Enjoyable issues to do in Squamish, British Columbia
Over the previous 20 years, we’ve pushed up and down the Sea to Sky Freeway numerous instances. Most frequently, we drive this well-known Canadian freeway whereas enroute to Whistler, one in every of British Columbia’s hottest vacationer locations.
Squamish is the pure half-way level between Vancouver and Whistler. It’s usually used as a pit cease to gasoline up, have lunch and choose up provides. Many first time guests to British Columbia will drive proper by Squamish, with out realizing that it’s a enjoyable journey vacation spot all by itself. There are such a lot of issues to do in Squamish, particularly throughout summer season, that we consider it needs to be your ultimate vacation spot.
It’s, in any case, the Outside Recreation Capital of Canada.
Surprisingly, up till a couple of weeks in the past, we had not stayed in a single day in Squamish earlier than. Provided that it’s lower than an hour drive from our residence, we frequently go to as a day journey from Vancouver.
Whereas the main target of this weblog publish is to share one of the best issues to do in Squamish throughout the summer season, it’s necessary to notice that Squamish is a 4 season vacation spot. Many of those actions will be executed within the winter, too. Simply be sure to pack a high quality rain jacket and umbrella.
Sea to Sky Gondola
With out query, the Sea to Sky Gondola is the most well-liked attraction in Squamish as of late. Should you solely have at some point in Squamish, we suggest you begin with the Sea to Sky Gondola.
It’s positioned straight off the Sea to Sky Freeway, making it simply accessible. It’s greatest to reach early as a result of the car parking zone fills up rapidly. Buy your gondola tickets on-line right here.
The Sea to Sky Gondola transports visitors as much as the Summit Lodge in lower than 10 minutes. Watch this 30 second video of the gondola experience from backside to high.
Why go to the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish?
There’s rather more to this in style Squamish vacationer attraction then fairly mountain landscapes. Though, the gorgeous landscapes are actually definitely worth the worth of admission. Over time, the Sea to Sky Gondola has expanded it’s choices and points of interest.
- Panoramic views of Howe Sound from the Viewing Platforms
- Stroll throughout the bouncy Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge (picture above)
- Take a hike. There are a number of trails from the summit lodge, from straightforward paths to backcountry alpine trails. Right here’s the checklist of mountaineering trails.
- Squamish By way of Ferrata excursions. Extra data right here.
- Patio eating with spectacular views at Sky Pilot Eatery.
- Snowshoeing, tubing and ski touring within the winter.
Watch – Wonderful views from Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge
One of the best views of Squamish from the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform.
Spectacular mountain views from the outside patio at Summit Lodge.
The Squamish By way of Ferrata is positioned on the Sea to Sky Gondola.
It’s an adrenaline pumping journey that mixes mountaineering and mountain climbing, whereas being clipped into a security cable. An skilled information takes visitors by a mountaineering course that ends on the Summit Lodge. Be taught extra and guide your tour right here.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park
Positioned straight beside the Sea to Sky Gondola, Shannon Falls Provincial Park is residence to the third highest waterfall in British Columbia. At 335 meters, it’s 3 instances as excessive as Niagara Falls in Ontario.
Shannon Falls is a should go to attraction in Squamish. It’s a brief 5 minute stroll from the car parking zone to the bottom of the waterfalls, so it’s fairly accessible. The path to the falls is flat with little elevation, so it’s a simple stroll. You solely want half-hour to go to the park and see the waterfalls.
Shannon Falls is most spectacular throughout the spring and early summer season, when the encompassing mountain snow melts and water movement is at its highest.
It’s straightforward to mix visits to the Sea to Sky Gondola and Shannon Falls.
Parking is difficult throughout the summer season, particularly on weekends. There may be an overflow car parking zone on the alternative facet of the Sea to Sky Freeway (Freeway 99). As a result of the waterfalls are straightforward to entry, and it doesn’t take lengthy to view them, individuals come and go continuously. Ready for a parking spot will be irritating, however parking spots do open if you happen to’re affected person.
Rope Runner Aerial Journey Park
The Rope Runner Aerial Journey Park is one other enjoyable factor to do in Squamish with youngsters. Push your consolation zone with quite a lot of obstacles and cord options that can get your coronary heart pumping. Visitors use a full physique harness that clips into security system.
Ebook your reservation right here. Free cancellation as much as 24 hours prematurely once you guide on-line.
Watch this video from our time at Squamish Rope Runner Course.
Go to the Rope Runner Park web site to see extra pictures and video in regards to the journey park, study in regards to the necessities to climb, normal admission and hours of operation.
Hike the Stawamus Chief
One of the in style hikes in Squamish, and British Columbia for that matter, is the well-known Stawamus Chief hike. Stawamus Chief Provincial Park protects the huge 700 metre granite cliffs that tower over Squamish. The Chief is among the largest granite monoliths on the earth.
Entry the mountaineering trails from the car parking zone that’s positioned off the Sea to Sky Freeway. The primary trailhead can also be accessible from Shannon Falls Provincial Park by way of the 1.5 km connector path.
