 844/352-6188, www.wyapoint.com), which has several lodging options on a remote section of coast. Nine wood-frame lodges ($289 one-bedroom, $389 two-bedroom), decorated with works by First Nations carvers, are upscale cabins, each sleeping four to six, with solid hand-built bed frames, living rooms with sleep sofas, full kitchens, and spacious decks above Ucluth Beach. Fifteen heated yurts ($150-175) made of thick canvas offer more rustic accommodations. You can cook outside on the barbecue and sleep inside on the sofa bed; some yurts also have bunk beds for the kids. Shared washrooms are nearby. The third option is the campground (early-Mar.-mid-Oct., $35-60), where some sites overlook the ocean and others sit in the forest near the beach.
Family-friendly 133-room Black Rock Oceanfront Resort (596 Marine Dr., 250/726-4800 or 877/762-5011, www.blackrockresort.com; $169-379 d) has everything you need for a beach getaway. Modern studios and one-bedroom suites in the main lodge, decorated in earthy greens and blacks, have kitchen facilities, spacious baths with heated floors and soaker tubs, and free Wi-Fi. Choose a fourth-floor room for the best views. Surrounded by trees in separate buildings, the Trail Suites range from studios to two-bedroom units. On the sea-facing deck is a plunge pool and two hot tubs; inside is a small fitness room and spa. Borrow a complimentary bicycle to go exploring. When you get hungry, Fetch Restaurant, specializing in seafood, cooks up breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Float Lounge serves drinks and light meals.
INFORMATION AND SERVICES
Get local information at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (2791 Pacific Rim Hwy., Ucluelet, 250/726-4600, www.pacificrimvisitor.ca; 8am-7pm daily June-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily May and early-Sept.-mid-Oct., 9am-5pm Tues.-Sat. mid-Oct.-Apr.) at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction.
GETTING THERE
By car and ferry from Vancouver to Ucluelet, the 165-mile (260-kilometer) trip across the Strait of Georgia and then across Vancouver Island takes about six hours. Drive northwest from Vancouver to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and take the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay Ferry (www.bcferries.com; 1 hour and 40 minutes; one-way adults $17.20, ages 5-11 $8.60) to Nanaimo. When you leave the Departure Bay ferry terminal, follow the signs to Highway 19/Parksville. Just past Parksville, exit onto Highway 4 westbound toward Port Alberni. Check your gas; there are no gas stations between Port Alberni and the Pacific coast.
Highway 4 comes to a T at the Tofino-Ucluelet junction. Turn left (south) onto the Pacific Rim Highway; Ucluelet is five miles (9 kilometers) south of the junction.
WHISTLER AND THE SEA-TO-SKY-HIGHWAY
Highlights
Squamish
Whistler
The Sea-to-Sky Highway, one of western Canada’s most stunning roadways, connects Vancouver to the year-round outdoor mecca of Whistler.
Just a two-hour drive, it’s perfect for a day trip or as part of a longer exploration. Whistler offers not just North America’s largest snow sports resort but also plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, paddling the glacier-fed lakes, and exploring the region’s First Nations heritage.
Between Whistler and Vancouver, the town of Squamish is a hot spot for outdoor activities, including excellent hiking and the region’s best white-water rafting. For those looking for gentler adventures, Squamish’s Sea-to-Sky Gondola delivers stellar mountain views and access to mountaintop hiking trails.
totem pole at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
HIGHLIGHTS
S SEA-TO-SKY GONDOLA: A 10-minute ride up this 2,790-foot (850-meter) Squamish peak gives you expansive views of Howe Sound and the surrounding mountains. There’s a suspension bridge, lots of hiking trails, and a great patio at the top (click here).
S BRACKENDALE EAGLES PROVINCIAL PARK: One of North America’s largest populations of bald eagles spends the winter months in this park near Squamish (click here).
S STAWAMUS CHIEF PROVINCIAL PARK: For strong hikers, a day hike up the rocky summit known as the Chief is a popular adventure (click here).
S WHISTLER-BLACKCOMB: From skiing and snowboarding to hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, and zip-lining, if it’s an outdoor adventure, you can do it at this mountain resort (click here).
skiing at Whistler-Blackcomb
S SQUAMISH LIL’WAT CULTURAL CENTRE: Learn about the Whistler region’s First Nations communities at this modern museum and cultural facility (click here).
S SCANDINAVE SPA: After your Whistler adventures, ease your sore muscles into the hot and cold pools at this Scandinavian-style soaking spa (click here).
