Lighthouses are iconic in BC, and each tells a different story. Check out our list of five beautiful pieces of BC history that you will want to see.

Green Island Lighthouse

The Green Island Lighthouse is located in Chatham Sound, about 40 kilometres northwest of Prince Rupert. This is BC’s northernmost lighthouse.

The lighthouse that stands here today was constructed in 1956, replacing the original structure built in 1906.

The Klondike Gold Rush in 1897 meant an increase in the amount of marine traffic to this region, and the lighthouse was built in 1906 after a number of shipwrecks occurred.

The Green Island Lighthouse was recognized as a historical lighthouse in 2015.

Pachena Point Lighthouse

The Pachena Point Lighthouse is located on Vancouver Island, about 13 kilometres south of Bamfield in Pacific Rim National Park, and it sits about 200 feet above the ocean.

This lighthouse opened in 1908 and was just one of several built along Vancouver Island’s western coastline in an attempt to reduce the number of shipwrecks that occurred here. In 1906, an American passenger ship sunk in this area, and that promoted the BC government to build Pachena Point Lighthouse.

This lighthouse was recognized as a heritage building in 1991.

Point Atkinson Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

The Point Atkinson Lighthouse sits on Burrard Inlet in West Vancouver, and was constructed in 1912. This was the first of three lighthouses built to serve the port of Vancouver and protect the city’s growing international shipping trade, replacing a wooden structure built in 1875.

The Point Atkinson Lighthouse was formally recognized as a national historic site in 1974.

Triple Island Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

The Triple Island Lighthouse stands on a rocky islet near Prince Rupert, and was completed in 1920. Its location means its highly visible to marine traffic, and was built to aid ships using the Inside Passage to Alaska, as well as ships navigating to Prince Rupert.

This lighthouse was custom designed for its unique location, designed by Col. W. A. Anderson of the Department of Marine and Fisheries.

The Triple Island Lighthouse was recognized as a national historic site in 1974.

Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

The Fisgard Lighthouse was the first permanent lighthouse on Canada’s Pacific coast, completed in 1860. It resides in Colwood, on Fisagard Island on the east side of the entrance to Esquimault Harbour, north of the Juan de Fuca Strait.

The Fisgard Lighthouse was formally recognized as a national historic site in 1958 and is comprised of a two-storey light keeper’s residence with an attached light tower.

Stay tuned as we look at more beautiful lighthouses along BC’s coast.

Where to go glamping in British Columbia?

There are plenty of opportunities for glamping in B.C., including National Parks and private resorts. National Parks with glamping options include Mount Revelstoke National Park, Kootenay National Park, Fort Langley National Historic Sites, Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site, and more. If you’re looking to glamp at a private resort there are lots of luxury options in B.C. including Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort or Way Point Resort.

The amenities offered and costs incurred to glamp will depend on the place, with National Parks tending to be on the cheaper end (an average of $125/night) and privately owned resorts ranging anywhere up to $1,000/night. National Parks require guests to bring their own camping gear, including stoves, food, and water, while luxury resorts often include everything and more, such as a warm waffle robe for you to unwind in. 

What to bring on your glamping trip

Whether you’re bringing your own supplies or enjoying a more luxurious experience you’ll need to know what to pack when planning your glamping trip. Be sure to fully read what each site provides for you and what they recommend that you bring. Most glamping facilities will list right on their website a recommended “packing list” to make sure that you aren’t caught off guard by forgetting something that they don’t provide, or that would cost you extra. It’s a good idea to print this list right off of the website and check items off as you pack them.

Glamping Accommodations

There are many different varieties of glamping shelters, so it’s important to know the differences between all that is offered before making your final booking.

Yurts are essentially glamorized tents on raised platforms, which keeps you sheltered from the elements and off of the ground. They are also sometimes called “tent cabins.” What’s offered with each Yurt will vary but you can expect anything from BBQs, a gas fireplace, modern kitchen equipment, bed and bedding, and a deck or patio space.

Here are just some places you can find Yurts in B.C.:

Wya Point Resort

Barefoot Beach Resort

Fort Camping Regional Park

TEEPEES (“Tipis”)

Based on traditional Native Canadian lodgings, these billowing canvas shelters are cozy, intimate, and will keep you out of the sun and cool mountain nights. This is comfortable camping without getting too “high tech.” Some will even have a fireplace in the center. Amenities included range from beds and bedding, basic seating, firewood—or none of the above if you want to keep things simple and save a bit of money.

