Road Trips in BC, Things to see in British Columbia

In 1914, a series of train tunnels were blasted through the side of a mountain for the Kettle Valley Railway. All that remains today are 5 long, dark tunnels and a flat hiking trail that hugs the precarious Coquihalla canyon.

The Othello tunnels are in a straight line and lead to spectacular vantage points above the raging Coquihalla river. This is an excellent place to witness civil engineering and natural beauty at its best!

The Galloping Goose Trail is a 55 km former railway line that was turned into a hiking, biking and walking trail. It's located on Vancouver Island and stretches from Victoria, BC, past Sooke and ends in a long-gone gold rush town named Leechtown.

The unusual name of the trail originates from a noisy passenger train that would clank along the Inner Harbour in Victoria to Sooke & Leechtown. It traverses through many rural areas and past the coastal wilderness of Southern Vancouver Island.

You don't have to explore the entire length of the trail to appreciate the rugged beauty of the area, but you should spend an hour or so exploring a few points along the way.

#1 - Roche Cove Regional Park is a secluded and sheltered cove off of the Sooke Basin. It's quiet, it's calm and it gives new meaning to the word, serenity. It's about 5 km off of Highway 14 on Gillespie Road. When heading towards Sooke on Highway 14, turn left onto Gillespie Road at the 17 Mile Pub. Travel another 5 km and look for the parking lot on your left. It's easy to miss since it's shrouded by the thick, green forest of Douglas fir and maple trees.

#2 - Sooke Basin - Magnificent views of the Sooke Basin can be seen along a stretch of the Galloping Goose Trail that hugs the coastline. Brilliant sunsets can be viewed from the beautiful coastal sightseeing points. When heading to Sooke on Highway 14, pass the 17 Mile Pub, travel another 6 kilometers and watch for signs indicating the trail crossing the road. There's a small parking lot on the south side of the highway. Park here and head out towards the water. You won't be disappointed!

Located just off of the TransCanada Highway north of Victoria, BC, this is an exciting park offering easy walking trails along a salmon spawning river. Numerous paths weave through an old-growth temperate rain forest with trees that are hundreds of years old. This spectacular park shows the beauty of nature in a place where the ocean meets the coast mountains of Vancouver Island.

Between October and December, thousands of Chum Salmon return to their birthplace in Goldstream Park to spawn and die. The local Saanich natives have harvested this bounty for thousands of years and are now caretakers of this ecosystem. You'll find an in depth interpretive center where the mouth of the Goldstream River at Finlayson Arm (the Pacific Ocean). Here you'll witness eagles enjoying the feast from the ocean.

Besides witnessing the circle of life of the Chum salmon, there are numerous hiking and walking trails. In fact, you'll find Niagara Falls in the park. It may not be as famous as its eastern counterpart, but its nearly as tall.

Tofino, BC is another coastal gem on the west coast on Vancouver Island. It's the winter storm-watching capital of the North Pacific and is the starting point of the renound Clayoquot Sound biosphere reserve.

There are many activities and explorations to discover in this national park and here are some of our favourite (and drier) ones:

#1 - Long Beach - Enjoy an romantic walk along a white sand beach with a thick, temperate rainforest beside you. Waves from across the ocean end their journey on the pristine sands of Long Beach. In the summer, soak up the rays (temperatures may be moderate to hot). In the winter, bring your rain gear and enjoy the roars of the crashing waves.

#2 - Radar Hill - Formerly cleared for a radar site in WWII, you can enjoy a view high above Clayqout Sound. The best sunsets in the country are at this viewpoint.

#3 - The Rainforest Trail takes you on a exploration along a intricate boardwalk through a pristine, old-growth rainforest (there are numerous stairs). This forest has trees over 500 years old and have diameters larger than your outstretched arms! You have to see it to believe it!

All sites can be reached off of Highway 4 on Vancouver Island. A National Park pass is required.

More tourists to Canada know about Wells Gray Provincial Park than Canadians. It's a large park, over 5000 square kilometers, and is between Jasper, Alberta and Kamloops BC. It's a natural paradise teaming with wildlife and is excellent place to watch bears from the safety of your car.

This picturesque park is also an excellent place to view waterfalls. Most are only a short hike away from the parking areas and can be enjoyed from the many expansive vantage points. It has many waterfalls include Helmcken Falls, the fourth highest in Canada at 141 m.

Located in the center of the Slocan Valley, is a towering peak with a narrow, winding access road. The top of Idaho Peak takes about 2 hours to reach along a 17 km road and is home to a stunning mountain meadow carpeted with alpine flowers (July & August). A short hike away will bring you to a fantastic viewpoint of the Slocan Valley below. On a sunny day, you can clearly see New Denver, BC from thousands of feet below.

Access is from the town of Sandon, located east of New Denver, BC along highway 31A. The road is narrow and steep and has plenty of switchbacks. In some areas, only one car can pass at a time. Most vehicles can make it (our '95 Escort wagon did), but it's recommended that only vehicles with a high clearance should attempt it.

Current road conditions at Drive BC.

Find romantic hotels, resorts, inns and cottages throughout British Columbia at Heavenly Hideaways.

Looking for romantic things to do on Vancouver Island?

Find pet-friendly accommodations in BC.

Find insider tips to BC sites and other locations across Canada at Scenic Travel Canada.

There are plenty of other adventurous things to do in Canada.

Discover Canada, there's lots of adventures waiting for you across the country.