Driving Trips in British Columbia

[shakes]

Slypstream inspired me to start this thread. Just wanted to get some stories/info/pics from people that have some good trips under their belt and want to share their experiences.

A couple of must do's in BC are definitely the Whistler highway to Pemberton (must stop in whistler and eat at splitz). When the weathers nice and the roads not as busy there isn't much better windy road then that.

Since moving to the Okanagan, i've found TONS of good little drives. However, for scenery nothing tops Vernon to Nakusp. You end up crossing the lake twice... once by cable ferry and the second by a normal passenger ferry. Both of which are free of charge. From Vernon, you cross the cable ferry first before you hit Nakusp. Now, the obvious choice is to keep on heading north to Revelstoke where you hit the second ferry as you cross over the lake again. It's quite strange crossing a lake in a ferry since I was only used to traveling from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry which of course is the ocean.

Here's a map of the route:

from: nakusp to: vernon bc - Google Maps

I'll try and dig up some pics tonight that I took last year we did the drive.

[bc82gt]

Having grown up in the Northern Peace Region, quite partial to the Fort St John to Chetwynd drive via Hudson's Hope. Some spectacular views of the Peace River area and the road has lots of corners and large elevation changes. Highly recommend stopping in at the WAC Bennett dam as it was one time the 2nd largest earth filled dam in the world. Always guaranteed to see either moose, deer, elk, black bear or rednecks . Also, Tumbler Ridge has some awesome scenery, Kinuseo Falls.... larger vertical drop than Niagara Falls, not as large though. Fairly well hidden but worth the view!!

[shakes]

let;s see some maps ... google maps is your friend. Plot a course for me.

[Slypstream]

I have been out to the West and would love to have some pre-determined routes. Bring 'em on. You guys definitely have a bit of an advantage with the mountains.

Let's see the goods.

[bc82gt]

I am trying to figure out this link?? Hope this works.

from:Chetwynd BC to:Hudson's Hope to:Fort St John, Fort St John, British Columbia, Canada - Google Maps

[muh'stang]

when I was moving from FSJ to Quesnel we went FSJ, Hudsons Hope, Chetwynd and south. Counted over 350 deer, 1 bear and 1 fox, no Im not kidding, we were stopping ever 100 meters and counting as best we could...sure some got counted twice, but some also didnt get counted at all.

a really nice drive is clearwater to prince george up highway 16. Rocky mountain views the whole way. Big jagged mountains.

[muh'stang]

we used to go camping across the first ferry from needles to Faquier (en route from vernon to nakusp). If you get to needles take a short detour south to Edgewood, bout 1/2 hour drive, small small town. Theres a river that empties into the lake there and in the summer all the sand washed down it makes a HUGE white sand, sandbar you can walk out on...just north up the sandbar along the beach takes you to a nice little waterfall, nice place to take the lady for a swim to.

[shakes]

Originally Posted by muh'stang

we used to go camping across the first ferry from needles to Faquier (en route from vernon to nakusp). If you get to needles take a short detour south to Edgewood, bout 1/2 hour drive, small small town. Theres a river that empties into the lake there and in the summer all the sand washed down it makes a HUGE white sand, sandbar you can walk out on...just north up the sandbar along the beach takes you to a nice little waterfall, nice place to take the lady for a swim to.

that sounds good, i'll keep that in mind for this years trip.

[ronburgundy]

i really enjoyed the road from campbell river to gold river then to tahsis last summer. don't try taking your stang into tahsis though unless you like logging roads. apparently tahsis is a drinking town with a fishing problem. also the circle trip bc ferries offers has some beautiful scenery, too bad they hose you at the fare booth. i've always been partial to the ocean.

[roach78]

i hauled logs along that road from vernon to needles all winter long that is quite the highway. i been on lots of logging roads like that but never on a paved road when it says 20km or 30km for a corner it really means it. going to send my inlaws on it they are huge motorcycle fans. another fun run is westside road from kelowna to vernon u go on the backside of the lake lots of sharp corners and in 6 months of hauling logs on it last summer i only saw 2 cops

[shakes]

ah yes, westside roads pretty good... it's a little too narrow but good corners none the less. Since it goes through reservations i've never seen any cops that way.

[red82gt]

For good corner carving, I like Hwy 97 from Westwold to Monte Creek, 3A from south of Penticton to Keremeos, 5A From Princeton to Aspen Grove, Hwy 24 from Little Fort to 100 Mile. For a decent Highway with awesome views-95 From Golden to Fairmont hot Springs.
Hwy 6 is nice from Vernon to Nakusp, up 23 to Revelstoke but the condition of the highway through Monashee pass is getting pretty bad. Highway 99 from Cache Creek to Lilloett is one that isn't too well known but has awesome scenery as well. My favorite is probably still the Fraser Canyon (#1 from Hope all the way to Kamloops) as I like the desert. Heck there's a lot of great places to go for a drive here in BC.

The only windy highway that I don't like is the Hope-Princeton, that road has killed far too many people.

[ronburgundy]

earl's cove to sechelt, just don't bring small kids unless their barf bag equipped.

[Dagz]

I like the highqway in between kaloops and revelstoke the canyon is a blast, but my all time fav. is the sea to sky highway... nothing beats that!!

[shakes]

yup, sea to sky ftw.