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Village in British Columbia, Canada
Photo: Shaundd, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Stretching along the eastern shore of Howe Sound, Lions Bay to Britannia Beach is a series of small communities and parks offering some gorgeous views, outdoor recreation and 30 km of some of the most spectacular driving in Canada. For many travellers, the area is quickly passed through on the way to Whistler, but if you have the time, there are some options if you want to stop and explore.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
British Columbia Museum of Mining
An interesting look at the history and operations of the Britannia Mine, which operated for 70 years and was one of the largest copper producing mines in the world at its peak. Admission includes a guided tour on a train into one of the old tunnels with demonstrations of some of the machinery that was used in the mine and, BOOM!, a movie and special effects show that brings to life the old mill that separated the copper from the stone. There are also a number of exhibits on the history of the mine and the community around it, a machine shop with relics of the mining years, some videos on geology and mining, and the opportunity to do some goldpanning. There's stuff for the kids to do as well, with a play area outside and a number of exhibits designed to interest children. The guided tours are at specific times and should be booked when purchasing your ticket.
18-hole, par-72 golf course with abundant scenery and wildlife. Made famous by the Happy Gilmore movie.
A small day-use park with a good lake for swimming (it's small enough to get warm in summer), some short hiking trails and a range of rock climbing routes. The Browning Lake Trail circles and the lake and the nearly 2 km Loop Trail climbs through forest and by rock outcrops to the Quercus Viewpoint, which has a very nice view of Howe Sound, the Coast Mountains and the Tantalus Range. The Loop Trail has some steep sections with rocks and roots (total elevation gain is about 130 m) so is considered more intermediate in difficulty. On the east side of the road, across from the Murrin Park parking lot and about 100 m north, is the trailhead for the Petgill Lake hike. The hike is about 11.5 km and offers some great views of Squamish and Howe Sound. The elevation gain is about 600 m and there are some steep sections.
A small provincial park on Howe Sound for day-use or camping. There is a beach although the water is very cold for swimming. Diving is also popular with an artificial reef created by two sunken ships just offshore.
This is the northern terminus of the Howe Sound Crest Trail. The hike leads to Deeks Lake and the start of it provides some nice views of Howe Sound. It is roughly 14-km round-trip to the lake and back, with 1000-m of elevation gain.
This is the trailhead for three hikes that access different points -- The Lions, Mount Harvey and Brunswick Mountain -- on the Howe Sound Crest Trail. These are very steep hikes (1300-1600 m of elevation gain) and fairly lengthy, coming in between 13 - 15 km round-trip. The trail to the Lions is also referred to as the Blinkert Trail.
Trailhead for the hike to Mt Unnecessary. Round-trip is about 9.5 km and 1300 m of elevation gain. As with other the other hikes listed here, there are some pretty good views from the top.
General store and cafe with a selection of sandwiches and baked goods. Drinks include coffee, tea and some local craft beers. There's a small patio outside, which if you don't mind the sound of the highway traffic below, has a beautiful view of Bowen Island and Howe Sound.
Fast-ish food and good value if you're in the mood for burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, poutine or ice cream. Portions are reasonable and the food is not as greasy as you'd expect. The location is unique with the kitchen in a blue bus, a small indoor seating area (with some kids toys) and an outdoor patio.
There are 44 drive-in sites with electrical hook-up and 16 walk-in sites. Showers and flush toilets are available. Not all facilities may be available during the low season (Nov - Feb).
Log cabins that were built for the 2010 Winter Olympics and now available for the public to use. The cabins are one bedroom with a loft and can handle up to four occupants. They're set just back from the beach at Porteau Cove with a deck that provides views of Howe Sound and the Tantalus Range. Other amenities include a stove, mini-fridge, BBQ, microwave and three piece bathroom.
By car
The only road in and out of the area is the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Hwy 99), which connects the communities to West Vancouver and Vancouver to the south and Squamish and Whistler to the north.
By public transit
Passengers can pay for fares using Compass Cards ($6 refundable deposit), Compass Tickets, or tap-to-pay using contactless credit cards (only American Express, Mastercard or Visa) or mobile wallets.
By ride hailing
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