BC & Rockies Road trip - next month!

[magbrin]

We are returning to BC from Scotland (UK) for another road trip and this time we have nearly 6 weeks, starting on 18th August. We will be in a hired van and will arrive on Vancouver Island that afternoon, and will be taking part in the MSBike event in Cowichan valley over the weekend.

We have until Friday 25th to reach Port Hardy for the Inside Passage Ferry to Prince Rupert.

From P. Rupert we wll go to Stewart and Hyder(AK)before heading for the Rockies via Prince George. We have to be in Panorama sometime between 10th and 16th September and have a variety of options from there back to Vancouver depending on time etc. One would include a day or two in Montana. We have to be back in Vancouver at the latest by Monday 25th.

My questions:
1. Any places not to be missed on our route for culture, wildlife, scenery, easy hikes etc.
2. Recommended campsites, REC sites, Boondocking spots (I can't remember if it is allowed, although I can remember doing it, before), National parks (we have our Parks Canada free pass) and Provincial parks
3. Recommended routes and not recommended routes (and why). We will not be able to drive on FSRs because we will be in a hired vehicle.
4. Best way of accessing wifi in remote areas and keeping in touch with weather forecasts, wildfires, local information, etc. etc (websites)
5. What is most recommended to prevent insects and insect bites.
6. Any other information you think might be of use or relevence to us.

Thank you for reading this and I look forward to your posts with anticipation!

[magbrin]

SideHillSoup wrote:
.

Hi, there
Was there a message here, I have missed?

Thanks jimbob3ca and thanks again, Trevor. All good sound advice.
We have now got our week on Vancouver Island sorted and have booked a night at Elk Falls (beside the Quinsam River) where we have stayed before and two at Buttle Lake. One night unaccounted for, but by then we will be north of Campbell River and will take our chance!

[SideHillSoup]

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[canadafan]

Hi again,

Regarding WiFi access, as you will know this is a problem unless you are staying at a private CG, many of which are offering connections.
Fast food outlets, supermarkets, libraries, and tourist offices, are your best bet. But just sometimes you can find a village store which can provide service.

One other observation, in general the children do not go back to school until after Labour Day, 4 Sept. Summer school holidays start around 1 July to this date. So if the weather is good you may find that CGs are more populated and noisy than you might expect. It's a good idea to try to make reservations at CGs up to and including Labour Day if you can.

Trevor

[jimbob3ca]

If you use the websites following, you can get information on location, closing dates, facilities, etc. for most of the provincial parks and forest service recreation sites in British Columbia.

http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/

Since you are traveling later in the season, many of the provincial park campgrounds will close shortly after the labor day long weekend (Sept. 5-7). Some will have gates closed and locked, while others may be open for use, but with limited facilities available. You can also begin to expect frost in the early mornings from mid-Sept. on, depending on weather of course.
Also be aware that the hunting season usually opens in British Columbia around Sept. 10. If you are hiking where hunters may be, it is a good idea to wear a bright red or orange vest.

[magbrin]

SideHillSoup wrote:
Google RVNet and look for the "forum" section then scroll until the Alaska/ Canada section. Tons of info on Boondocking in the North. TONS!
Soup

Sorry, I'm a bit confused.
RV.net search came up with links that didn't work. I joined rvforum (not sure if I am allowed to mention it so I left off the .net)but haven't found Alaska/Canada section. Could you possibly post/pm a direct link? Thanks.

Thanks for your email, Trevor - Lots more there for me to look up. I appreciate your help, and of course I won't spill any beans!

Margaret

[magbrin]

Thanks again for all the possibilities. I'm looking them all up, and thanks for the RVNet link, Soup.

[SideHillSoup]

Google RVNet and look for the "forum" section then scroll until the Alaska/ Canada section. Tons of info on Boondocking in the North. TONS!
Soup

[GaryKH]

Re Burns Lak.e If you have the time, do a little side trip to Francois Lake. It is avery pretty drive and there are all sorts of resorts and campsites along the way.
On Van Island, if you have the backroads mapbook, check out all the rec sites just north and west of Campbell River. Lots of lakes to camp by. Enjoy your trip!

[garyhaupt]

Camping between Rupert and Terrace...about 50? k's from Rupert you are beside the river, crossing a bridge with a rail bridge on your left..and then a Rest Area on your right. Right on the rive. Fabulous spot. Now..the railway runs right along other side of the road...and, there is a No Camping sign. You can ignore that..I park right in front of it actually. Right on the river...fabulous.

There is also a rest area just outside of Rupert by about 8-10k's. On the right..just before the bridge/turn to Port Edwards.

There are a couple other rest areas as you move towards Terrace..all good for a night. Just that the first one is the prettiest.

Burns Lake City owned site is also home to all the tree planters in the area and when they are in residence...you may not get a spot and even of you do, may wish you hadn't..so, have a back-up plan.

If by chance, you are going by Fraser Lake? there is a round the backside of the lake road and a great BC Forestry Campground about 15? k's along.


Another good spot on highway 16...about 60k's east of Terrace..the first rest area after Terrace? A road to your left just as you approach rest area..a bridge over the river...do a turn in rest area and go back the 100ft to the road..and just before the bridge itself, a side road to the left? takes you to a bench right on the river...great view. If there are a bunch of fishermen in, try and park closer to the bridge rather than right at the end. Gets busy down
there.

35k's east of PG on 16..a rest area just before a bridge. (Willow River) Excellant overnight spot.

