SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 347

parking lot with worn soles, bent backs, and great big smiles on their faces, give them a pat
on the back—they may have just completed one of the world's greatest long-distance hikes.
The Pacific Crest Trail runs 3,860 kilometers (2,400 miles) from the U.S.-Mexico border
to this small and undistinguished trailhead.
Skiing and Snowboarding
The park gets plenty of dry snow for skiing and boarding. At Manning Park Resort
(250/840-8822 or 800/330-3321, www.manningpark.com ) , 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) west
of Highway 3 along Gibson Pass Road, downhill enthusiasts can take advantage of a
437-meter (1,430-foot) vertical rise served by two chairlifts, a T-bar, and a rope tow. Most
runs are for intermediate skiers, but novices and experts will also find suitable terrain. Lift
tickets are adult $50, senior and child $30. The resort is geared toward families, with oth-
er activities including a skating rink, terrain park, and tubing park, keeping all ages happy.
On-hill facilities include a cafeteria, ski school, and ski rentals (from $35 for a full day).
A free shuttle bus transfers guests to the ski area from Manning Park Resort, which offers
winter packages from $175 for two nights' midweek high-season accommodations and two
days' skiing.
Along with 190 kilometers (118 miles) of wilderness trails, cross-country skiers can en-
joy 30 kilometers (19 miles) of groomed trails, with a daily pass costing adult $20, senior
and child $12.
Practicalities
In the heart of the park on Highway 3, Manning Park Resort (604/668-5922 or 800/
330-3321, www.manningpark.com , dorm bed $35, $169-349 s or d) is a full-service lodging
providing comfortable hotel rooms, cabins, and triplexes, as well as a restaurant (open for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily), an alpine-themed pub, and a small grocery store. Other
facilities include saunas, an indoor pool, a TV room, a fitness center, tennis courts, a coin-
operated laundry, and a gift shop. Through summer, rooms in the main lodge start at $169
on weekends, and are discounted to $119 midweek; cabins with kitchens start at $249 on
weekends and $209 midweek. The hostel building is across the highway from the main re-
sort and has a limited number of single and bunk beds, along with a kitchen and living area.
The park's four vehicle-accessible campgrounds hold over 350 sites; in summer, get in
early to be assured of snagging one. Each campground provides drinking water and toi-
lets. Firewood is available for a fee. The most popular campground is Lightning Lakes
($28 per night), two kilometers (1.2 miles) west of Manning Park Resort on Gibson Pass
Road, which has showers. Others include Coldspring Campground, on Highway 3 two