Here are just some places you can find Teepees in B.C.:

YD Guest Ranch

Blue River Campground

Tuckkwiowhum Village

TRAILERS + AIRSTREAMS

Whether you have your own, know someone who does, or have rented one in the past, trailers are a common and relatively well-known means of glamping. Most people are familiar with the general essence of trailer camping—sturdy shelter from rain and wind, beds and bedding, often a seating area and sometimes a kitchenette unit, sometimes running water for taps, shower, and a toilet. Trailer rentals are a great way to get the “cabin” experience on a smaller scale, which saves money and is better for couplers or smaller camping parties.

Here are just some places you can find rental trailer glamping in B.C.:

WOODS on Pender

Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park

Cultus Lake Trailer Rental

LUXURY TENTS

While rudimentary in design, tents offer guests the basic shelter they need. However glamping in a luxury tent is a whole different experience as guests are welcomed into a space like no other. Guests are welcomed to a private getaway that includes rooms as large as 1000 square feet, with amenities such as luxurious bed linens, custom furnishings, and even air conditioning! These luxury tents are perfect for the prince or princess in you!

Here are just some places you can find rustic accommodation glamping in B.C.:

Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort

Rockwater Secret Cove Resort

LUXURIOUS RESORTS

Luxurious resorts are exactly what they sound like and may range from high-end lodgings to hotel-like settings. They come with a vast array of amenities and are often quite pricey, although you get what you pay for with many conveniences – separate rooms, running water, kitchen appliances, and more. Each resort will offer different packages with different extras, so be sure to do your research. Often, these packages will come with day trips, outdoor activities and events, and other bonuses.

Here are just some places you can find luxurious resort glamping in B.C.:

Clayoquot Wilderness Retreat

Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort

Wya Point Resort

A glamping experience can be a weekend family outing, or a once in a lifetime unique family adventure. If you believe in collecting memories, take your family glamping this summer! Many glamping sites fill up fast for prime camping seasons, so be sure to look into booking as early as possible.

This article was featured in BC Mag‘s Spring 2016 issue. Order it from our Shopify store now (while supplies last) or subscribe to our magazine to keep up-to-date with all of the latest issues!

For 40 years as a magazine writer, I’ve explored the province in pursuit of its unusual adventures, scientific mysteries and natural wonders. From Atlin to Yahk (but not Zeballos), there are few B.C. places I haven’t been. Many of the most spectacular and magical places are well-known and fairly reachable: Lake O’Hara; the Naramata Bench wine district; Haida Gwaii; the wildflower meadows of the South Chilcotin; Wickinninish Beach; Mt. Robson’s Berg Lake, to name a few. 

Here, however, are seven astonishing sites in B.C. that few have seen. They are, in several cases, very remote and require a horse-packing trip, a floatplane or a helicopter flight to reach easily. This means serious money. Others require a good map (or GPS device), some hiking and a sense of adventure. All fall into the OMG category of genuinely amazing.

Wokkpash Canyon

From the obscure mining road trailhead to the surreal landscape of the Wokkpash Canyon hoodoos is 18 kilometres of serious backpacking, or a half-day’s travel with pack horses. Located south of Highway 97’s Toad River in the Northern Rockies, this site contains the largest collection of erosional columns in Canada. Thousands of boulders, some the size of armchairs and some the size of VW Beetles, balance precariously along both side of the glacial creek for five kilometres in a natural display of inverted exclamation marks. They seem impossible: tapering erosional columns supporting suspended rocks, raised five or 50 metres in the air. From horseback on the cliffside trail, I fight the juvenile temptation to hurl rocks at a few in hopes of creating a Big Bang.

Hunlen Falls

The easiest way to reach Hunlen Falls is via a floatplane flight from Nimpo Lake to Turner Lake, located high in B.C.’s Tweedsmuir Provincial Park east of Bella Coola. As I walk through spruce forest toward the falls, I can hear—and feel—a low guttural rumbling from the chasm to my left. And note signs that read: EXTREME DANGER! Which I ignore. Preferring a good vantage point to caution, I shuffle tentatively toward the cliff-edge and look down into a half-kilometre of air. The 401-metre-high cataract (eight times the height of Niagara) issues silver crescents of airborne water, crossed by a rainbow, before crashing into a rocky echo-chamber far below.

