I've lived in BC since 1982 and there have been some very good comments made above. The biggest problem with Canada, BC in particular, is "triage". There's just way too much to see in such a "short" time in such a large country.

Unless you're starting to explore the very far north, accommodations are not really an issue, aside from cost and potential lack of availability in the peak season and weekends. Except for far northern routes like Inuvik and Tuktoyuktuk, along with our plentiful logging roads there will always be some other traffic, especially in the summer, and we generally stop on those roads to offer assistance if we see someone stopped along the way. But it sounds like you wouldn't be on any of those routes anyway.

The north near Prince Rupert is stunningly beautiful (I worked in the area for a while) but I would recommend against it due to time constraints. I've been as far north as Watson Lake (by vehicle) and absolutely loved it. But two months in total really isn't enough unless you decide to breeze quickly through most of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. If you do decide to go there check out Prince Rupert to Smithers; Salmon Glacier / Hyder; Lava fields on the way from Terrace to New Ayansh; Totem poles near Kitwanga. The ride out to Kincolith is also amazing. Yes, the trip back down south is a bit boring but facilities are plentiful along the way and those are the main arteries connecting our northern locations.

I like the idea of taking a ferry to Vancouver Island. Vancouver is actually quite beautiful as far as cities go but I prefer avoiding it. My recommendation is to head to Port Angeles, WA and take the Coho Ferry to Victoria. You can then head straight north on Vancouver Island, or better yet, head to Port Renfrew and come out at Lake Cowichan and on to Duncan (near where I live). Unless you're heading to the ferry in Port Hardy go as far north as Courtenay or Campbell River. A nice side trip is Campbell river to Gold River and even down along Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park. Great riding. Another great side trip is to head to the actual Pacific Coast by Tofino/Ucluelet. Amazing beach similar to Oregon but it will be busy and expensive in the summer.

From Comox/Courtenay you can get on a ferry to Powell River. Make sure to go to Lund for some baked goods and then head back south towards Sechelt. There will be another ferry connecting the two road sections. Once in Gibsons you will have to take another ferry to the "mainland" just north of Vancouver. All coastal ferries in BC have motorcycle priority boarding (go to the front of the line) From there head north through Whistler and on to Lillooet. That last part is one of my all time favourite rides in BC. You'll see the terrain changing from snow capped coast mountains with rain forest to a semi arid and hot landscape. The maximum distance without services here is about 100km.

The above route, in my opinion, will give you a really good feel for the Canadian West Coast.

Now the dilemma is whether to duck down back south towards the US border for the amazing BC Hwy 3 or stay further north for the equally stunning Federal Hwy 1. I would avoid the Yellowhead (Hwy 16). It's very nice in its' own way but the other two options offer more "bang" for the buck as far as I'm concerned. If you decide to head back south you can visit our Okanagan Wine Country south of Salmon Arm, head east from Osoyoos and the explore the Kootenay region which is a bit of a step back in time. Then head east into Alberta or back up north via Nakusp and Revelstoke via two more ferries (no priority boarding on those but they are free. From Revelstoke you can head east on the Trans Canada Highway for some mind blowing scenery and lots of traffic. The Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is definitey worthwhile.

I'm hard pressed to think of any paved road in BC I haven't been on (not to mention a lot of unpaved ones). So if you have particular questions about certain routes I'd be happy to answer them.

Have an awesome trip.
...Michelle

"....breeze quickly through most of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba..." sounds like a pretty good suggestion to me, but then I'm more interested in mountains than endless prairies and muskeg.

OP, even when I disagree on specifics, Scrabblebiker is perfectly on-target in her suggestions above. You're not thinking of going anyplace where you won't find lodging or gas. Set aside all preconceptions, listen to the advice given by those who've been. There are a few other obvious routes in BC, like Gold Bridge via the Hurley Pass road, or Bella Coola via the dinky little ferry from Shearwater. You'll just have to decide what sort of riding, landscapes, and population centers you favor.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

PS: Worst mosquitoes on the prairies seem to hang out in little city parks in Saskatoon. Worst black flies I've ever seen were a tie between Wawa and upcountry Labrador. Bring repellant, a headnet, and clothes you can button up tightly if planning to do any walking or lounging around in the great out of doors.

Thanks Michelle and Mark.

We've pretty much decided on Vancouver Island and the May 30th overnight ferry to Prince Rupert. That gives us time to get to Maine by July 23rd which is our target date to meet some others enroute to Newfoundland.

Michelle, will check your suggestions and may take some side trips.


As mentioned, deciding the optimum routes east from there through the National Parks can be a challenge so we'll take another look at the map. It looks like it may be worth going down from rte 16 to Kamloops and then join Rte 1 through Banff but not sure if we'd be better off staying on 16.

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