The journey is as good as the destination on these colourful routes.
Autumn transforms B.C.’s backyard into dazzling red, yellow and gold hues, making it a colourful time to get out and explore.
Ditch the flight for wheels and hit the road to discover awe-inspiring fall foliage and several top destinations.
Check out some road trips as Mother Nature paints the trees along B.C.’s highways with warm autumnal hues.
Gold Rush Trail
If you’re a B.C. history nerd, Barkerville should be a top contender for your next road trip.
The world-class heritage site is located 80 kilometres east of Quesnel, and is along a route littered with historic sites. It is also a Canadian National Historic Site and the country’s largest living museum in North America. Barkerville was founded in 1862 when Billy Barker struck gold on Williams Creek.
“Barkerville is located in the shared territory of seven Indigenous Nations and includes 125 restored buildings on display, with knowledgeable historic interpreters guiding you through Barkerville’s rich history through storytelling, activities, interactive lessons, theatrical performances, gold panning, stagecoach rides and more,” according to the Cariboo-Chilcotin Tourism Board.
And, of course, the drive up north from the Lower Mainland is breathtaking, with stunning autumn vistas in numerous areas. You will also want to provide times to stop in key spots, particularly Barkerville, where you will want to spend at least one full day. You can stay in nearby Quesnel overnight.
What’s the drive like from Vancouver?
The drive to Barkerville starts in New Westminster at the mouth of the mighty Fraser River, B.C.’s longest waterway. stretching 1,375 kilometres (see gallery above for route map).
The route winds through Langley and Hope on Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) to Lytton before reaching Highway 97 to historic Hat Creek. BC-99 S takes you to Lillooet. From here, there are several options to take, and you could visit several options.
Heading west from Lillooet to Bralorne, enjoy a scenic drive through the awe-inspiring Bridge River Valley in the South Chilcotin Mountains. Along the way, stop at several historic sites including ghost towns, abandoned mines and the Kaoham Shuttle.
If you head north from Historic Hat Creek to 100 Mile House, the route heads to Williams Lake and Quesnel before reaching Barkerville.
Check out detailed route options for the Gold Rush Trail.
You can also continue on past Barkerville to other historic sites on the route.
Penticton
Located in the breathtaking Okanagan Valley, Penticton is one of only two cities in the world located between two lakes (the other is the Swiss town of Interlaken).
The Kettle Valley Railway Trail (KVR) offers a stunning journey through several sweeping orchards and overlooking the breathtaking Okanagan Lake. While there are a few inclines along the trail, an e-bike easily offers an extra push through these gentle uphill segments. Tourists will find several jaw-dropping lookout points along the ride for photo opportunities. The recreational trail network provides nearly 650 km of connected pathways throughout the region, but there are several shorter routes for people hoping for a leisurely excursion.
All of the colours of autumn will be on display on the trail and in various parks in Penticton and near Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake.
Tourists can find a range of accommodations in Penticton, including recognizable names like the Ramada by Wyndham Penticton Hotel & Suites and Best Western Inn at Penticton, to unique Airbnb options and cute lakeside options such as the Waterfront Inn and the Spanish Villa Resort.
What’s the drive like from Vancouver?
Highway 97 is the longest provincial highway in Canada. It offers stunning foliage viewing during autumn, as all of the trees along the route turn into vibrant hues of red, yellow, orange and gold.
Before getting to that final breathtaking stretch, Vancouverites must take the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) to Hope, the Coquihalla (Hwy 5) to Merritt and then connect to Highway 97.
The drive from Vancouver takes roughly five hours.
Parksville
If you aren’t opposed to incorporating BC Ferries into your fall round-trip, you can explore some of the world’s most impressive trees in Vancouver Island’s ancient rainforest.
Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island with sweeping ocean views that make it an ideal spot for summertime getaways. But it’s also an ideal spot to watch the changing of the seasons, given its proximity to one of B.C.’s best places to view foliage.
Cathedral Grove, located in MacMillan Park, is roughly a 25-minute drive from Parksville and is home to giant Douglas fir trees. You can get out of your car and stroll through an area with towering trees more than 800 years old. Loop trails lead through the old-growth forest, and a raised viewing platform on the park’s south side provides a stunning panorama of the area.
On the northern side of the road, ancient western red cedar trees stand over nearby Cameron Lake.
Accommodation options range from big resort options on the water, such as The Beach Club Resort, to ones just off of it, like the Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort. Several budget-friendly motel options are also available, including the Skylite Motel and the VIP Motel.
What’s the trip like from Vancouver?
To get there, you’ll need to factor in an getting over the water.
From the Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay ferry terminals, you’ll need to board a vessel headed to Nanaimo (Departure Bay). After getting off the ferry, get on Vancouver Island’s main north-south highway, Highway 19 North, to reach Parksville.
The ferry from the Vancouver terminal takes about 1.75 hours, and the drive to Parksville takes about 35 minutes.
Banff
A couple of key sites are ideal for viewing larch trees, which are a type of coniferous tree. Unlike evergreens, they shed their needles, covering the ground in bright yellow and golden hues.
Larch season typically runs from mid-September through mid-October, and a few hiking trails are ideal for viewing the golden season, including Healy Pass near the Banff Sunshine Village ski resort, Rock Isle Lake via Sunshine Meadows, Taylor Lake and several others, according to the Banff Tourism Board.
Travellers looking to spend some time in Banff have numerous options, ranging from luxury accommodations to more modest dwellings. For instance, folks can enjoy views of stunning Lake Louise from the four-star Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, located right on the water. Alternatively, there are hostels and inns in the Banff town area, and bed and breakfast-style accommodations dispersed throughout the park.
What’s the drive like from Vancouver?
Vancouverites can easily drive to Banff, although the trip isn’t short. It takes over nine hours, meaning it can be broken into a couple of days with a stop along the way.
Some people prefer to make the road trip into a several-day itinerary, including more stops in B.C.’s Interior. Aside from breathtaking vistas of changing leaves, you can spot big-horn sheep, mountain goats, elk and bears along the way.
From Vancouver, take Highway 1 to the Coquihalla (Hwy 5) (the Coquihalla will provide beautiful fall foliage along the way), before connecting to the colourful Highway 97. From there, you need to connect to the Trans-Canada Highway across the Alberta border and then take the exit to Banff.
Alternatively, flights from YVR to Calgary International Airport (YYC) are only an hour long and cost around $100 round-trip with Flair Airlines. Several shuttle services offer transportation to Banff, but you may also want to rent a car once you’re in Calgary. (Banff is a great place to explore with wheels.)
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