Cheewaht Giant

There are bigger trees in the world, but the Cheewaht Giant is the Big Doodah, the Numero Uno, the Colossus of trees in Canada. Located off a series of unpaved logging roads southeast of Port Alberni, the humungous redcedar was found in 1988 by Maywell Wickheim who’d spent his life searching for the country’s biggest tree. When he takes me along a rough, overgrown trail amid huge cedars toward the site, it isn’t until I see one tree almost twice the size of the others that I have a stop-in-my-tracks, OMG moment. Wickheim measures its circumference: 21.5 metres at the base. And calculates its trunk’s diameter: six metres at shoulder-level. I do a rough, arm-span measurement: 14 spans. Using a hollow auger on a nearby fallen cedar, and extrapolating from that core’s tree-ring count to the Cheewaht Giant’s diameter, he calculates it’s 3,500 years old. “A tree for tree-huggers,” he says.

Eve Cone

The helicopter comes in low and fast, skimming vast, hardened lava flows that descend from volcanic, 2,787-metre Mount Edziza and surround the 30 or so smaller cones that punctuate this northern B.C. plateau. The most perfect of these is Eve Cone, a 150-metre-high cinder volcano formed 1,300 years ago during the province’s last series of significant eruptions. Hiking or horse-packing into these high-altitude lava fields is doable, but difficult—with trails poorly marked and water scarce. In a circling helicopter, we skim the little cone’s rim as if on an aerial carousel—banking, banking in tight spirals—until giddy laughter fills our earphones. Glaciers flow down from Mount Edziza’ summit and nearby ridges look on fire as the volcanic rocks oxidize: the yellows of sulphur; the oranges and reds of iron; the creamy whites of ash creating abstract flames that mimic the original molten lava flows here.

Giant Cleft

The Giant Cleft in the cliffs that encircle the Cathedral Lakes appears near the end of a comfortable, day-long, counter-clockwise circuit along the Rim Trail Loop. Having gradually ascended 600 metres through fields of blooming alpine flowers to ridgeline, the views immediately south encompass families of curious mountain goats, and farther away, the 2,600-metre-high summits of the U.S. Cascade Range. The views north encompass the six aquamarine lakes for which Cathedral Lake Provincial Park, located southwest of Keremeos, is named. The extraordinary, 200-metre-deep cleft was caused, geologists explain, by the erosion of a metamorphic intrusion into harder bedrock. Hikers, myself included, cannot resist the temptation to pose at the precipice-edge, bravado trumping the hazards of gravity.

Farwell Dune

The best approach to the Farwell Dune is from the south, via a series of gravel roads that leave Highway 97 at Chasm and head northwest through the Chilcotin’s Gang Ranch grasslands to Riske Creek. The dune appears just before the road plunges in switchbacks toward the canyon of the churning, grey-green Chilcotin River. Up close, it’s like something out of a Saharan mirage: huge, bone-coloured, burnished by a constant wind. The 300-metre-long and 50-metre-high, scimitar-shaped dune has been created by the eddying of prevailing westerlies in an ox-bow of the river far below. I kick into the sand’s untrammelled ripples as I climb upward and tightrope walk a hard-packed ridge-line to the dune’s crest. With the hissing of sand underfoot, the whispering wind and views to undulating, celadon-coloured grasslands below, I make a silent, unrequited appeal for wings.

Stikine Canyon

My purpose on this day was to ride shotgun with a skilled pilot as he attempts—for a film crew trailing in a second helicopter higher above us—to do something so dangerous that, as far as we know, no one has attempted it before. Our challenge is to take a helicopter through the twists and turns of the 300-metre-deep, near-vertical-walled Stikine Canyon of northwest B.C. (And live.) At times, we’re so close to the water that spray from the Stikine River’s tumultuous whitewater pelts the windscreen. At other times, grey cliffs appear directly ahead and I hear the pilot shout, “Let’s rock ‘n’ roll!” as he slaloms the helicopter onto its side and high-speed G-forces drive me into my seat. No roads approach the remote chasm near Telegraph Creek. Only the most skilled of extreme kayakers attempt a downriver run of the infamous 96-kilometre-long gorge. And only two people, to my knowledge, have run the entire canyon heading upriver, airborne.