Squamish
Located midway between Vancouver and Whistler along the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Hwy. 99), Squamish is perched between the Coast Mountains and Howe Sound. Cafés, local eateries, and a few shops populate the town’s sleepy downtown, while along Highway 99, strip malls and fast-food joints give Squamish a mountain-suburban feel. The real action in Squamish, though, is outdoors.
It’s a popular destination for all manner of outdoor adventures, including hiking, rock climbing, and white-water rafting. You can see the area’s most famous peak, the Stawamus Chief, from the highway, or tackle the Chief on a day hike.
Squamish takes its name from the Squamish First Nation, the people whose traditional territory encompasses the modern-day town. In more recent times, mining was an important contributor to the local economy; a historic mine is now a visitor attraction. Another Squamish attraction, if you’re passing through between December and February, is seeing bald eagles; one of North America’s largest populations of eagles spends the winter months near Squamish.
Squamish makes an easy day trip from Vancouver or a stopover between Vancouver and Whistler. It’s 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Vancouver to Squamish, a one-hour drive, and 37 miles (60 kilometers) between Squamish and Whistler, which takes 45 minutes.
SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES
BRITANNIA MINE MUSEUM
Beginning in 1904 and continuing through much of the 20th century, the Britannia Beach area south of Squamish was copper mining territory. During its heyday, the Britannia Mine produced more copper than any other mine in the British Empire. Workers from more than 50 countries settled here, living in barracks by the water or in a company town high in the surrounding hills.
Britannia Mine Museum
While the Britannia Mine provided valuable resources and jobs for decades, it also created environmental havoc, particularly on the local water supply. After the mine closed in 1974, its environmental impacts took years to remediate.
The mine site is now the Britannia Mine Museum (1 Forbes Way, Britannia Beach, 604/896-2233 or 800/896-4044, www.britanniaminemuseum.ca; 9:30am-5:30pm daily; adults $29, seniors $26.50, ages 13-18 $23, ages 5-12 $18.50), where you can explore the mine’s complicated history and get a glimpse of what it was like to work in the 130-mile (210-kilometer) network of tunnels underground. Begin the 45-minute tour by donning a hard hat and riding a train into the mine. Guides demonstrate explosives, drilling tools, and how the “muck” (rocks sparkling with copper) was hauled out of the tunnels.
SCENIC DRIVE: THE SEA-TO-SKY HIGHWAY
Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky Highway, is one of western Canada’s most beautiful drives. And in a region full of beautiful drives, that’s high praise.
At its southern end, the winding road that leads from West Vancouver to Whistler hugs the shores of Howe Sound, where the Gulf Islands rise from the water. You can stop at Horseshoe Bay (http://horseshoebayvillage.com), where the ferries depart for Vancouver Island and B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, to stroll the harbor and admire the vistas.
Horseshoe Bay
Another stopping point is Porteau Cove Provincial Park (www.env.gov.bc.ca), which has a small pebbly beach along a scenic stretch of coastline.
In Squamish (www.exploresquamish.com), you have views both of the waterfront and the mountains, particularly the iconic Stawamus Chief that looms above the highway. As you continue toward Whistler (www.whistler.com), the road begins to climb, and both forests and peaks surround you.
Keep your camera handy, but pull off at one of the many turnouts to take in the views. At several viewpoints, informational kiosks explore the region’s First Nations heritage, a “Cultural Journey” designed in partnership with Whistler’s Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (www.slcc.ca).
With rock faces plunging down to the roadway and forested islands just offshore, you can easily become distracted by the scenery, so drive carefully. Watch your speed, too, as the speed limit changes frequently, as do the number of travel lanes.
From October through March, drivers are required to have winter tires or carry (and know how to use) chains, since sections of Highway 99 can become snow-covered and slippery.
Yet, whatever the season, this drive is a striking one, so pack up the car, and hit the road from sea to sky.
Above ground, tours continue in the 1923 mill building that rises nearly 20 stories into the hill; inside, workers had to climb 375 steps to reach the building’s highest level. You can also explore a museum building and watch an interesting 15-minute film about the mine’s history. Tours are offered throughout the day, but schedules vary seasonally; check the website or phone for tour times. The temperature in the mine (54°F/12°C) can feel chilly, so bring a sweater.
The Britannia Mine Museum is 32 miles (52 kilometers) north of Vancouver and 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) south of Squamish, along Highway 99.
SHANNON FALLS PROVINCIAL PARK
Pull off the highway between Britannia Beach and Squamish for a short stroll to B.C.’s third highest waterfall. At Shannon Falls Provincial Park (Hwy. 99, 604/986-9371, www.env.gov.bc.ca; dawn-dusk daily; free), the falls descend 1,100 feet (335 meters) in a narrow, rushing gush. An easy 0.25-mile (400-meter) walking trail leads through the forest to the falls.
