Rockies by Road: Part 1 Vancouver to Jasper

Canada had been on my bucket list for a long time. Getting the leave and the money together always seemed to be the issue — until the stars finally aligned.

What followed was just over two weeks of the best road tripping I have ever done, across some of the finest country I have ever seen. This is the first half of that trip, from Vancouver to Jasper.

“The best moments often happened when the itinerary slowed down.”

Exploring Vancouver

Vancouver is the largest city on the west coast and the best place to fly into for the Rockies. Calgary is another option, landing you to the east of the mountains, but it is smaller.

The city itself is worth a day or two. Here is how I would spend it.

Stanley Park

Vancouver's answer to Central Park. Stanley Park is a vast wooded area to the north-east of the city centre — plenty of open space and a welcome escape from the busier parts of town.

Gastown

One of the oldest parts of the city, with Victorian-era architecture and the famous steam-powered clock. Worth a wander, though it can get busy.

Granville Island

The artistic hub of Vancouver. Street food, craft beer, independent shops and hipsters on single-speed bikes — this is Canada's Shoreditch. Take the Aquabus across False Creek to get there.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet

Right next to the airport, with hundreds of stores. With outlet savings and the exchange rate, I picked up Levi's for around £30 a pair. Back home they would have been £80 to £100.

Day 2 — Sea to Sky

We collected our camper from Cruise Canada in the south of the city, stopped for groceries, and headed out of town.

Our first destination was Whistler, around 100 miles north. The route took us along Highway 99, locally known as the Sea to Sky Highway. It was not hard to see why.

Almost immediately after leaving the city, the road swept upwards into the hills and meandered around lakes flanked by cliffs rising straight out of the water. The views were incredible — easily one of the best drives of the trip.

Shannon Falls and Brandywine Falls

Both are gigantic waterfalls and well worth the stop. Shannon Falls is the larger of the two, just outside Squamish. Each has a small convenience area, perfect for a break.

Train Wreck

A must-see in my opinion. After a derailment in the 1950s, several rail cars tumbled into the woods just outside Whistler. They were too costly to recover, so they were left behind.

Over time, graffiti artists and visitors turned them into an attraction in their own right. It is a unique sight.

That evening we pulled into Whistler RV Park, a couple of miles outside town. It overlooked the valley the highway winds through and is a well-serviced site with plenty of wash facilities, electric hookups and food and drink in summer. Much of it had closed for the season by the time we arrived, so we did not get to use many of the on-site services.

Day 3 — Whistler, Joffre Lakes and Lillooet

The next day we left the campground and headed into Whistler. In winter it is a ski resort that could rival anything in the Alps. In summer, like the Alps, it becomes a mountain biking and outdoor pursuits mecca.

After leaving Whistler, we carried on for an hour or so to Joffre Lakes. The national park is made up of three lakes — Lower, Middle and Upper — and requires a separate pass to enter.

We did not know this at the time, but luckily managed to secure passes on the day. I would recommend sorting them out in advance — it is pot luck on the day if any are left.

Lower Lake

Very accessible — around a ten-minute walk from the main parking area. Perfect for photos and stunning views.

Middle and Upper Lakes

Middle Lake is around a two to three-hour hike from Lower Lake, so at a leisurely pace it is an all-day affair. The gradients are much steeper and the path less well made underfoot.

You will need decent walking shoes and kit to make you self-sufficient. Upper Lake is further still and is a challenging route. There is a backcountry campsite there, so many people hike out, stay the night and return the next day.

After visiting the lakes, we continued on to the old mining town of Lillooet and pitched up for the night at Cayoosh Creek Campground.

Day 4 — Lillooet to Clearwater

It was an early start. We needed to resupply in town before the three-hour drive up to Clearwater.

As we drove out of Lillooet, the mountains gave way to open prairie that could have been the backdrop to a Hollywood western. We carried on up Highway 97, taking in the views of Chasm, until we reached Clearwater.

Clearwater is a medium-sized town at the entrance to Wells Gray National Park, famous for its waterfalls. We stayed at Clearwater Valley RV Park, perfectly located at the entrance to the park with decent facilities and an on-site bar and restaurant — which we took full advantage of.

Day 5 — Wells Gray and on to Jasper

The alarm went off at 06:30 for another full day. Once breakfast was finished, we started up the Clearwater Valley Road towards Baileys Chute.

The road hugs the Clearwater River for around 80 km, giving access to several waterfalls and lakes. Around halfway, the road gives way to dirt track, which slowed our progress up to the chute — where salmon swim upriver at the end of summer.

From there we drove back along the road, stopping at Helmcken and Spahats Falls for photos, then carried on back towards Jasper.

We left Wells Gray behind and crossed into both a new province and a new time zone, leaving British Columbia for Alberta. Our passes were checked as we entered Jasper National Park.

We reached the town in the late afternoon as it was starting to get dark. Much of the scenery was recovering from wildfires the previous year. Jasper had suffered badly, with much of the town damaged, but efforts were underway to rebuild.

We had booked two nights at Whistler RV Campground on the outskirts of town, run by Parks Canada. Once checked in, we drove ten minutes into town for food at The Maligne Range — at heart a whiskey bar with a refined mountain lodge feel, serving classic Canadian dishes. Think poutine, burgers and brisket.

Rest day in Jasper

We had opted for the following day as a non-travel day to rest from driving. We explored Jasper and the surrounding area.

The town itself is fairly small, but tourists are well catered for with outdoor pursuits and souvenir shops. After a couple of hours in town, we headed out to Miette Hot Springs, around a 45-minute drive away.

Miette Hot Springs sit north of Jasper in the mountains — pools fed by naturally occurring mountain springs. They are open to the public for the summer season and entrance is around £11 per adult. That gives you access to around five heated pools, plus showering and changing facilities.

During our visit, the weather had turned distinctly autumnal, with the mountainside dusted in snow. Just as we entered the 40-degree water, it began to snow. It made the whole thing even more special.

From Jasper, the next leg would take us south through the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise and Banff. That is part two.