SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 342

Outdoor enthusiasts can hike trails suited mainly to overnight excursions. Skagit River
Trail begins just east of where the park access road crosses the river, following the river
downstream for 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) to a day-use area beside Highway 3. Fishing in
the Skagit River is good for Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. The access road is dotted
with day-use areas, including Shawatum, six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the park entrance,
which was once the site of a bustling town with saloons, restaurants, a sawmill, and a daily
newspaper—until it was discovered that the only gold found in the area had been planted.
Hope Slide
On Highway 3, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of Hope, the effects of one of
nature's amazing forces can be seen. On January 9, 1965, a minor earthquake caused a huge
section of mountain to come crashing down, filling the bottom of the Nicolum Creek Valley,
destroying about three kilometers (1.9 miles) of the Hope-Princeton Highway and killing
four motorists. The highway, viewpoint, and parking area are built over the Hope Slide, but
you can still see the slide's treeless boundaries along the south side of the valley.
Accommodations and Camping
Hope doesn't offer much hope if you're looking for upscale lodging. Instead you'll find
a motley collection of roadside motels in town and across the Trans-Canada Highway on
Old Hope-Princeton Way. On the latter, Royal Lodge Motel (580 Old Hope-Princeton
Way, 604/869-5358 or 877/500-6620, www.royallodgemotel.ca , $80 s, $85-98 d) has clean
rooms, some with kitchens. The much newer Alpine Motel (505 Old Hope-Princeton Way,
604/869-9931 or 877/869-9931, $85 s, $95 d) offers large, comfortably furnished rooms, a
pool, and a pleasant setting. In a scenic setting four kilometers (2.5 miles) north of Hope,
Beautiful Lake of the Woods Resort (22805 Trans-Canada Hwy., 604/869-9211 or 888/
508-2211, www.lakewoods-resortmotel.com , motel rooms $75 s, $85 d, cabins $85-115 d)
sits on a lake with views of the surrounding mountainscape. The property is a resort in name
only, but facilities include a restaurant and canoe rentals ($10 per hour).
Along the road up to the tunnels, Othello Tunnels Campground (67851 Othello Rd.,
604/869-9448 or 877/869-0543, www.othellotunnels.com , , $27-31) is pleasant place, with
trees surrounding many sites. Facilities include a trout pond, hot showers, a barbecue area,
a laundry, free wireless Internet, and a game room.
Food
The best place in Hope for coffee is Blue Moose (322 Wallace St., 604/869-0729,
7:30am-9pm daily, lunches $6-9), with a slick polished-wood and sparkling blue interior