lower mainland

100 Unique Experiences in British Columbia

/ Maria / Leave a comment

It’s been over 12 years since I moved to BC. There’s so much to explore in this province and every year has been filled with new adventures, which I’ve loved sharing on this blog. I like encouraging others to explore the many attractions BC has to offer, so for this post I’m partnering with intrip to share my list of 100 unique experiences in BC.

Intrip is a discovery app for all BC wanderers. It’s a map-based social media platform where every post is linked to a real place. It helps you to discover real local tips and experiences, easily explore what’s around you, and connect with your community to love where you live. Join me on the intrip app to rediscover beautiful British Columbia! Download the app on Google Play or Apple Store.

This list skews towards those living in the lower mainland, as that’s where I’ve spent the majority of my time, but I like to think there’s a little something in here for everyone. Happy adventures!

Unforgettable Adventures

  1. Ride the Sea to Sky gondola for unforgettable views of Howe Sound
  2. Cross the Fraser Canyon at it’s narrowest point at Hell’s Gate
  3. Bike from Sidney to Sooke along the Lochside and Galloping Goose trails
  4. Explore underground at the Upana Caves near Gold River
  5. Hike Frosty Mountain in the Fall to see the larch trees turn yellow (pictured)
  6. Embrace “Ski to Sea” and end your ski day with a trip to the beach
  7. Reminisce about the Beachcombers TV show at Molly’s Reach in Gibsons
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Classic City Experiences

  1. Climb the Grouse Grind and visit the resident grizzly bears
  2. Walk across the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon or Capilano
  3. Bike along the seawall and stop to see the totem poles in Stanley Park
  4. Take the ferry to Bowen Island for a classic day trip
  5. Play beach volleyball or let it all hang out at Wreck Beach
  6. Ride the mountain coaster on Cypress Mountain

Natural Phenomenons

  1. Soak in a natural hot spring in the Kootenays
  2. Photograph the stars in E.C. Manning Park
  3. Dive for microbialities at Pavilion Lake in Marble Canyon Park
  4. Stay up late to look for bioluminescence in Sechelt Inlet
  5. Travel millions of years into the past with a guided fossil walk in the Burgess Shale (pictured)
  6. Watch thrill seekers paddling the waves at the Skookumchuck Narrows
  7. Drive north and look for the Northern Lights
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Delicious Eats

  1. Indulge in all you can eat sushi, Hot Pot or Korean BBQ
  2. Join the throngs of people enjoying Sunday brunch at Jam or Fable
  3. Grab a sandwich and coffee from Blue Moose Café in Hope before heading off on a day hike
  4. Split tapas with friends at Nuba or Nightingale restaurants
  5. Sample local venison and bannock at Kekuli Café in Merritt
  6. Try delicious vegetarian food at Meet
  7. Enjoy brunch by the river at Fergies Café in Squamish

Camping Adventures

  1. Take your family frontcountry camping at Golden Ears, Porteau Cove, or Alice Lake
  2. Plan a coastal hike along one of Vancouver Islands iconic routes, like the West Coast Trail or Juan de Fuca Trail
  3. Experience hut-to-hut hiking on the Sunshine Coast Trail (pictured)
  4. Camp at one of thousands of free Rec Sites around the province
  5. Go back in time hiking a Heritage Trail like Tikwalus or the HBC Trail
  6. Wild camp in grizzly country in South Chilcotin Park
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Entertainment

  1. See a broadway musical at the Queen Elizabeth II Theatre
  2. Line dance with friends at The Yale Saloon in Yaletown
  3. Try roller skating at the Roller Skate Club at the PNE
  4. Enjoy live music at The Vogue, The Orpheum, or the Commodore Ballroom
  5. Take a guided Ghost Tour in New Westminster
  6. Support community theatre on Granville Island