BC’s provincial campgrounds are notorious for being full all summer long. But before you give up on camping this weekend, there is some good news. When spontaneity bites don’t assume you’re out of luck. Instead, read through the following list of lesser known campsites and get packing.

Vancouver Coast and Islands

Sidney Spit, Gulf Islands National Park

Much of what makes Gulf Islands National Park special is only accessible from water, and that includes this campground at the north end of Sidney Island. But for this campground you don’t need your own boat to access it. A passenger ferry from the town of Sidney Vancouver Island shuttles campers back and forth four times a day with enough room for all your camping gear. Once on the island, set up in one of the 29 campsites a short walk from the dock, many looking out from the forest across the beach grass and onto the ocean. Sit back and enjoy the sunset, hike around the Lagoon Trail and pick out dozens of water birds that flock here, beachcomb for hours on the almost endless sand beach or at low tide, check the tide pools for treasures.  pc.gc.ca

Gray Bay, Sandspit

Haida Gwaii may be out there in the north Pacific, but the island’s campgrounds still get busy. Not so much this one. A half-hour south of Sandspit, Gray Bay is right on the Hecate Strait, the shallow sea separating the archipelago from the mainland. A mix of gravel and grass sites are a short walk to a sand beach. At low tide the sand extends far out and the shell picking is excellent. On either end of the beach are trails leading along the coast—one to Secret Cove and another to Cumshewa Head—passing numerous historic First Nation sites along the way. The campground and shoreline are part of the Kunxalas Heritage Site/Conservancy, an area of important cultural value to the Haida. gohaidagwaii.ca

Sunlund By-the-Sea, Lund

The charming seaside village of Lund is literally the end of the road. The small town on the Sunshine Coast is the beginning of the PanAmerican Highway (though some say the PanAm starts at Deadhorse, Alaska) and the long distance Sunshine Coast Trail. It’s also a jumping off spot for sea kayaking and yachting in Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands. A short walk from the marina—the centre of town—is this campground. It mostly caters to RVs and vans, with only a couple of tent sites, but outside the long weekends there’s almost always vacancy. It’s a great base for exploring the wilder end of the Sunshine Coast, the eclectic shops of Lund, or a last night before heading south on a longer expedition. sunlund.ca

Ralph River in Strathcona Provincial Park, Campbell River

You won’t find many campgrounds with bigger trees providing shade than at Ralph River, deep in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. About an hour west and then south from Campbell River, the campground sits on the east shore of Buttle Lake surrounded by the highest mountains on the island. Lined up in the shade of towering old growth Douglas-fir, hemlock and redcedar, the sites are pleasant and shady; expect improved tent pads, roads and toilets this year and next. Several excellent hikes head off into the rainforest and up mountains nearby and there’s swimming, canoeing and fishing on the lake. A little longer drive than other campgrounds nearby, Ralph River tends to be quieter and even on the rare event that it’s full there’s an overflow area, so few are ever turned away. bcparks.ca

Owl Creek Recreation Site, Pemberton

Private and BC Parks campgrounds within a few hours of the Lower Mainland tend to fill up fast, but the more rustic BC Forest Service Recreation Sites campgrounds are much quieter. This is one of those just east of Pemberton and a short drive off paved roads. There are actually two sites here, one on the Birkenhead River and one closer to its confluence with Owl Creek. Both are open grassy areas with stands of trees, including fruit trees, the legacy of a former homestead. Beyond exploring and fishing along the two rivers, the Pemberton valley is full of recreation: farm tours, mountain biking trails all over the valley, excellent day hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park, endless activities in Whistler just 40 minutes south, hot springs and paddling on local rivers and lakes. sitesandtrailsbc.ca

Cariboo Chilcotin

Blue Lake Resort, Boston Bar

The Fraser Canyon area is stuffed with activities: fishing, hiking, rafting, air tram, and swimming. With trails of its own, a motor-free lake, great swimming and lots of shade, Blue Lake Resort is a good base for exploring it all. In a hanging valley above the town of Boston Bar, the campground and cabins are centrally located for the area’s activities and are an easy drive from the Lower Mainland. A lot of the campground’s sites are too small to accommodate longer RVs, so there is often availability for more compact campers, vans and tents, even on busy weekends. bluelakeresort.ca

