Driving between the Pacific Coast and the Rockies
There are a number of different options when driving between the British Columbia coast and the Canadian Rockies (or the reverse). Which one you take will depend on how much time you have and what you like to do. There are three routes that head directly for the Rockies, and then a number of deviations from the main routes are possible, allowing you to customize the route to your personal schedule and interests. Keep in mind that if you add in the suggested sightseeing stops, you are adding overnight stops to the journey. Do not expect to travel from Vancouver to Banff in one day and actually have time to do more than wolf down some fast food and fill the tank with gas. The primary choices to get to the Rockies from Vancouver, from shortest to longest, are:
A. Along the main highway east to Hope, then north to Kamloops and east again through Revelstoke and Golden to Banff.
B. Along the main highway east to Hope, then north to Kamloops, head north through Clearwater and Valemount to Jasper.
C. From Vancouver, head east to Hope, then stay on the southern route #3 through Manning Provincial Park, Princeton, Osoyoos, Grand Forks, Cranbrook, then northeast through Invermere to Banff.
Any of these routes can be adjusted to include the Whistler-Pemberton-Lillooet (Hwy 99) gateway to the interior which connects to Highway 97 at Hat Creek north of Cache Creek.
Option A - Hope (Hwy 1), Kamloops (Hwy 5), Revelstoke (Hwy 1), Banff, CalgaryThis is the main highway route for traffic going to Calgary, part of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Option B - Hope, Cache Creek, Kamloops (Highway 1), Clearwater, Valemount Tete Jaune Cache (Route 16/Hwy 5)This route follows the same as Option 1 for the southern portion, but then heads north to Jasper along the Yellowhead Highway.
Option C - Hope (Hwy 1), Princeton, Osoyoos, Castlegar, Cranbrook (Hwy 3), Invermere, Radium (Hwy 93), BanffThe vistas on this route are prettier heading east to west so this might be a preferred return to the coast route. The highway through Kootenay National Park begins between Banff and Lake Louise.
How to choose?This region has a lot to offer, and most vacationers simply do not have time to see everything, meaning some difficult choices are ahead.
Why drive the Icefields Parkway twice?People are generally pretty torn about how to organize their route, and the idea of driving the same piece of road twice is something that often puts people off.
Final considerationsThe usual recommendation for a reasonably paced trip is something like:
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Driving between the Pacific Coast and the Rockies" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0