There are three hikes on The Chief
- First Peak – 1.5 km path with an elevation acquire of 540 meters
- Second Peak – 1.7 km path with an elevation acquire of 590 meters
- Third Peak – 1.8 km path with an elevation acquire of 630 meters
The above distances are a method. You will need to additionally take into account the return hike again down. See the Stawamus Chief path map right here.
Plan for 3 to 4 hours to do the Chief. It’s a strenuous hike for a lot of, so deliver loads of water and snacks, correct footwear and verify the climate situations previous to your hike.
Above is the highest of the Stawamus Chief, seen from the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform on the Sea to Sky Gondola.
Different in style mountaineering trails in Squamish
Fast break whereas mountaineering the Brohm Lake loop path in Squamish.
Entrance to the Panorama Path, positioned on the Sea to Sky Gondola. Extra pictures right here.
Bike driving trails in Squamish
One other enjoyable factor to do in Squamish is experience bikes. There are a number of paved, gravel and forest trails scattered all through Squamish, so there’s one thing for each talent and desire.
An excellent place to begin is the Hall Trial (pictured above). This straightforward paved path runs north and south by Squamish. It additionally connects to the huge community of motorcycle trails. The Hall Path runs beside the Rope Runner Journey Park (referenced above), so you can begin your bike experience right here after spending time on the aerial ropes course.
Don’t have a motorcycle with you? To not fear. There are a number of bike rental outlets in Squamish that provide highway bikes, full suspension mountain bikes, youngsters bikes and E-bikes.
Mountain Biking Squamish
Squamish has an enormous community of mountain biking trails, together with the Diamond Head Zone. We don’t mountain bike, so we’re not one of the best useful resource. Nonetheless, our good associates verify that Squamish is residence of a number of the greatest mountain biking in Canada..
Be taught extra about Squamish mountain biking right here. You too can be a part of an Intro to Mountain Biking in Squamish tour. Extra data right here.
Above is the brand new improvement on the east facet of the Mamquam Blind Channel in Downtown Squamish.
Rock Climbing in Squamish
Squamish is extensively often known as the mountain climbing capital of Canada. Climbers come from around the globe to expertise its well-known granite cliffs and bluffs. Most of the climbing spots are positioned inside a ten minute drive of Downtown Squamish.
The star attraction is the Stawamus Chief, an enormous granite monolith towering 700 meters above Squamish and Howe Sound. The Chief has a whole bunch of climbing routes for each stage (pictured above).
Smoke Bluffs is one other in style spot for Squamish mountain climbing. Positioned simply throughout the freeway from downtown, The Bluffs are straightforward to get to with primarily quick approaches. It’s an awesome place to expertise Squamish’s world-famous granite.
Study one of the best spots for mountain climbing and bouldering in Squamish right here.
Can you see the rock climbers within the above picture? Trace – one climber is sporting yellow.
Airhouse Squamish
Airhouse is an indoor freestyle coaching park that gives trampoline and motion sport coaching applications. It affords drop-in periods, classes, camps and group occasions. Extra data right here.
This can be a enjoyable place to spend a wet day. It has quite a lot of trampolines, gymnastic gear and a half-pipe, so you’ll be able to work in your type no matter your sport.
Watch our youngest boy do an enormous trick at Airhouse (sound on).
Kayaking round Howe Sound and Squamish Harbour
Squamish is a implausible place to go paddling, too. Howe Sound is surrounded by a community of unimaginable fjords, so you’ll be able to kayak for a couple of hours round Squamish Harbour or make it a multi-day tour.
Don’t have a kayak or stand-up paddleboard? No drawback. You may hire gear at Squamish Watersports in downtown Squamish. It affords sit-in and sit-on kayaks, touring sea kayaks, double kayaks and expedition sea kayaks.
You too can be a part of a guided kayak tour round Squamish Harbour and Estuary. Extra data right here.
Above is the Squamish Estuary on the tip of Howe Sound.
Scenic Flightseeing tour
Hop aboard a small airplane in Squamish to get a birds eye view of Howe Sound and the spectacular Coast Mountain Vary within the Pacific Northwest. This 50-minute flightseeing tour travels north to Whistler, passing over Garibaldi Provincial Park, limitless coastal forest, snow-capped peaks and the long-lasting Black Tusk Mountain.
Can you see the flightseeing airplane within the above picture?
Learn extra about Whistler Backcountry Flightseeing Tour right here.
Go to a Brewery – BC Ale Path
We attempt to go to a neighborhood craft brewery (or two) after we go to new locations. Squamish has joined the BC Ale Path with a couple of new brewery additions in recent times. Should you like beer, we suggest you add one or two of those Squamish breweries to your itinerary.
Record of breweries in Squamish:
- Howe Sound Brewery – the unique native brewery relationship again to 1996. Voted ‘Brewery of the 12 months’ on the Canadian Brewing Awards 2022.