Silvertip, Hope

Nestled in the North Cascade Mountains between the town of Hope and the Canada/U.S. border is Skagit Valley Provincial Park. Full of steep mountainsides, rainforest, rivers and more than 50 kilometres of trail there’s plenty to do in this park. The Ross Lake campground is the busier base, but there are two other campgrounds. Whitworth Horse Camp is reserved for equestrian campers exploring the park’s horse friendly trails. There are corrals, hitching posts and a trail leading right onto a multi-use trail leading deep into the park. And there’s the more rustic Silvertip, right on the Skagit River. It is popular with anglers during prime fly fishing season but quieter during the summer, when the river’s pools make great swimming. It’s a good base for hiking into the alpine on the Skyline Trail or deeper into the park along the Skagit River or other hiking routes. bcparks.ca

Tunkwa Provincial Park, Logan Lake

Many trout fishermen know that the two lakes in this provincial park are among the top places to catch rainbow trout in the province. The Freshwater Fisheries Society stocks both Tunkwa and Leighton Lakes with rainbow trout every year and runs a Learn to Fish program here. The three campgrounds, Tunkwa, Leighton and Leighton North, sprawl across the grassland and into windbreaks of trees. Beyond fishing in Leighton and Tunkwa Lakes the grasslands are easy to wander. Keep an eye out for moose, deer, yellow-bellied marmots and the plentiful bird species that love the marshy shoreline. And if you fall in love with the place, it’s one of the few parks that allows long-stay camping. bcparks.ca

Kootenay and Rockies

Fort Steele Resort & RV Park, Cranbrook

More than 150 years ago, 5,000 people lived in Fort Steele. Today, it’s mostly a heritage town, recreated to look and feel like it did back in its gold mining days. This campground is nearby, a good base for exploring the East Kootenays. Within a 30 minute drive are the recreation hubs of Kimberley and Fernie, excellent fishing on numerous rivers, whitewater paddling, hiking, gold panning, golfing, the amenities of the small city of Cranbrook, plus all the mining history that shaped this area. Because it’s in between it all, the campground flies a bit under the radar, plus there’s lots of room for all camping styles—120 RV and 50 tenting sites. fortsteele.com

Lemon Creek Lodge, Castlegar

Just outside the Kootenay town of Slocan, Lemon Creek is surrounded by mountains. Hiking trails lead up nearby peaks like Idaho and Alps Alturas and into wild settings like Dennis Basin. The rivers run free and clear for rafting, floating and fishing. The backroads are ideal for road biking and there are old rail lines turned bike paths. That’s just the beginning for this recreation paradise. It’s a haul from Vancouver—eight hours—but once at the resort, life is easy. The 28 camping sites sit in a grove of fruit trees and in the shade of ponderosa pine. There’s a restaurant on site as well as cabins and lodge rooms and the laid back town of Slocan is a short drive away. lemoncreeklodge.com

Mount Sir Donald, Glacier National Park

Kootenay National Park is the often forgotten fourth in the mountain parks, overshadowed by the busier and showier neighbours of Banff, Jasper and Yoho. That’s a good thing. The hiking trails are quieter but no less spectacular with plenty of ice and rock to admire. And the campgrounds tend to be less busy, too, especially McLeod Meadows. Even though it’s right on the Kootenay River and Highway 93, in a grove of pine trees, the campground is often passed by for those in nearby Radium or other sites in the park and beyond. That is too bad, because the campground is an ideal base. Beyond the park’s excellent hiking, there’s whitewater paddling on the Kootenay—right out front—and mountain biking at nearby Nipika Lodge. pc.gc.ca

Northern BC

Carp Lake Provincial Park, McLeod Lake

In the geographic centre of the province, two hours north of Prince George, this provincial park is best known for its world-class rainbow trout fishing. There’s a boat launch at the campground, making it easy to explore the convoluted shoreline with islands and bays to explore. Fly fisherman should explore the interpretive trail along the McLeod River. As for the camping, Carp Lake is family friendly with a playground, horseshoe pit and picnic shelter. If you enjoy hiking, plan to do the short hike to War Falls. For more solitude, anyone with a boat can camp in one of the lake’s three-island campsites. While all the sites are busy on long weekends there’s usually room the rest of the summer. bcparks.ca

For more info: Read more on tips and tricks to find a last minute campsite in B.C.

