Sometimes, the best road trips are ones without too much preparation or planning, and ones when you simply hop in the car and drive. And come rain or shine, this season is a wonderful time for a leisurely drive through the colourful fall foliage – so why not make a trip out of it? Here are 7 spontaneous road trips you can take from Vancouver this fall.
Harrison Hot Springs
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Situated in the picturesque Harrison River Valley surrounded by ancient forests and emerald lakes, the town has something to offer everyone. Whether you’re into thrilling outdoor sports like axe-throwing, looking forward to the salmon run this year, or prefer to unwind at their world-famous mineral hot springs.
Distance: 1 hour and 15 minutes from Vancouver
Pemberton Valley
This beautiful valley has tons to offer during fall. You can go fishing, pumpkin picking, hiking, biking and a lot more. And you can do all this while being surrounded by unreal fall colours and unforgettable views.
Distance: 2 hours and 15 minutes from Vancouver
S⨱ótsaqel / Chilliwack Lake Park
Okay, this is a gigantic park with several trails with different difficulty levels. And every trail will take you past some eye-popping fall foliage. But one of our fave trails here is the Lindeman Lake loop. It’s short, moderately difficult and has great views, especially once you hit the lake.
Distance: 2 hours and 10 minutes from Vancouver
Garibaldi Provincial Park
If there’s one park you visit this fall, let it be this one. You can witness the sun, rain and snow, all in a single day. Yes, Garibaldi can get snow as early as September. The park has many trails marked by golden meadows, turquoise lakes and radiant autumn foliage. The Elfin Lakes trail and the Panoramic Ridge trail, in particular, are out of this world.
Distance: 1 hour and 20 minutes from Vancouver
Golden Ears Provincial Park/Maple Ridge
This is definitely a destination for your most active friends. Pack lunch beforehand and go walk/hike around one of the biggest parks in BC. Tackle the trail up Golden Ears, or keep things a little more lowkey by walking along the creeks and lakes in the area. Afterward, swing by Big Feast so your friends can say they ate a restaurant featured on “You Gotta Eat Here.”
Distance: 1 hour from Vancouver
Fort Langley
We’re big fans of history, and Fort Langley has got it in spades. We recommend that you actually drive past it a little bit first so that you can visit the Greater Vancouver Zoo and look at the cool flamingos/giraffes/whatever suits your fancy. Then, head into town, go to the sweet Village Antiques Mall, and hit up Fort Langley proper, a 19th-century fur trading post.
Distance: 46 minutes from Vancouver
Nairn Falls
Finally, we come to Nairn Falls, which is situated just a quick walk past Whistler. The provincial park is home to two beautiful falls that measure around 60 metres in height. The cool part about these falls is there is no visible connection between the second and third falls. Why? Well, because later in the season the water travels underneath a natural rock wall!
Distance: Two hours and 8 minutes from Vancouver
So there you have it, Vancouver! Your next fall adventure is just a short drive away!