If you find yourselves in Penticton? send me a note...can lend you a curb and a shower/bath and perhaps a spot of dinner with us? You are Scots...what do you guys even eat? I know I know...not hagis on the bbq...


Gary Haupt

[magbrin]

Thanks, all, for your information, and thanks Canadafan for your pms - I will be in touch. A lot to take in, already! Some great tips and possible routes. As we have been a couple of times before there were some reminders of places we have already been and what a great place BC is. We had, for example, forgotten about the free ferries, and the beautiful trips we had on the lakes in 2014.
I have particularly noted Honest bug spray, safeway fuel savings, Labour Day weekend (we were aware of the holiday, but perhaps not of the implications), and possible routes once we leave Panorama.
Burns Lake and Premier Lake Park are on the list. As is Radium Hot Springs - we took in Nakusp on our first trip.
Can anyone advise campgrounds/boondocking possibilities on the Island between Nanaimo & Port Hardy and between Prince Rupert, Stewart and Burns Lake? We prefer the more basic sites - we have enjoyed a number of "rec" sites (found in the Backroads mapbooks, and often off paved roads - we are allowed to use unmade roads if they lead to a campground!)and we hardly ever use formal campsites in UK.
We do like views, and we have found that in BC they can be difficult to find, because of the trees! For this reason we find that lake or river sites are often the best. We are also looking for places to see wildllife, on our first trip I don't know how many time s we were told "Moma bear and her two cubs were here an hour ago/this morning/yesterday". On our trip on the Icefields Parkway in May/June 2015 we saw her - many times, in fact we saw so many black bears in a week we lost count! This time we hope to see more black bears, grizzlys, deer, elk, moose, beavers and possibly see or hear wolves.
Thanks for your help.

[profdant139]

If you are bicyclists (likely since you will be in the Cowichan event), the Bow Valley Parkway near Banff is wonderful -- wide shoulders, not steep, astonishing scenery.

We also really enjoyed the Kananaskis Highway, from Kananaskis Village to Highwood Pass. A nice climb and a great descent. Less than 100 km round trip.

We have recently discovered "Honest" bug spray -- essential oils, not DEET. I was skeptical, but it really worked. It only lasts a couple of hours, and it's not cheap, and it is not available everywhere. It smells good, though.

[canadafan]

Hi,

Since my reply is fairly long winded I have sent it by PM I hope you find it useful.

A couple of observations,
Watch out for the long weekend around 4th Sept. It is Labour day a public holiday weekend most of the CG's will be full, try to make reservations now.

Many of the NP's and smaller PP's campgrounds will be closing after labour day so you will need to be quite selective.

Regarding the BUGS try, 'OFF! Deep Woods' repellant and 'AfterBite' to stop the itching both are available at larger stores/pharmacies.

Talking about stores, Safeway still offer discount on gas when you spend a certain amount in store. they seem to want to keep this to themselves so it does not appear on their website, but can save up to $0.15 per litre if you buy a lot of groceries.

Have a good trip
Trevor

[fanrgs]

One of my favorite sights-not-to-be-missed in BC is the Takakkaw Falls-Spiral Tunnels of the CPRR-Kicking Horse Pass area between Field and Lake Louise. Takakkaw is the highest waterfall in BC and, although the road has some extremely tight hairpin turns, you should be able to do it in a van, but not in a much larger RV (tour buses have to back up to get around the hairpins after stopping traffic in both directions).

My other favorite BC location is the Okanagan Valley, with its glacial lakes, lakeside fruit orchards, hillside Vineyards (think Rhine River Gorge), and numerous wineries. Several of those wineries come with with GREAT restaurants serving fresh, locally-produced fruit, vegetables, and meat. The valley is surprisingly warm, so September weather should be very pleasant--so pleasant that we are going to be there about that same time!

A campground we really enjoyed between Prince Rupert and Prince George was at the tiny town of Burns Lake. The free city-owned campground is right on the lake, with free potable water and an RV dump two blocks west and a rec center with showers a short walk across the city park. There were a dozen or more tree-shaded, gravel back-in and pull-thru campsites with picnic tables and firepits, but no hookups. Great place for an overnight just a couple of blocks south of the Yellowhead Highway!

[Powder_pig]

You will have had a chance to visit Jasper, Banff, and Yoho National Parks so I would head south from Panorama. If you are allowed a short drive on a gravel road, spend a night at Premier lake park and do the easy hike around Yankee and Canuck lakes. Then head to Kimberley for a night and take in the Mining railway (not sure when it closes for the season so check first). Drop me an e-mail if you are stopping in Kimberley as I live there. If you have not been to Waterton National Park I would head there next for 2/3 nights. The Frank slide interpretive centre is a worthwhile stop along the way. Lots of good hiking and a boat ride down Waterton lake. Either head down to the USA and over to Glacier Park in the USA or head back to Cranbrook and then Yahk where there is a small provincial campground. Head to Creston then up Kootenay lake to Riondel for a night in their campground. Take the free ferry across the lake to Balfour then head to Kaslo for 1/2 nights. Visit the restored paddle wheeler then head West to New Denver for a night or two. There is an interesting restored internment camp in New Denver. Then head up to Nakusp and visit the hot springs. There are a couple of camping choices in Nakusp. Now head to the Ferry to Revelstoke (look up Galena Bay). Take in the Railway museum in Revelstoke. Head West on Hwy 1 though Kamloops then down the Fraser canyon (take in the Hell's Gate attraction) Stop in Hope and take in the old railway tunnels just up Hwy 3 from Hope. Now head down the Fraser valley to the end of your trip.

Enjoy your visit!