Wildlife Encounters

  1. Look for owls at Boundary Bay or Eagles at Brackendale
  2. Celebrate the annual salmon run with First Nations at Adams River
  3. Search for moose on the Bowron Canoe Circuit (pictured)
  4. Feed the birds at Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta
  5. Make friends with the Goats on the Roof in Coombs
  6. Spend a day horseback riding in Pemberton
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Stay Hydrated

  1. Stop for a cold beer after your hike at Backcountry Brewing or A-Frame in Squamish
  2. Sip tea at BC’s oldest tea merchant, Murchies, in downtown Victoria
  3. Visit Brewers Row in Port Moody along a beer crawl
  4. Go on a winery tour around the Okanagan
  5. Drink beer from all over the province at Craft Beer Market and Brewhall

Summer Exploring

  1. Explore a classic hiking trail in Garibaldi Provincial Park (pictured)
  2. Photograph the sea stacks at San Josef Bay, the most beautiful beach in the world
  3. Swim with bergy bits at Berg Lake in Whistler
  4. Enjoy Honey’s Donuts after hiking to Quarry Rock in Deep Cove
  5. Count how many waterfalls you can see in Wells Gray Park
  6. Cool down on a hot day at the Sooke Potholes
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Opportunities to Learn

  1. Go on a historic walking tour around Chinatown and the Inner Harbour in Victoria
  2. Relive the gold rush era in Historic Barkerville town
  3. Watch a documentary at Science World’s IMAX theatre
  4. Learn about BC’s history at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria
  5. Appreciate indigenous art at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver

Water Based Activities

  1. Snorkel the warmest water in BC in Copeland Islands or Desolation Sound (pictured)
  2. Spend a week house boating on Shuswap Lake
  3. Relax along the lazy river in Penticton
  4. Attempt the inflatable obstacle course on Harrison Lake
  5. Surf the waves with Surf Sisters Surf School in Tofino
  6. Look for the mythical Ogopogo at Okanagan Lake
  7. Embrace your wild side at the Cultus Lake Water Park
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Sweet Treats

  1. Cool down with homemade ice cream at Earnest in North Vancouver
  2. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a gourmet doughnut from Doughnut Love in Coquitlam
  3. Find your favourite bubble tea shop with options all over the lower mainland
  4. Celebrate with High Tea at 8 Corners Tea Room or Neverland Tea Salon 
  5. Walk along the inlet in Port Moody with an ice cream cone from Rocky Point
  6. Get a frozen yogurt made with fresh fruit from Alice + Brohm in Squamish

The Rocky Mountains

  1. Ride the Rocky Mountain Express train along the historical cross-province route
  2. Hike the Berg Lake Trail to the base of Mount Robson, the tallest mountain in the rockies
  3. Ski iconic resorts at Fernie, Kicking Horse, Red Mountain, and Revelstoke
  4. Try and score permits to visit Iconic Lake O’Hara and hike the Alpine Circuit in Yoho National Park
  5. Watch the sunset from The Nub in Mount Assiniboine Park (pictured)
  6. Do a classic thru-hike like the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park
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Shopping Extravaganza

  1. Browse for books at one of the many bookshops in Sidney or Victoria
  2. Pretend you’re in Europe at one of Metro Vancouver’s many Christmas Markets
  3. Check out the local Farmer’s Market on weekends
  4. Window shop along the streets of Fort Langley

Winter Fun

  1. Watch the sunset from the Sky Chair while Night skiing at Cypress Mountain
  2. Skate through the forest on a 1km skating loop at Apex Ski Resort
  3. Try ski touring or cross country skiing in the Callaghan Valley
  4. Snowshoe to a backcountry hut for the night at Elfin Lakes
  5. Test your mettle camping in the snow at Manning Park or Coquihalla Summit Rec Area (pictured)
  6. Ski or snowboard at Whistler–Blackcomb‘s world class ski resort
  7. Realize the benefits of the sauna and ice bath at Tality or Scandinave Spas
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Sporting Events