“I can relax, eat my lunch and play tunes surrounded by honey bees,” says Ed Nowek, Planet Bee founder. “I compare them to a horse or a dog—they can sense your comfort level and smell fear. They don’t want to sting (a honey bee dies when she stings), they want flowers.” And the team work their little hearts out to make honey.

Ed Nowek’s infatuation with honey bees started in 1969 during a high school summer job in northern Alberta. “After two weeks of hard work I started to appreciate what they can do. Then I discovered how much honey a bee colony can produce in just a few months (over 90 kilograms),” says Nowek. “I worked on honey farms in warmer climates and was amazed at how adaptable bees are and how they provide commercial opportunities worldwide. But the best honey in the world comes from Canada.”

About 50 kilometres down Highway 97 to Kelowna, Arlo’s Honey Farm features ”Bee Educated,” like an outdoor bee museum complete with production hives and guided tours to learn the life cycle of these pollinators. While Sandy St. Laurent focuses on the store, daughter Lisa is the beekeeper, the “bees knees.” She has a demanding career in tech but mornings and evenings Sandy works with the hives and slows down. “The bees make you calm. The collective hive fascinates and teaches so much, like how to care for each other,” Sandy says.

If You Go

Both Planet Bee and Arlo’s Honey Farm offer customized tours—think social distancing. Big gatherings aren’t encouraged. And the store might have a lineup but it’s worth the wait. Buying local raw honey creates a ripple effect by supporting a thriving bee ecology that means more food can be grown locally. And there are health benefits. Because raw honey is not pasteurized (versus liquid honey that looks pretty but is heated and rendered into a sugar), it contains antioxidants and traces of bee pollen that helps with allergies—honey bees have their own pharmacy.

How Can We Help Bee Conservation?

Change our gardening habits: avoid poisonous sprays and limit pesticides and plant for a wider array and a longer season. Provide a natural nesting habitat by setting aside about 100 square feet in the corner of your yard and let the leaves pile up. Buy organic and ask at the grocery store or market what sprays they use.

British Columbia is a Mecca for mountain biking enthusiasts – from beginner to expert, this province has it all. Check out our list for places to bike in each of BC’s regions, and don’t forget to tag us in your photos and videos!

Cariboo Chilcotin

The Williams Lake region offers some of the most stunning terrain a mountain biker could hope to find. The area offers 200 kilometres of single-track trails within the city limits, 100 kilometres of trails about half an hour outside the city, and about 10 acres of jumps, drops and log work. All of this together makes up the largest bike park in the Interior, and one of the largest networks in the whole province. Bike Magazine named this region the “Shangri-La of mountain biking” in North America.

Check out ridethecariboo.ca for lists of trails, events and other news.

Kootney Rockies

The Fernie Alpine Bike Park, within the Fernie Alpine Resort, draws mountain bikers from all over – and since it’s one of the largest lift-accessed trail networks in western Canada, why not! The resort has 38 bike trails that cater to everyone, but this course is still hard for a novice so come prepared to work and learn. There’s a dual slalom course, a beginner skills progression park and so much more.

Check out skifernie.com for more information.

Northern BC

Northern BC has an endless amount of untapped beauty and recreation opportunities. The mountain biking is to die for, but there’s also hiking, swimming, fishing and wildlife viewing to round out your trip up here.

The Burns Lake area has exactly what you’re looking for in a mountain biking adventure – friendly locals, beautiful scenery and awesome riding. Boer Mountain and the Burns Lake Bike Park are just a few minutes from town and offer miles of classic single track and amazing downhill trails that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else. The trail network runs from beginner to advanced, with cross-country, free ride and downhill trails, as well as a skills park, jump park and Rider Cross track.

Visit burnslaketrails.ca for more information.

Thompson Okanagan

Within the Thompson Okanagan region, Kamloops (also known as “The Loops”) is widely recognized as the epicenter for free ride mountain biking in Canada. Many local athletes have made it to the world stage, thanks to the stellar practice they can get right in their own backyard.

