Spring Forward Along Rainforest to Rockies

Spring out of winter hibernation with these fresh reasons to embark on a Rainforest to Rockies journey over the coming months. From Vancouver to the Rocky Mountains, and the points in between, explore the province transitioning from winter to spring to early summer mode. Rainforest to Rockies is a selection of routes for you to traverse the province west to east, immersing in nature and culture, from the ocean to the mountains. There are three main driving routes that start in Vancouver, averaging seven to 10 days. Or, opt to take a train, hike, or bike.

Great ideas for a Rainforest to Rockies journey now:

• Catch a partial eclipse on April 8, then sleep under the stars, surrounded by nature in places like Manning Park Resort, Emerald Lake Lodge, or Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort. 
• During June’s National Indigenous History Month, learn more about Indigenous Peoples by joining a public Powwow, takeing a Spotted Lake Tour, or enjoying an experience with Xwisten Experience Tours and a traditional salmon BBQ.
• Bike along BC’s longest rail trail network, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and the Columbia & Western Rail Trail, for World Bicycle Day on June 3.
• Celebrate the Spring season the BC way at festivals such as Griz Days in March, the Kelowna Maple Fest in April, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair in May, plus many more.

Sleep Under the Stars

Do look up! On April 8, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in western Canada, which means you’ll get to see the Earth’s shadow partially cover the sun. There’s no better landscape for viewing than BC’s wide-open wilderness. Let the night sky envelop you, sleep under the stars, and feel the awe of connecting to the vast universe. Check out this list of upcoming solar and lunar eclipses visible from Canada.

Along Highway 3 in the heart of the Cascades, E.C. Manning Provincial Park is pursuing a Dark Sky designation, a commitment to reduce light pollution for the purposes of seeing the stars. Manning Park Resort has invested in five powerful telescopes for lodge and camping guests to rent. In the Rockies, Yoho National Park has some of the darkest star-studded skies in the country with no light pollution. Consider booking your big-sky sightseeing at Emerald Lake Lodge in the spring rather than in the busier summer months. In BC’s interior, north of Kamloops, Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort has a Star Camp within its private dark sky preserve. Luxurious glamping tents feature a custom skylight over the bed and star-gazing platforms equipped with binoculars and your own wood-fired hot tub.

For an Indigenous dark-sky experience, choose to stay in Indigenous-owned campgrounds and cabins. The new Raven’s Nest, part of the Akisknuk First Nation near Fairmont Hot Springs in the Columbia Valley, offers log cabins and campsites in a remote, off-grid setting overlooking the Columbia River Wetlands. And in the South Okanagan, at the edge of Canada’s only desert, share in the rich living culture of the Osoyoos Indian Band at the NK’Mip RV Campground and Park.

Learn From The Land

June is National Indigenous History Month—leading up to June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day—a month that offers special opportunities to celebrate, support, and learn from 204 First Nations communities and more than 30 First Nations languages. 

Celebrate along with Indigenous Peoples at events such as the Líl̓wat Celebrations Pow Wow (June 7-9), in the Squamish-Lillooet region, north of Vancouver, or the Kamloopa Powwow (June 28-30), near Kamloops, in the traditional territory of the Secwépemc people. A powwow is an important part of Indigenous Peoples culture and was banned in Canada up to 1951 because of the Indian Act. Now, there are opportunities to accept an invitation to witness, honour and celebrate with Indigenous Peoples.

A new experience is the Spotted Lake Tour, offered by the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, in Osoyoos, where a local Elder accompanies guests to a small lake, long considered a sacred site of healing. During the hot summer months, much of the mineral-rich water in the lake evaporates, leaving concentrations of minerals in colors ranging from blue to green to yellow that form the spots visible in the lake. 

Opening this spring, the Sasquatch Museum will be housed in a new accessible building in Harrison Hot Springs, just a two-hour drive from Vancouver. The museum builds on its already extensive collection of Sasquatch cultural items on display but will lean more into local Indigenous history. It includes the story of the Sts’ailes “Sasq’ets,” which was translated into English as the “Sasquatch.” More importantly, it tells the story of the traditional lands of the Sts’ailes people.

Lillooet, on Highway 99, dates back more than 8,000 years, and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in North America. Visitors can experience that history with Xwísten Experience Tours, an Indigenous-owned tour operator celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. This tour takes you along the Xwísten (Bridge River) to fishing grounds where the St’at’imc people still angle for salmon every summer; visitors learn how to prepare the fish and enjoy a sample of the wind-dried salmon.

Ride a Rail Trail

Dust off your cycling helmet. June 3 is World Bicycle Day, a UN-designated day to recognize this “simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport.” There is no better way to celebrate than to roll along BC’s longest rail trail network, part of the Trans Canada Trail, the world’s-longest trail network.

Arguably Canada’s most spectacular rails-to-trails path, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail takes riders through some of the wildest sections of the Canadian Rockies, winding through 483 km (300 miles) of southern BC through the mountains from Hope (accessible from Vancouver) to Midway, so-named because it is the halfway point between the Rockies and the Pacific. The 216-km (134-mile) stretch from farm-forward Penticton to Midway offers some of the most dramatic scenery the route has to offer, through Myra Canyon, with its 18 trestle bridges, some of which tower hundreds of feet above the canyon floor. Luckily, the climbs are rarely steep, as these paths were originally built for trains.

The Kettle Valley Rail Trail ends at Midway, but riders can continue along the network along various Trans Canada trails to Fernie. Jump onto the 162-km (100-mile) Columbia & Western Rail Trail, in the Kootenays, from Christina Lake to Castlegar. A shuttle offers hassle-free drop-off and pickups from either end. And if you choose your starting point wisely, you might be going downhill most of the way!

Design your cycling adventure to match your fitness level or time available. Kelowna, BC, or Spokane, Washington, across the U.S. border, are additional access points. Rent a bike for the day or take a multi-day tour. Some operators will pair cycling with wine tastings. The cycling season typically starts in May, but be sure to check the latest information on trail access and safety. 

Spring Into Action at these Festivals & Events

Pop into a fun regional festival that features hometown talent and unique local culture. Revelstoke Winter Carnival (March 1-3), celebrates 125 years since the city of Revelstoke (along Highway 1) was first established. The historic mountain town of Fernie (along Highway 3) pays homage to its powder king during the annual Griz Days (March 1-3). At the inaugural Pride & Ski Festival (March 22-24) at Panorama Mountain Resort in the Kootenay Rockies, expect a mountain of colour, inclusivity, and show-stopping performances.

Winter’s thaw means the tapping of Canada’s signature maple trees, the first buds of spring, and the full fruiting of early summer. BC’s long-running Harrison Tulip Festival (April dates TBA) moves to a new location in Agassiz, in the Harrison River Valley. In the Okanagan Valley, indulge your sweet tooth at the 45th annual Kelowna Maple Fest (April 25-28); make sure to leave room for the pancakes and maple tarts at the traditional sugar shack brunch that Sunday. Quality craft beers are on tap at the Okanagan Fest of Ale (April 12-13), in Penticton, known as one of the best beer towns in Canada. If you’re 19 and older, it’s perfectly proper to go all out at the Pig Out Festival (May 4), in Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country; pork-themed dishes, including juicy ribs, pulled pork, and local sausages, are paired with—what else?—award-winning local wines.

Don’t miss the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair (May 17-20), one of western Canada’s most popular family events, held in Surrey, a southeastern suburb of Vancouver. Alternatively, for an adults-only event, enjoy some “tease, glamour, and hijinks,” at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival (April 2-7), the country’s longest-running festival of its kind. 

Check out more events on the calendar.