Western Canada Road Trips

At the drive’s onset, rocky mountains begin to appear in the west, sloping down into river gorges full of silvery sagebrush. Travel past the Lillooet River, serene aqua lakes, valley farms and the majestic snow-frosted mountains of Whistler's ski resort. Drive PR 99 with care, as sudden drops off the shoulder with no guardrails sometimes appear.

This journey along PR 37A passes through stunning mountain ranges and peaceful forests filled with glaciers and waterfalls. At the sapphire Meziadin Lake is a beautiful campground and recreation area where you can hike into lush forests, enjoy a picnic amid striking scenery, canoe on the calm water or cast a lure for rainbow trout.

Once an imposing barrier, the Fraser Canyon now serves as a transportation corridor through which two railways and the Trans-Canada Highway pass, thanks to tunnels, bridges and roadbeds blasted out of sheer cliff walls. At Hell’s Gate, the churning Fraser River is forced into a gorge only 110 feet wide. An aerial tram carries visitors across, providing spectacular views.

Begin your Canadian Badlands Scenic Drive journey at the Drumheller, AB visitors’ centre, which doubles as an observation deck. Drive north along PR 838 between sandstone and shale cliffs to the overlook at spectacular Horsethief Canyon. After crossing the Red Deer River on the ferry, proceed south on PR 837 and PR 575 connecting with PR 10 south of Drumheller. The Hoodoo Trail leads past strange rock formations formed by erosion.

From Cache Creek the Trans-Canada Highway rolls through grasslands punctuated by rounded, multicolored rock bluffs. There are many lovely views as the highway winds along the shores of Little Shuswap and Shuswap lakes. The spectacularly scenic high point, however, is Rogers Pass; the vista from the summit of this pass through the Selkirk Mountains is jaw-dropping.