Kamloops is a four-season destination, with something to offer all year long. Sun Peaks Resort and the Kamloops Bike Ranch are calling your name, and an epic adventure awaits. You’ll find classic single tracks to high-speed alpine downhill biking, as well as advanced technical challenges to overcome. Here you’ll find one of Canada’s most technically advanced municipal bike parks.

Kamloops is known as the birthplace for free ride mountain biking, so what better place to explore?

For more information, check out bikekamloops.com.

Vancouver Island

The Campbell River area offers a well-established network of trails, ranging from family friendly to advanced riders, and the scenery is unparalleled. Enjoy a casual ride on the Rail Trail in the Beaver Lodge Lands, or find something for everyone in the Snowden Demonstration Forest. The Snowden area alone offers more than 100 kilometres of single-track trails, with highly technical routes to scenic loops that are great for inexperienced riders.

For more information, check out the Campbell River Mountain Bike group on Facebook. You can also check out the River City Cycle Club at rivercitycycle.ca.

Vancouver Coast & Mountains

When people think of mountain biking in BC, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is probably the first thing that comes to mind – and no wonder, considering it’s the #1 lift-accessed bike park in the world. Whatever you’re looking for, be it an easy cruise or an adrenalin-filled double black route, this park has it for you.

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park features four zones with over 80 kilometres of trails to explore. There’s everything from professional-level trails to introductory learning centres here, making this accessible for all rider types.

Check out bike.whistlerblackcomb.com for more information.

Our list only scratches the surface of what’s available to mountain bikers across all the regions of BC. For more information, be sure to check out mountainbikingbc.ca.

If you’re new to the world of caving, or just want to try something different while exploring Vancouver Island, you have to add Little Huson Cave Regional Park to your must-see list.

Located off Highway 19, about an hour and 15 minutes north of Campbell River and close to the village of Woss, you’ll find limestone caves and rock arch formations that are beckoning you to come and explore! From the parking lot, you’ll take a short trail through the woods, which will bring you to a viewing platform overlooking rock bridges and deep pools of water from Little Huson Lake.

The park contains 15 different caves, all accessible by the main trail, and the location is great for inexperienced cavers – no special equipment is required to explore these caves, and there aren’t any delicate features at risk of being destroyed by someone that’s not knowledgeable on caving practices.

The park was developed as a way to introduce the public-at-large to caves on Vancouver Island and the karst features that are so predominant across the island, especially northern Vancouver Island. Two caves that are a must-explore for new visitors include the Vanishing River Cave and the Eternal Fountain Cave. As you traverse the main trail, there will be signs along the way, or you can stop by the Ministry of Forest office in Port McNeill for a comprehensive map of the area.

Little Huson Cave Regional Park is about 4.9 hectares in size, and there are camping opportunities outside of the park at nearby Anutz and Atluck Lake. Be sure to explore the rest of the area after your caving adventures – the town of Zeballos is not far away, offering a glimpse into BC’s gold mining history. From Zeballos, you can reach the wharf at Fair Harbour, where you’ll find plenty of kayaking or canoeing opportunities.

While exploring the caves, don’t forget to bring a flashlight, your camera and your not-so-good shoes and clothes so you won’t mind getting them dirty while you’re exploring.

1. Pesuta

Haida Gwaii

Location: Tlell River, Haida Gwaii

What to see: The remains of the wooden hull lay upon the beach just north of the Tlell River and is a popular spot for tourists, especially photographers. It makes for a great photo op for children and adults alike, especially while looking through the portholes. Be sure to consult a tide table to make sure you’ll get a proper visit!

Historical Relevance: The Pesuta was a 264 foot log barge that ran into trouble upon a voyage in a winter storm on Dec. 11, 1928. It was being towed behind the tugboat Imbrecaria when a heavy gale struck the pair, causing the tow cables to snap, and both cargo and barge were lost to the elements. Originally a Ferris freighter built for the U.S. Shipping Board emergency shipbuilding program during WWI, the barge ran aground of the beach, with multiple attempts to recover it fruitless. Instead, the ship was left to slowly decompose over the past 90 years.