  1. Cheer for the Vancouver Canucks NHL hockey team at Rogers Stadium
  2. Support the Vancouver Rise Women’s Soccer Team in Central Park
  3. Share a 3ft hot dog at Nat Bailey Stadium while cheering for the Vancouver Candians baseball team

Paddling

  1. Whitewater raft along the rushing Elaho River in Squamish
  2. Camp overnight at one of several marine access campground in selilwet (Indian Arm)
  3. Paddle Widgeon Creek and hike to Widgeon Falls
  4. Soak in the sunset from a SUP in Deep Cove
  5. Explore the coastline on a multi-day paddling trip to the Gulf Islands (pictured)
  6. Rent a canoe for the day at Alouette Lake in Golden Ears Park
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Kayaking Widgeon Creek

/ Maria / 4 Comments

Widgeon Creek has been on my bucket list for a long time! It’s a paddling route that leaves from Pitt Meadows, starting with a crossing of the Pitt River, and then meanders up Widgeon Creek through Widgeon Marsh and Pinecone Burke Provincial Park.

It’s only a half hour drive from my house, but the reason this sat on my bucket list for so long is because I was afraid of crossing the Pitt River. You have to cross the river at the entrance to Pitt Lake, which can get pretty windy, and the Pitt River is tidally influenced, meaning you can get some pretty fast currents coming in and out of the lake. Even though I know people cross the river all the time, in all manner of vessels (many of which are much less robust than my 16 foot sea kayak), I found the idea of crossing the Pitt River pretty intimidating. 

But I finally decided to go for it on a gorgeous day in early April. I didn’t want to go during freshet, when the flows increase from snow melt, and I didn’t want to go during the summer when it’s highly trafficked, so the conditions seemed to align in April. Now that I’ve done it, I’m kind of wondering what I was so afraid of! I know my risk aversion keeps me safe, but it was much less intimidating than I imagined. 

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We got up early on a Saturday morning to beat the crowds. Fortunately, the creek wasn’t very busy at this time of year and we had no trouble crossing the Pitt River. There was definitely a current when we crossed and a headwind when we returned, but it was very manageable in our kayaks. I’d probably be too nervous to cross the river on a SUP, but there were some people doing it in the afternoon. Although I find it shocking the number of people who go out without a PFD!

The water was very calm when we crossed and the creek was almost completely still. I’ve heard the creek can run dry or very low in some sections during the hot summer, but we crossed near high tide and had no issues in either direction. It was such an enjoyable paddle on the way up the creek that me and Seth kept remarking that we had to spend more time exploring the area in the future (our go-to trip is generally paddling to Jug Island). 

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We didn’t see any other paddlers on our way up the creek since it was still pretty early in the morning. You paddle through Widgeon Marsh, which is a regional park, and eventually cross into Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. I think this is so cool because I love Pinecone Burke – it’s such a large and underrated park – and I’ve now explored it from 3 different entry points. The most common entry is from Harper Road in Coquitlam, but I’ve also entered the Park along the trail to Seed Peak (east of Squamish), and now via Widgeon Creek.

The final destination by kayak is the Widgeon Creek campsite. There were a few boaters here who had come in the previous day and were camping overnight. We hauled our kayaks up on the shore and then re-packed our bags for a little hike to Widgeon Falls. The paddle to the campsite takes about 75 minutes, and it’s a 6km round trip hike from the campsite, so it makes for a nice day trip with a variety of activities. You can hike to the Falls mostly along an old forestry road, which is faster, but we opted for the detour through the forest, which is much more scenic.

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The Falls are really nice and we hung out for an hour enjoying our lunch. We were the only people there, although we passed some other hikers along the way. We took the road back to the campground and then paddled out from there. We encountered more paddlers on the way back and the wind definitely picked up in the early afternoon. The hardest part of the day was crossing the Pitt River because we had a headwind, but it was very manageable in our kayaks. I wouldn’t want to do it on a SUP, and I did wonder if the people crossing on SUP realized they would have a pretty substantial headwind on the way back.

