Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nicknamed the “Happy Isle” to lure vacationers in the 1920s, this quiet island draws
hikers to 600-acre Crippen Park and to the town's well-preserved Union Steamship Com-
pany Marina. Back on the mainland, Whytecliff Park lures underwater divers to the coun-
try'sfirstprotectedsaltwaterarea,wheresealsandothersealifeabound,justwestofHorse-
shoe Bay.
2.
Lions Bay
Pick up Hwy. 99 off Horseshoe Bay Drive to start the trip north. The roadway winds along
the coast of Howe Sound, beneath the towering mountains. At the small seaside village of
Lions Bay, the twin mountain peaks known as The Lions jut out of the landscape due west,
just inside Cypress Provincial Park. Travelers passing through the village can glimpse the
westernpeakasthehighwaycrossesHarveyCreek.Thosewantingacloserlookmustnav-
igate the zigzagging roads off the Oceanview Road exit to find the trailhead, which prom-
ises a strenuous climb with views of the sound along the steep five-mile trail.
3.
Porteau Cove Provincial Park
PorteauCoveattractsoutdooradventurersofallkindswithwindsurfing,canoeing,cycling,
fishing,andhiking,thoughitisperhapsbestknownasanunderwaterdivinglocationwhere
giantlingcodandanemonescanbeseenamongthesunkenshipsandman-madereefs.Tide
pools brim with life at low tide. Waterfront campsites and the rocky beach give ample op-
portunity to appreciate Howe Sound, fitting for a park that bears the name “Water's Gate”
(porte d'eau).
4.
Britannia Mine Museum
Continuing north on Hwy. 99, follow the signs in Britannia Beach to the Britannia Mine
Museum,acentury-oldcopper,zinc,andgoldminenowtransformedasaNationalHistoric
Site. Tour the interactive museum, historic buildings, and landmark gravity-powered Mill
House, and bring a sweater for the underground train ride showcasing the mine itself. The
area'smineralwealthwasdiscoveredbychanceonahuntingtripin1888,whenthehooves
of a wounded buck scraped away the earth, exposing mineralized rock beneath—or so the
story goes.
Britannia Beach became a fashionable vacation destination in the 1920s and 1930s, but
thetownslowlywitheredafterthemine'sclosingin1974.Inthemine's70yearsofmineral
production, approximately 60,000 people lived and worked in the area.
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