Alice Lake Provincial Park (Hwy 99 North)
Spring to fall, fresh-air-hungry Vancouverites flock to Alice Lake Provincial Park to enjoy several kilometres of outdoor bliss. The playground and beach are filled with sounds, smells and sights of summer; laughter and splashing from the sandy beach and warm water, bright coloured beach balls and upturned buckets, barbecued hot dogs and sizzling hamburgers. Hiking trails, walks for every fitness level, and mountain biking trails wind through 396 hectares of woodland.
When my friend Sue and I arrived in the middle of March, however, the campground was deserted. It was late afternoon and we were warming ourselves by the campfire when the skies darkened. We scrambled into the dry camper van just as balls of slush came pelting down. Within minutes our campfire had sizzled and sparked and become a smokey, ashen mess. The weather stayed like that for most of our stay. We spent the evenings inside our camper van playing Scrabble and drinking hot tea. During the day, we visited the Britannia Mine Museum, Bowen Island, Shannon Falls, and even some short hikes. There is so much to do in the Squamish area!
The Britannia Mine Museum has been a National Historic Site since 1988. While there are over 21 historic buildings, they are not all open to the public. But there was plenty to keep us busy with activities such as gold panning, the underground tour and a wonderful little scavenger hunt in the main display area. Sue and I had a great time finding all the little Lego people that were hiding among the exhibits.
I recommend the underground tour, which includes a ride on a mine car through the tunnels.Our guide was so interesting, even the 5 year old boys in our tour group were spellbound by her stories. We spent the whole day at the museum, but with children, probably best to plan for about 3-4 hours. Open all year. http://www.britanniaminemuseum.ca
Bowen Island is a sleepy little island 20 minutes by ferry from Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. Again, March is not the best time to enjoy the many hikes, parks and outdoor activities they offer, but if you dress properly, weather isn’t a big deal. The trick is to dress in layers, with the outer layer being breathable and waterproof. The weather wasn’t affecting the beautiful display of plants at this lovely little garden shop! Proof that spring really is right around the corner.
My favourite activity on Bowen Island is the walk along the lake trail through Crippen Park. The hike took Sue and I almost 2 hours, but we were taking our time. The trail loop is only 4 km. It is mostly flat, with some steep parts to add interest.
http://bowentrails.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/pdfs/bowen-rotary-trail-map-killarney-lake.pdf.
Other activities on Bowen Island include mountain and trail biking, golfing, kayaking and canoeing rentals. The Visitor’s Centre is a great resource for trail and road maps. https://www.tourismbowenisland.com
The water surrounding Bowen Island has enough marked SCUBA dive sites to satisfy divers of all levels. There are no SCUBA outfitters on Bowen Island, but there are some in Horseshoe Bay that offer tours, and/or rentals and air.
In spite of the rain, Sue and I dropped in to see Shannon Falls Provincial Park, located on Hwy 99 between the Brittania Mine and Alice Lake. This is a day-use only park with a 350m trail from the parking lot to the falls. Hiking, picnicking, and rock climbing are the main activities in the park. The trail to the falls is well packed and a wheelchair should have no problem getting to the falls. There are also wheelchair accessible drinking fountains and picnic tables. For more on this park, please see my blog Shannon Falls Provincial Park.
Back at Alice Lake, during a lull in the rain, we strolled around the lakeside trail.
It was one of those rare moments of peace and solitude that you can only get from being surrounded by trees, miles away from city sounds. Just the sounds of the bubbling creek, a couple of geese and some birds that winter over in the area. Yes, it was cold and wet, but nature had still done its job of reviving our spirits.
This short getaway opened our eyes to the endless opportunities for adventure in the Squamish area. I plan to return in warmer weather to enjoy more of the many indoor and outdoor activities.
On my wish list for my next trip to Squamish:
- Sea to Sky Gondola is more than just a 10 minute gondola ride across Howe Sound. Not only great views, it is also a doorway to great adventures. A suspension bridge, viewing platforms, rock climbing, winter and summer activities are waiting on the other side of the gondola cable. https://www.seatoskygondola.com/?gclid=CKHOsdqdkNQCFc5ffgodIWUKR
- Winter eagle watching http://www.exploresquamish.com/explore/eagle-viewing. Bald eagles winter over in this area, and this website has all the tips on watching these beautiful raptors.
- West Coast Railway Heritage Park includes mini train ride, kid play train, heritage station houses, HO scale model railway, many heritage railcars, a day out on Thomas the Tank Engine (check website for days and times), and many other activities. http://www.wcra.org/
- Adventure Centre https://www.facebook.com/SquamishAdventureCentre For information, coffee and a little children’s play area. Check their Facebook page for all that they have to offer.
Here is my growing list of the parks visited as I continue my quest to visit all 648 BC Parks!!