SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 346

www.quilchena.com , $79-169 s or d), on Nicola Lake, 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of town
on Highway 5A (take Exit 290). Built in 1908 and still part of a working ranch, the prop-
erty is a destination in itself, with golfing ($22 for 9 holes, $32 for 18), horseback riding
($45 for a 90-minute trail ride), swimming, biking (rentals available), canoeing, fishing,
and camping beside the golf course ($29). The hotel is a stately old building surrounded by
well-tended gardens and oozing Victorian charm. A grand staircase leads up to guest rooms
decorated with period antiques, lace curtains, and solid wooden beds. Rates for rooms with
shared bathrooms are $69 s or d, while en suite rooms start at $139. Downstairs are a saloon
(complete with bullet holes in the bar) and a restaurant serving up beef raised on the hotel
ranch.
MM E. C. MANNING PROVINCIAL PARK
This rugged 70,844-hectare (175,100-acre) park in the Cascade Mountains, 64 kilometers
(40 miles) east of Hope along Highway 3, stretches down to the Canada-U.S. border. High-
way 3 makes a U through the park—from the northwest to south to northeast sections. But
to really appreciate the park, you need to get off the highway—take in the beautiful bodies
of water, drive up to a wonderful stretch of high alpine meadows, or hike on the numerous
trails.
Hiking
A highlight of the park is the paved road immediately across Highway 3 from Manning Park
Resort; it climbs northward steadily to Cascade Lookout, a viewpoint offering a magnifi-
cent 180-degree panoramic view. Beyond the lookout, the road turns to gravel and contin-
ues climbing for nine kilometers, ending at a parking lot beneath 2,063-meter (6,700-foot)
Blackwall Peak. From this area of flower-filled alpine meadows, views extend over the
park's remote northern boundary. Take time to soak up the color by taking one of the short
trails originating from the parking lot. Or hike Heather Trail (10 kilometers/6.2 miles each
way; allow three hours) to Three Brothers Mountain. If you're there between late July and
mid-August, you won't believe what you're seeing: a rich yellow, orange, and white carpet
of wildflowers as far as you can see.
Along Highway 3 are some short, self-guided nature trails, including a 700-meter
(0.4-mile) walk (20 minutes) through a stand of ancient western red cedars. The trailhead is
Sumallo Grove day-use area, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east of where Highway 3 enters the
park from the west. Just east of the Visitor Information Centre, on the south side of the road,
is the 500-meter (0.3-mile) Beaver Pond Trail. If you notice people arriving on foot in this