But overall, I absolutely loved everything about this trip! I’m keen to go back and I don’t think I’ll be quite as hesitant in the future. Since it’s a short paddle, it’s easily doable on a Friday night, so maybe we’ll come back some day and stay at the campground. You can also continue the hike up to Widgeon Lake, though I’ve heard it’s a bit of a slog, as the trail is not well maintained and usually has snow on it until July. 

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Definitely play it safe if you’re planning on doing this trip and plan around the wind and current conditions, but it was a much less intimidating trip overall than I thought it would be. In the summer, you can rent kayaks from the parking lot, so it’s pretty accessible if you want to check it out! I think parking can get challenging though because this is also the parking lot for people recreating at Pitt Lake, so I recommend going early because then you can easily find parking and take advantage of the early morning calm on the water!

8 Great Spring Hikes in the Lower Mainland

/ Maria / Leave a comment

Growing up in Newfoundland, I never really liked Spring because it’s barely a season there (pretty sure we just get a second winter). But Spring in the Lower Mainland is fantastic! It actually warms up when it’s supposed to and pretty much the entire city has been in bloom this April. But as much as I love it, it also kills me a little bit because even though it warms up so much in the city, it still takes a long time for all the snow in the mountains to melt. Proper hiking season doesn’t really start until late June, early July, but there are lots of lower elevation hikes that you can do in the Spring that are located right in our backyard! Here’s a few of my favourite Spring hikes to tide you over to those warmer summer days:

Baden Powell Trail

The Baden Powell Trail is a whopping 42km long trail that runs all the way from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay. But don’t be intimidated by the length, the entire trail can be done in a series of day hikes, they’re just best done with two cars (one at the start and one at the end) so that you don’t have to backtrack. The four main trail sections include Deep Cove to Lynn Canyon, Lynn Canyon to Grouse Mountain base or Cleveland Dam, Cleveland Dam to Cypress parking lot, and Cypress to Horseshoe Bay. I’ll admit that I’ve only actually done the Deep Cove to Lynn Canyon section, but I’m hoping to hike a few more sections! I believe the more popular sections are between Deep Cove and Grouse, because there is significant elevation gain between the Cypress Mountain sections. Either way, there’s a lot to explore on this forested trail! Fun fact, the trail is named after Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, the founders of Girl Guides and Boy Scouts!

Big Cedar and Kennedy Falls Trail

This is a great trail located in North Vancouver that hikes through the forest to 2 main attractions, a really big cedar tree and Kennedy Falls. The hike is 10km long, with approximately 150 metres in elevation gain. We thought it would be a pretty quick hike with such limited elevation gain, but there is a lot of up and down through the woods, so the cumulative elevation gain is greater. It’s also a more technical trail than I was expecting, so if you’re looking for an easy walk in the woods, this isn’t the one for you. However, if you’re looking to warm up those legs in preparation for the summer hiking season, this is the perfect hike! There is a lot of spray coming off Kennedy Falls with the Spring run-off, so bring a rain jacket if you want to get close for photos. The trail is dog friendly, but small dogs might struggle with all the trees and roots across the trail.

Jug Island Trail

If you don’t want to travel to the North Shore, there’s some great hikes available in Belcarra Regional Park, located just past Anmore. Jug Island Trail is one of my personal favourites because it’s a short hike, but a good warm up. It’s only 5.5km long and has about 100 metres in elevation gain (it’s listed as having none, but that’s because it starts and ends at sea level). It’s a mostly forested hike, but there is a nice view about midway through the trail looking down at the backside of the peninsula, as well as a beautiful view of Jug Island and Indian Arm at the end of the trail. The beach at the end of the trail is also accessible by kayak from Deep Cove or Cates Park if you’re up for a boating adventure! This is the only trail I’ve done, but there are other short trails in the area such as Admiralty Point and Sasamat Lake.

Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve

The Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve is located between Grouse and Seymour and protects the ecosystem running up towards Seymour Lake, one of Metro Vancouver’s 3 water supply lakes. I worked in this area for about 8 months, so I had lots of time to explore some of the trails and there’s a ton of options to choose from! They’re all pretty similar in that they’re mostly forested trails (common theme for Spring hikes as it’s too early to get up in the mountains). Parking is available just off the end of Lillooet Road at the Rice Lake Gate, at the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, or off of Rice Lake Road at the entrance to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park. I’d personally recommend avoiding the Ecology Centre as it draws a lot of tourists for the suspension bridge, it’s only about 1km hike to the bridge from the other entrances if you still want to visit. Some of my preferred trails include Fisherman’s Trail (13km), which hikes up to a viewpoint overlooking the River, and Rice Lake (3km), which is great for fishing (if you’re into that). I also like the Lynn Headwaters Trail (6km), which follows Lynn Creek and can be extended to hike to Norvan Falls (14km). The falls are definitely best explored in the Spring when run-off is high, by Fall, the falls are just a trickle!

Lighthouse Park

I know, I know, all the locals are already super familiar with Lighthouse Park, but as an East Coaster I only visited the park for the first time last year! This is the place to go if you’re after ocean views! There’s still a ton of forested trails here, but they pop in and out of the woods along the coastline. I think of Lighthouse Park as a bit of a build-your-own-adventure trail because there’s tons of trails running through the park and you can pick which circuit you want to do. When I visited, we mostly followed the coastline, making a bit of a loop from the parking lot. There’s limited elevation gain in this park, but lots of great views!

Golden Ears Park

I’m a huge fan of Golden Ears Park. It gets crazy busy in the summer though, which is why Spring is great time to visit! Don’t even think about doing Golden Ears Peak, it’s way too early for that, but there are some nice trails located at the back of the park. Drive to the far end of Alouette Lake and park in the North Beach Campground lot (do not actually go into the campground, parking is not permitted there). There’s two trails, the Lower Falls Trail and the East Canyon Trail to Viewpoint Beach. At 5.5km, the Falls Trails is really more of a walk, but affords some nice views of the mountains from the river and a nice waterfall at the end of the trail. The trail to Viewpoint Beach is a little longer at 8km, and has a great view looking up at the mountains from the beach at the end. There’s about 200m elevation gain on the viewpoint beach trail and none on the falls trail. On maps, it looks like you can connect between these two trails, but I’ve done these hikes several times and I’ve never been able to find where the two connect.

Capilano Regional Park

This is another park I’ve explored as part of my work and it is a great urban trail in North Vancouver. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can hike all the way from Ambleside Park up to Cleveland Dam (~14km), but you can also access the trail from Cleveland Dam or from some of the local roads on the West side of the Park. The engineer in me loves Cleveland Dam and there’s a great view of the Lions looking out over Capilano Lake (another one of Metro Vancouver’s drinking water supply lakes). You can drive right up to the lake, but I’d recommend starting somewhere lower on the trail and making the dam and lake your lunch break in the middle of the hike. I like this trail because there’s tons of neat bridges to cross over with great views of the Capilano River and canyon. You can also stop in and visit the fish hatchery along the way!

Burnaby Mountain and Barnett Trail

There’s tons of great Spring trails located around Burnaby Mountain and it’s easy to take transit to them! I’ve personally done the Burnaby Mountain Summit Trail, which loops around the top of the mountain, and the Barnett Trail, which loops around the back of the mountain. The best views are probably from Burnaby Mountain Park. Both of the trails overlap each other and I would definitely consider them urban trails as they loop in around the SFU campus and the bike park, but there are a few views looking down over Indian Arm and you do get a nice workout climbing back up the mountain. Both hikes are under 10km.