British Columbia has hundreds of options for gorgeous backpacking trips. Most are free or require a permit, but for a few special trips, you need to make reservations in advance. If you’re planning ahead of time, these are the BC backpacking reservation dates you need to know for 2025 A quick note: Most 2025 reservation …
British Columbia
If you think of fall hiking, you are probably picturing strolling through a beautiful maple forest with red and gold leaves everywhere. That kind of scene is quintessentially autumn, but it’s kind of an East Coast cliche. We don’t have much of that near Vancouver. What we do have, however, is a pretty unique fall …
For years I sped through Yoho National Park on Highway 1, in a hurry to get to Banff. From the road, the mountains were pretty but they didn’t entice me to stop. Oh how wrong I was! Once I finally got off the highway and saw all the things to do in Yoho National Park, …
The Yoho Valley in Yoho National Park is a special place. In the Cree language, “Yoho” is an expression of wonder or awe. It pretty much means “wow!” And while it sounds cheesy, that’s what I kept saying when I spent three days backpacking the Yoho Valley Loop including the Iceline Trail. I had been …
The River of Golden Dreams is one of the best things to do in Whistler in the summer. It’s often described as a natural lazy river that winds its way between two lakes in the Whistler Valley. I live in nearby Squamish so I have paddled the River of Golden Dreams both in my own …
While Vancouver is a beautiful city with lots to offer, sometimes you just want to get out of town. Living here my whole life, I’ve been on more weekend trips from Vancouver than I can count. I’ve put together a great list of over 20 weekend getaways from Vancouver. There’s something for everyone on this …
Bowen Island is one of my favourite getaways from Vancouver. It’s a small, forested island with a rugged coastline and a close-knit community of about 4,200 people. There are so many things to do on Bowen Island: It has a thriving arts community and lots of opportunities to connect with nature. I like going to …
There’s something special about escaping to a cabin in the woods… or by the ocean…or by the lake… or… you get the picture! Renting a cabin is my preferred way to spend a weekend chilling out in nature. Thankfully there are tons of amazing cabins near Vancouver. I’ve lived in the Vancouver area my whole …
The West Coast Trail is one of the best-known hiking trails in Canada. It covers 75km through some of the toughest and most beautiful terrain in British Columbia’s coastal rainforest. I first hiked the WCT 20 years ago. In fact, it was my first backpacking trip ever! I was SO unprepared! (But I still loved …
If you’re reading this post, you have heard that you need to get a day pass to visit some BC Parks. But you probably have questions. In this guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about BC Parks day passes in 2024. I’ve lived in the Vancouver area all my life and I’m an …