How to get to the Pesuta: You can visit the remains of the Pesuta via the Pesuta Shipwreck Hike, which starts at the Tlell River Bridge day use area. It’s a 10 kilometre hike, and estimated to take about four hours on average to complete.

2. Michigan

Vancouver Island

Location: About two kilometres east of Pachena Point, 12 kilometres into the West Coast Trail

Things to do: This is the first wreck of the Graveyard of the Pacific where you will definitely find some cool leftovers, such as a boiler, from the ship. Especially neat, considering this ship crashed over a hundred years ago.

Historical Relevance: Headed from Puget Sound to San Francisco in January 1893, this wooden steamship ran into trouble when it encountered a northerly current. This current, the demise of many ships in the Graveyard, pushed the Michigan straight into Vancouver Island instead of its intended target, the Juan de Fuca Strait. Fortunately, only one crew member died of exposure, as the rest survived when they grabbed a life raft and floated down to Neah Bay for assistance.

How to get to the Michigan: You’ll need to start at the Pachena trailhead, which is five kilometres south of Bamfield. Driving from Port Alberni you can expect about an hour or two long drive, but if you’re worried about navigating the steep and winding path, there are alternative ways to get there. Hop on a bus from Victoria, Nanaimo or Port Alberni and just take in the sights.

From here, you start the West Coast Trail, home to too many shipwrecks. Be prepared, this hike will take multiple days. But it will provide plenty of opportunity to find splinters of wrecks from the past. At the 12 kilometre mark you’ll find the Michigan.

3. Uzbekistan

Vancouver Island

Location: Mouth of Darling Creek, on the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island

Things to do: At low tide, you can comb the beach for pieces of shrapnel left behind by the wreckage of the Uzbekistan. You’ll probably spot portions of the steel hull, but most larger parts have long ago been looted.

Historical Relevance: It is still unknown exactly why this ship crashed onto shore, nevertheless running straight into it, but there are theories. One such is that a lighthouse blackout put in effect on June 20, 1942, after Japanese submarines were spotted off the coast, caused the captain to become disoriented on the crew’s return trip to Russia. Leaving the West Coast, the vessel was meant to return to Vladivostok, Russia, but didn’t make it very far. On April 1, 1943, the crew of 50 were forced to abandon ship and head back inland when the Uzbekistan met its fate.

How to get to the Uzbekistan: Continue two kilometres past the Michigan wreck.

4. Valencia

Vancouver Island

Location: South of Pachena Point, 18 kilometres into the West Coast Trail from the Pachena Trailhead

Things to do: You can search the beach for debris and remains of the Valencia, where you’ll also find a small portion of the ship. Alternatively, if you’re into diving, you can find more remnants further out from the shore, though it is illegal to remove anything from the site.

Historical Relevance: Also apart of the West Coast Trail, you’ll come to see why the southwest coast of the island became known as the Graveyard of the Pacific. Setting out from San Francisco on its journey to Alaska, with a stop in Victoria, and a crew of 65 and 110 paid passengers, the Valencia had braced only calm weather. However, stormy weather obscured the path before the Juan de Fuca Strait and the ship crashed into a rock, before being barraged by constant waves and wind. The captain ordered the ship beached, and it ended up about 80 metres from shore. But panic for the passengers didn’t set in until the onboard electricity went out. Everyone scrambled for the lifeboats, which were mistakenly released, and subsequently capsized. Only 37 passengers survived the wreck, even though the Valencia took 36 hours to sink in January, 1906.

How to get to the Valencia: Continue another four kilometres past the wreck of the Uzbekistan.

5. Royston Wrecks

Comox Valley, Vancouver Island

Location: Comox Harbour, just north of Vancouver

Things to do: A local kayak company offers kayaking tours of the wrecks, as well as the local wildlife.

Historical Relevance: Also referred to as the Ghost Ships of Royston, these ships were sunk purposely in order to create a breakwater for the harbour. Local loggers, starting in the late 1930s, began sinking old ships of various size and purpose to help calm the perilous waters that would often slow down their lumber production because of hazardous conditions. The ships were towed into the harbour then drilled full of holes, making navigation of the waters much more manageable.

How to get to the Royston wrecks: You can find the Comox Valley Kayaks tour company in Courtenay, right at the Courtenay Marina Park.

This article was originally featured on BCMag.com on April 18, 2016.