Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north.
GaribaldiProvincialPark
Garibaldi Provincial Park wraps around Squamish and is home to some amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Elfin Lakes are all wonderful hiking destinations in this extraordinary Provincial Park so close to Squamish.
Lighthouse Park is an extraordinarily little know piece of paradise, so close to to Vancouver as to see its tall buildings, yet immersed into a dramatically beautiful coastal rainforest. A wonderful network of trails winds throughout massive Douglas-fir trees and Western Red Cedars as well as golden Arbutus trees stretching toward the ocean.
It is surprisingly convenient on the drive from Vancouver to Whistler. The detour will only add an hour to your trip but the drive alone is well worth doing. Marine Drive runs parallel to the Sea to Sky Highway to or from Whistler, and is a wonderfully beautiful ocean hugging road that is alive with the beauty of Vancouver. If you are driving to Whistler from downtown Vancouver, finding Marine Drive is easy. After you cross the Lions Gate Bridge, continue straight as if going to Whistler(Highway 99) and you will almost immediately be on Marine Drive. Instead of making the right turn to keep on 99, continue straight as you will be on your way to Lighthouse Park via the very scenic Marine Drive. Wildly overgrown with all kinds of plants and trees, the narrow, Marine Drive hugs the coast in the midst of this evidently wealthy part of Vancouver. You will have amazing views across to Vancouver as you drive this beautiful road. After stopping at Lighthouse Park, Marine Drive continues parallel to the Sea to Sky for a few kilometres before signs show you where to rejoin Highway 99 to Whistler. The driveways you pass are windy and steep, and alarmingly close to the road. Oncoming cars you pass slow down, Marine Drive is that narrow. You are now in the real Vancouver. The houses are old and beautifully immersed in the deep, dark rainforest that once blanketed the land where skyscrapers of the city now stand. This is where you can look across to the high rise building crammed metropolis of Vancouver and feel in another world. Quiet, serene, immersed in deep forest, and contrast beautifully to the beauty across the water. Lighthouse Park is located at a beautiful piece of land in the edge of this.
Lighthouse Park is a beautiful Vancouver park, nestled inside a wonderful example of British Columbia's coastal rainforest. The trees are huge, the forest thick and the ocean views are amazing. Rain or shine, this park is a must see on any drive between Vancouver and Whistler. Marine Drive is another aspect that makes this a beautiful detour. This part of Vancouver is a great representation of Vancouver. Deep forest, beautiful ocean and rugged coastline. The first lighthouse was built at Point Atkinson in 1874. The land around it that was to become Lighthouse Park was set aside to provide a dark backdrop for the new lighthouse. The lighthouse you now see was built in 1912. During World War II, search lights and gun emplacements were installed at Point Atkinson to watch over Burrard Inlet. Some buildings from that ere remain along with interesting photos depicting the area during that time.
Explore Vancouver Hiking Trails!
This easy and strikingly beautiful park is yet another locals favourite. So close to downtown Vancouver at only 30 minutes away, yet you feel as if you are in a remote forest. There are a few different ...
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Mount Sproatt, or as it is known locally as just Sproatt, is one of the many towering mountains visible from Whistler Village. Above and beyond Alta Lake, directly across from Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb ...
The three Joffre Lakes are some of the most stunning lakes you are likely to ever see. Each lake gets progressively more beautiful and impossibly turquoise from one to the next. By the third lake the intense ...
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Brandywine Meadows is a nice, relatively short hike to a massive flower filled valley high up in Callaghan Valley. Located 40 minutes south of Whistler, this tough and sometimes muddy trail gains a huge 550 ...
Whistler is an amazing place to hike. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous thing about Whistler is that Garibaldi Provincial ...
Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north. Add to ...
Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it. Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last. The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails. Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness. Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn ...
The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island. One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...