- Backcountry Brewing – serving up scrumptious pizza when you pattern a flight.
- A-FRAME Brewing – rustic tasting room with a Pacific Northwest cabin vibe.
- Cliffside Cider – take pleasure in conventional cider with views of the Stawamus Chief.
Tasty handcrafted pizza at Backcountry Brewing.
Railway Museum of British Columbia
The Railway Museum of British Columbia (previously the West Coast Railway Heritage Park), has a set of 95 heritage railway locomotives and vehicles. See the reveals and important points of interest right here.
Visitors can hop aboard a mini-rail practice and experience across the park grounds. The 20 minute experience travels 2 kilometers of monitor and takes riders from one finish of the grounds to the opposite. For more information, go to to the museum web site right here.
Within the winter, the Railway Museum transforms to host the legendary Polar Categorical. Our boys loved the expertise a few years in the past. Examine it right here.
Britannia Mine Museum
Positioned quarter-hour south of downtown Squamish, Britannia Mine Museum is each a Nationwide Historic Web site and British Columbia Historic Landmark. It has an interesting historical past that dates again to 1904, when it was the biggest copper mine within the British Empire.
There are over 210 km’s of mining tunnels within the mountains surrounding Britannia Seaside. Take into consideration that for a second. It was as soon as one the British Empire’s largest copper mines.
Britannia Mine Museum affords an underground tour, the place visitors board an previous mine practice that travels by the mine, identical to miners again in 1914.
You solely want a pair hours for this Squamish vacationer attraction. You may go to as a day journey from Vancouver or make a cease in your drive from Whistler to Vancouver (or vice versa).
Contained in the previous mining tunnel at Britannia Mine Museum.
Discover Downtown Squamish
Whereas there’s an abundance of outside adventures in Squamish, exploring the downtown space must also be in your checklist of issues to do in Squamish. The downtown space is simply 5 minutes from the principle intersection on the Sea to Sky Freeway.
The primary avenue in downtown Squamish is Cleveland Avenue. Right here you will see that espresso outlets, boutique retail shops, native artwork shops, eating places, the Squamish Public Library, Junction Park & O’Siyam Pavilion and Howe Sound Brewery.
The long-lasting Stawamus Chief towers over downtown Squamish eating places and outlets.
Mountaineering follow at Junction park in downtown Squamish.
Vibrant rainbow avenue crossing in downtown Squamish. The small metropolis is surrounded by mountains.
Squamish Farmers Market
The Squamish Farmers Market is a well-liked attraction with over 60 distributors promoting quite a lot of native produce, cheese and artisan items. It’s open on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to three:00 PM.
Extra data about distributors and market map right here.
The place to Eat in Squamish
There are a number of eating places in Squamish, so you might have loads of choices to select from.
The preferred Squamish eating places are: The Salted Vine, The Copper Coil, Fox & Oak, Zephyr Cafe, Fergies Cafe and Howe Sound Brew Pub.
Additionally, you will discover most quick meals eating places right here. Most are positioned alongside the Sea to Sky Freeway for simple entry. Should you’re in search of a fast chew, there are drive by home windows on the McDonalds, Tim Hortons (there are two), Wendy’s, Starbucks and A&W.
Squamish additionally has a White Spot and Boston Pizza, if you happen to’re in search of a well-recognized household restaurant.
Hearty breakfast at White Spot after visiting the Sea to Sky Gondola. White Spot a well-liked household restaurant chain in British Columbia. We dine right here usually with our boys as a result of the menu has one thing for everybody and the meals is nice.
‘2 Chill Gelato’ is a enjoyable ice cream store in downtown Squamish.
The reply is at all times, “double scoop on a cone”.
Scrumptious Indian meals at Indian Masala Bar & Grill, positioned close to the Walmart within the new improvement off the Sea to Sky Freeway.
Having fun with lunch outside at The Copper Coil. The mighty Stawamus Chief within the backdrop.
I not too long ago found Sunny Chibas. It’s positioned straight on the Sea to Sky Freeway, on the south finish of downtown Squamish. It’s a cool fast service restaurant that’s identified for its Twice cooked pork stomach burritos, black sesame habanero fried hen and chiba fries. See the menu right here.
The place to Keep in Squamish
Throughout our journey to Squamish, we acknowledged on the Sandman Resort. It’s positioned simply off the Sea to Sky Freeway close to the Walmart. We loved our time at this lodge. It’s pretty new with good sized rooms. We had two double beds plus a pull-out sofa, which is good for our household of 4.
Examine Sandman Resort room charges and availability right here.
Different Squamish inns are Mountain Retreat Resort and/or Govt Suites Resort & Resort.
There are additionally loads of Squamish trip leases to select from, together with rustic cabins and high-end condos on the waterfront. Examine VRBO for availability.
Learn extra weblog posts about journey in British Columbia:
Have you ever visited the Squamish? If not, do you propose to go to sooner or later?
Depart us a remark under when you’ve got any questions on issues to do in Squamish.