Beyond the falls, up a short steep trail (there are stairs), you can hike to another viewpoint for a closer look at the cascading waters.
Shannon Falls is 36 miles (58 kilometers) north of Vancouver and 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) south of Squamish. The park has a snack bar and restrooms with flush toilets (snack bar and restrooms open mid-May to mid-Oct.).
S SEA-TO-SKY GONDOLA
For spectacular views of Howe Sound, the Chief, and the surrounding mountains, take a ride up the Sea-to-Sky Gondola (36800 Hwy. 99, 604/892-2550, www.seatoskygondola.com; 10am-6pm Sun.-Thurs., 10am-8pm Fri.-Sat. mid-May-mid-Sept., 10am-5pm daily mid-Sept.-mid-May; adults $40, seniors $38, ages 13-18 $24, ages 6-12 $14). A 10-minute trip in the eight-passenger gondola whisks you up to the 2,790-foot (850-meter) summit, where you can enjoy the vistas, have lunch on the deck at the Summit Lodge, and access a network of hiking trails. Purchase your gondola tickets online at least 24 hours before your visit to save a few dollars.
Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, Sea-to-Sky Gondola
Once you’ve taken the gondola to the summit, a highlight is the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, a 330-foot (100-meter) span that crosses from the Summit Lodge to a viewing platform with expansive views. If you’re afraid of heights, don’t worry; you don’t have to cross the bridge to reach most of the hiking trails.
Another adventure that begins from the gondola summit is the Via Ferrata (604/892-2550, www.seatoskygondola.com; daily May-Oct., tour times vary; over age 7 $109). This “iron way” gives you the experience of rock climbing without needing any special climbing skills or experience. With a guide, you take a short hike down from the Summit Lodge. From there, you clip into a safety cable, cross bridges and a catwalk, and climb a series of steel rungs up the rock face. You’ll have beautiful views as you climb, but skip this activity if you’re acrophobic. The tour is 1.5 hours. You have to purchase a gondola ticket in addition to the Via Ferrata tour fee. Kids under eight are not allowed on the Via Ferrata.
Hiking
A number of hiking trails start at the gondola summit. Two are easy walking paths: the 0.25-mile (400-meter) Spirit Trail, a flat loop trail with interpretive panels about the region’s First Nations, and the Panorama Trail, a one-mile (1.6-kilometer) loop that takes you to a lookout with excellent views of the Stawamus Chief.
Also starting from the summit is the moderate Wonderland Trail. This forested one-mile (1.6-kilometer) loop has a couple of slightly steeper segments, before flattening out as it circles small Wonderland Lake.
Experienced hikers can pick from several challenging trails that begin at the gondola summit, including the intermediate Shannon Basin Loop Trail (6 miles/9.7 kilometers) and the more difficult Al’s Habrich Ridge Trail (7.5 miles/12 kilometers) and Skyline Ridge Trail (15 miles/24 kilometers). Check with gondola staff for trail conditions before attempting these longer hikes, and be sure you have water, snacks, warm clothing, and a rain-resistant jacket, even if it’s sunny and warm when you set out; the mountain weather here can change quickly.
Want a workout? You can hike up to the gondola summit on the Sea-to-Summit Trail and then ride the gondola (one-way $15) back down. It’s a 4.5-mile (7.5-kilometer) steady climb; average hikers should allow three to five hours.
Winter Activities
The Sea-to-Sky Gondola is open year-round. From December through April, wea
ther permitting, trails are open for winter walking and snowshoeing, and there’s also a tube park where kids can slide down a hill on inner tubes. Before planning a winter visit, phone for trail conditions and current operating hours.
Food
The small Basecamp Café (9am-3pm daily) at the gondola base sells coffee, drinks, trail mix, pastries, and a few sandwiches, but it’s worth waiting till you get to the Summit Restaurant and Edge Bar (10am-5:30pm daily; $9-14), in the lodge at the top of the gondola, for a meal with a view. The kitchen cooks up burgers, sandwiches, salads, and baked goods, and serves beer from Squamish’s own Howe Sound Brewing Company. If you prefer to picnic, you can bring your own food.
Parking
Although you can park for free in the lot at the gondola base, stays in this lot are limited to three hours. If you’re planning to do a longer hike or linger at the top (or if this parking area is full), park in the free lot at Darrell Bay, on Highway 99 opposite Shannon Falls Provincial Park, 0.3 mile (500 meters) south of the gondola.
To walk from the Darrell Bay parking area to the gondola base, carefully cross Highway 99 toward Shannon Falls and follow the Shannon Falls Connector Trail, which has signs directing you toward to the Sea-to-Sky Gondola.
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