Cariboo Chilcotin
- Cariboo Chilcotin Circle Route, B.C.
There's nothing like the feeling of climbing into a freshly packed RV and hitting the road; even better to know you'll be travelling through some of the most amazing wilderness on the Coast Cariboo Circle Route. This trek through Western Canada takes about 13 days at a leisurely pace to complete and from the feedback we've heard, will be one of the highlights of the season, and may even make it to your top-five list. Tailor made for photographers and wilderness lovers, the scenery runs from classic coastal panoramas to open foothills and mountain corridors. Odds are good to spot black bear, grizzly, deer, sheep, moose, and, depending on the time of year, killer whales.
As well as traversing the diverse landscapes of the B.C. Coast and interior, you'll encounter remote coastal villages, wilderness hiking trails, world-class fishing in wild and stocked lakes and streams, and even passing over the Gold Rush Trail.
Part 1 - Ferry to Vancouver Island
● 282.49 km - about 4 hours 12 min
In Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, board a BC Ferry to set off on the coastal leg of your journey. Stop in Sidney – the book capital of Western Canada, before moving on to Victoria where you'll check out the city’s gardens, parks, museums and beaches. North of Victoria, stop in the seaside village of Chemainus.
In Nanaimo, take a heritage tour and stroll along the waterfront or head to Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park where a shoreline of sandstone cliffs, complete with caves and caverns. Continue north towards Port Alberni.
Part 2 - Side Trip to the West Coast
• 615.54 km - about 9 hours 38 min
A side trip across the island on Hwy 4 to Port Alberni will take you through Cathedral Grove, an ancient forest of Douglas Fir in MacMillan Provincial Park. From here you have option of heading west to one of several wilderness lodges in Ucluelet or Tofino to take in the springs at Hot Springs Cove (only accessible by boat or plane), and Long Beach, the longest stretch of surf-swept sand on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Return along Hwy 4 to head north on Hwy 19A, and relax on the sandy beaches of Parksville – ideal for warm, saltwater swimming – and the stunning shoreline of Qualicum Beach. Continuing north, cast a line in Campbell River, the Salmon Capital of the World; stop in Telegraph Cove, a village raised on stilts, and join a whale watching tour.
Part 3 - Ferry to Bella Coola
• 253.88 km - about 3 hours 54 min
In Port Hardy, board a BC Ferry bound for the ocean inlet of Bella Coola. Depending on your sailing, stop in remote coastal communities such as McLoughlin Bay, Shearwater, Klemtu and Ocean Falls for fishing, sea kayaking and visits to Aboriginal sites. As you ferry north, keep your eyes on the ocean to see whales blowing up spray or sea lions sunning themselves on off-shore boulders.
Part 4 - Bella Coola through Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
• 230.97 km - about 3 hours 34 min
Drive the celebrated “Freedom Highway” (Hwy 20), named for the determined locals who built the road from Bella Coola to Anahim Lake on the Chilcotin Plateau. The highway climbs a steep, exhilarating switch-backed route – known locally as “The Hill” – to an elevation of 1,524m/5,000ft. (Note: this road is mostly paved, but there is also a well-maintained gravel section; suitable for all vehicles.) Head from Bella Coola past the rugged Coast Mountains to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. BC’s largest park spans 981,000ha/2,452,500ac. Watch for the volcanic “Rainbow Mountains”, flowering meadows, waterfalls and glacial-capped peaks. Area highlights: fly fishing for trout, camping, hiking, canoeing and horseback riding. Look for mountain goats, caribou, black bears, moose and countless bird species. Charter a floatplane to fly over Turner Lake and view one of North America’s highest waterfalls – Hunlen Falls plunges 253m/850ft over a sheer rock face.
Part 5 – Bella Coola & Hoodoos at Farwell Canyon
● 219.62 km - about 3 hours 52 min Drive from Tatla Lake to Chilko Lake, along a gravel road for 80km/45mi. Go angling for trophy-sized rainbow and bull trout in the turquoise waters of Chilko Lake, the largest, natural, high-elevation freshwater lake in North America. Stop near Alexis Creek, named after Chief Alexis of the Chilcotin tribe, at Bull Canyon and Battle Rock. Here, the Chilcotin defended their lands in fierce battles with the Shuswap and Bella Coola First Nations. From Riske Creek, detour along Farwell Canyon Road (a well maintained gravel road) to see hoodoos at Farwell Canyon and Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park, which is home to more than 500 free-roaming bighorn sheep.
Part 6 - Williams Lake to Clinton
• 162.57 km - about 2 hours 12 min Heading east again on Hwy 20, to Williams Lake. Visit the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin and the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame, go mountain biking, take a rafting trip on any one of the Chilcotin, Chilko or Fraser rivers. Drive south on the old Cariboo Waggon Road, Hwy 97, to 100 Mile House and see an original stagecoach.
Continue beyond to Clinton, where you can jump in the saddle for a real cowboy experience at one of the area’s many guest ranches. Along with delicious home-style cooking and western hospitality, you can ride the range and round up cattle. Or explore the countryside while fishing, hiking, canoeing and river rafting.
Part 7 - Pemberton to Vancouver
• 323.82 km - about 4 hours 45 min Head south towards Pemberton, and stop at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, where hanging glaciers crown three turquoise-coloured lakes. Complete the circle tour via the spectacular Sea-to-Sky Highway (Hwy 99).
From the mountain encircled village of Whistler, travel through narrow valleys with mountain glaciers visible in the distance alongside Howe Sound.
The Sea-to-Sky Highway turns a final corner and the mountains give way to a spectacular view of Vancouver – arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world.