BRITISH COLUMBIA’S MOUNTAIN HIKING ESCAPES
One of the best things you can do when visiting British Columbia is to get out in the mountains and enjoy the scenery. Even better—pack hiking boots and seek out any of the wealth of trails for the sure-footed. Here, where mountains are plentiful, you hav
Don’t think you have to go far from the city lights of Vancouver for great hiking access. The North Shore Mountains are within easy reach of the city, and are the southernmost grouping of the 994-mile Coast Mountain Range. The steep incline of the six mountain peaks (Black, Fromme, Grouse, Hollyburn, Seymour and Strachan mountains) offer great challenges to hiking fans, interconnected trails through ancient woods, and family-friendly trails for beginning hikers.
If you’re looking for a challenge, hike the Grouse Grind; referred to by many locals as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster,” its intense workout includes 2,830 stairs and an elevation gain of 2,800 feet for the near vertical trail that covers just under 2 miles.
Don’t let the short distance fool you — the rugged terrain is enough for any adventurer to test their mettle. Since there’s no downhill hiking on the trail, be sure to bring along some money to purchase a ticket for the Skyride tram down the mountain.
A little farther afield, Yoho National Park inspires awe and wonder (it’s named after a Cree expression for those very words) with its views of glaciers and waterfalls on the western slopes of Canada’s Rocky Mountains. It’s nearly impossible for hikers here to get bored from the variety of options, from a leisurely hike around Emerald Lake, to spying fossils in the restricted Burgess Shale fossil beds, to an epic day on the park’s high-elevation Iceline Trail. Save some time for a hike to Wapta Falls, where a short hike will allow you to view the Kicking Horse River dropping nearly 100 feet at the falls.
The steep, rugged mountains in Glacier National Park are part of the Columbia Mountain ranges (made up of the Purcell, Selkirk, Cariboo, and Monashee ranges), and the towering old-growth forests of hemlocks and cedars shade your hike as you meander among them on your way to mountain meadows where subalpine spruce and fir live. History travels with you when you walk along the abandoned rail bed of one of the final stretches of Canada’s first trans-continental railway. View glaciers along the Asulkan Valley Trail, where the final treat is a view of the Illecillewaet Glacier spread out below.
One of the problems with hiking in a remote location is the travel time to get there. By the time you’ve gotten to the trailhead, the sun is climbing higher in the sky, making a long day hike difficult. But with a quick commute by helicopter, that’s never a problem. Canadian Mountain Holidays’ heli-hiking trips are optimal for families and intrepid hikers, and with their mountain lodge accommodations, you never have to travel far each day for your hike.
Hiking routes include glaciers, wildflower-rich meadows, mountain ridges and more. One of the challenges at both the Canadian Mountain Holidays Bugaboos and Bobbie Burns locations is the via ferrata — an opportunity to climb pinnacles while being supported by series of metal rungs permanently fixed to the rocks, with cables running alongside. It’s a boost of adrenaline, and you’re guaranteed an unparalleled view from your sky-high perch.
Trails and views in British Columbia include forests, glaciers, mountain peaks, high mountain lakes and vast fields of wildflowers. Pick your favorite, lace up your boots, pack some water, and just go.