Heading from Ontario to Vancouver Island for the Winter
Friends are planning to do this. Any personal experiences? When to leave? What campgrounds might be open? Weather? Best route not through USA?
Forum Discussion
The Southern Route to the Coast from Alberta:
The way to get to the coast from the east ( flat lands) is to follow Hwy 3 into BC to Creston.
From Creston take Hwy 3-A up the Kootenay Lake Ferry.
There is a Pass you will go over /through called Crowsnest Pass; however it is more of a drive though a Narrow very windy valley and you won’t know you even did any climbing up over a Mountain Pass as it is nonexistent really when it comes to a climb up a mountain pass.
Cross the FREE ferry and follow Hwy 3-A south through Nelson approx. 14 miles to the only stop light between Nelson and Castlegar.
This road between Creston and Nelson is winds along the shores of Kootenay Lake and there are narrow section but nothing people don’t drive over with all type of vehicles every day.
At the stop light turn right and start to follow Hwy 6 to Nakusp. There is a hill out of Slocan ( city) however early in the Fall unless we had a heavy dump of snow will be fine.
About 20 km from Slocan ( city) is Silverton. There is a long 4 km hill down into Sliverton which you will know you are starting it by the Semi Truck Break check on the right hand side of the Hwy and and the same time you will see a View Point on the left hand side. Stop here and take a look at the View Point you’re a way p on the side of Slocan Lake.
Put your truck in low gear and go slow, no more than 50 to 60 k , until you see the town at the bottom of the hill.
These two hills are not mountain passes and are kept in excellent shape, however is some spots between Slocan and Silverton the road does get narrow and windy, I pull by 35ft 5th wheel through here all the time with no issue. Once you get just past Roseberry which is a few Km past Silverton / New Denver the hwy opens up and is wide with good shoulders all the way to Revelstoke.
One you get to Nakusp you follow the signs to Relvelstoke at the ESSO station in Nakusp you will turn on the Hwy 23 which will take you on another free ferry this time across the Upper Arrow Lakes.
When you come down the Hill into Nakusp just go straight to the Esso where you will join up with Hwy 23.
Follow this road all the way to Revelstoke. Where you ill meet up with Hwy 1. This road ( Hwy-1) you will follow all the way to the coast through Kamloops, Cashe Creek and then down the Frazer Canyon to Hope and then on into Vancouver ( lower Mainland)
There are NO major mountain passes on this route, however it is windy and there are a few hills.
Soup
The way to get to the coast from the east ( flat lands) is to follow Hwy 3 into BC to Creston.
From Creston take Hwy 3-A up the Kootenay Lake Ferry.
There is a Pass you will go over /through called Crowsnest Pass; however it is more of a drive though a Narrow very windy valley and you won’t know you even did any climbing up over a Mountain Pass as it is nonexistent really when it comes to a climb up a mountain pass.
Cross the FREE ferry and follow Hwy 3-A south through Nelson approx. 14 miles to the only stop light between Nelson and Castlegar.
This road between Creston and Nelson is winds along the shores of Kootenay Lake and there are narrow section but nothing people don’t drive over with all type of vehicles every day.
At the stop light turn right and start to follow Hwy 6 to Nakusp. There is a hill out of Slocan ( city) however early in the Fall unless we had a heavy dump of snow will be fine.
About 20 km from Slocan ( city) is Silverton. There is a long 4 km hill down into Sliverton which you will know you are starting it by the Semi Truck Break check on the right hand side of the Hwy and and the same time you will see a View Point on the left hand side. Stop here and take a look at the View Point you’re a way p on the side of Slocan Lake.
Put your truck in low gear and go slow, no more than 50 to 60 k , until you see the town at the bottom of the hill.
These two hills are not mountain passes and are kept in excellent shape, however is some spots between Slocan and Silverton the road does get narrow and windy, I pull by 35ft 5th wheel through here all the time with no issue. Once you get just past Roseberry which is a few Km past Silverton / New Denver the hwy opens up and is wide with good shoulders all the way to Revelstoke.
One you get to Nakusp you follow the signs to Relvelstoke at the ESSO station in Nakusp you will turn on the Hwy 23 which will take you on another free ferry this time across the Upper Arrow Lakes.
When you come down the Hill into Nakusp just go straight to the Esso where you will join up with Hwy 23.
Follow this road all the way to Revelstoke. Where you ill meet up with Hwy 1. This road ( Hwy-1) you will follow all the way to the coast through Kamloops, Cashe Creek and then down the Frazer Canyon to Hope and then on into Vancouver ( lower Mainland)
There are NO major mountain passes on this route, however it is windy and there are a few hills.
Soup
