A weathered old staircase zigs and zags up among the massive, ancient trees. In the gloom below the hemlocks and cedars, a dense, richly green undergrowth rises up around the stairs. The air is damp and cool and smells of earth and wood. A bird rustles here or there. Everything else is silence.
This could easily be describing the home of Tolkien’s elves, but it is actually a real place. Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail in Mount Revelstoke National Park is one of several places in British Columbia where visitors can still experience true old growth forests, an increasing rarity in our world of logging and development.
We stopped there on the final leg of our honeymoon adventure, as we left Banff and began to meander our way home. Our journey took us through all kinds of interesting and beautiful places, but unfortunately we only had a few days left and had little time to truly experience them. Even more so than the earlier sections of our trip, this leg was like a flight of beer. We got to sample a few sips of everything, but never got to enjoy a whole pint.
So below lies our list of places we passed through, nearly all of which I would be happy to come back and visit for a week (or at least a long weekend).
Day 1: Banff to Revelstoke
Yoho National Park
We spent our morning exploring Yoho National Park–just west of Banff and back in BC. While we went for a walk along the shores of the beautifully green Emerald Lake (the color is due to mineral deposits from the glaciers melting) and made a side stop at the Natural Bridge, a former waterfall that had worn through the rock, my favorite stop here was Takakkaw Falls.
Takakkaw–which according to the sign means wonderful or awesome in Cree–is easy to get to. It’s nestled in a beautiful little valley lined in glaciers and filled with waterfalls just before the turn to Emerald Lake. It’s a short drive from the Trans-Canadian Highway, and a short hike from the parking lot to the falls, which you (and several hundred of your closest friends) can get impressively close to.
According to our All Trails App, there is a hike starting at Takakkaw Falls that includes four other waterfalls, and I very much hope I can come back and hike it someday!
Golden
I have heard that Golden is a major destination for outdoorsy people in Canada. Unfortunately, we just stopped there for lunch. We had a picnic in our car overlooking the cute town square, and then went for a short walk on the riverfront trails while we waited for the brewery to open.
Whitetooth Brewery does not serve food–hence our picnic–but does have snacks. We happily sat in the small tasting room with a window overlooking the brewing operations while we chatted with the friendly staff and enjoyed our flights. They had another Hazy IPA, our favorite beer from the trip, and it was delicious. Pete’s second favorite was the stout, and I was surprised to find that I really liked their cherry wheat. (What is even happening to me?!? I have always hated fruit in my beer, and I’ve never been a huge fan of wheat beers. Could this be what happens as you get older?)
Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks
(Just to clarify, in this post when we talk about Glacier National Park, we mean the one in British Columbia, not the one in Montana.)
As we headed west toward the town of Revelstoke, our drive took us through both Glacier and Revelstoke National Parks. It was here that we learned about old growth forests, stopping to take three short (all under half a mile) interpretive walks among the hemlocks and cedars.
The first was the Rock Garden in Glacier, which had the fewest signs explaining the forests, but was clearly set up for peaceful contemplation as you walked along. We had this one all to ourselves, and the stillness was truly impressive.
Our second stop was the Hemlock Grove, also in Glacier. This one was very short, but very accessible, and is definitely the one to stop at if you have someone who hates stairs in your car. The loop is largely flat and has handrails throughout, as well as some signs explaining old growth forests.
Our last and probably my favorite was the Giant Cedars Boardwalk in Mount Revelstoke Park. This one was just a little longer and less accessible, having lots of stairs and multiple places without handrails, but if you can handle the steps, it’s totally worth it. This one felt the densest to me, and thus the most ethereal. It is awe-inspiring to think that these trees are more that 500 years old! That’s older that Shakespeare, folks!
Revelstoke
After a full day we arrived in Revelstoke with just enough time to–you guessed it–find some food and beer. We tried the newer hipster Rumpus Brewery because it was near where we were planning to eat, and we were decidedly underwhelmed by the atmosphere, although the beer was passable. If we had had more time, we would have liked to try the further away but more established Mt. Begbie Brewery, but we settled for trying one of their tasty IPAs at dinner.
For dinner, we went to a really cool spot called the Bier Haus. I first of all loved the German (a requirement of my German heritage), but I also really enjoyed the atmosphere. It is a tap-room, as the name suggests, with lodge-like community seating, meaning that rather than having your own personal table, you share your long log tables and benches with the other diners, cafeteria style. The restaurant specializes in all different kinds of Mac and Cheese, cooked in individual cast iron skillets. I had the Dr. Pepper BBQ Beef and Pete had Chicken and Bacon. Yum!
Revelstoke, in our brief visit, seems to be an up-and-coming hip town with strong connections to Vancouver, but still has a lot of history. If we were there longer, I would have loved to visit the Railroad Museum, as well as learned more about the history of steamboats in the area. As it was, all we managed was a quick hike on Mt. Begbie in the morning (where we saw some of the largest slugs I have ever seen; talk about wildlife!)
Day 2: Lakes and Hot Springs
Crossing the Arrow Lakes
After our aforementioned hike, we turned south, leaving the Trans-Canadian Highway and entering the Arrow Lakes region. Just a short ways from Revelstoke, the road dead ends at the lake, and you have to wait to take the ferry across, which I totally loved! (I’m pretty sure Pete found this route based on my excitement about taking a ferry in Seattle last spring.) The ferries are regularly scheduled, and there was a small park with restrooms and a friendly attendant that the locals chatted with while we waited. Loading was very efficient, and the boat ride was only 15 minutes, so it didn’t feel like an inconvenience at all. Plus the views from the lake were totally worth it!
Halfway Hot Springs
After our long day the day before, plus our early morning hike, we were totally interested in some R&R, so the rest of the day was completely about hot springs. First up was Halfway Hot Springs, just a little south of the ferry crossing.
Halfway Hot Springs apparently used to be completely undeveloped and unregulated, but according to some of the locals we were visiting with, camping got a bit out of hand, so now it is an official campsite with a fee and a host. It was still free for day visitors like us, and those camping didn’t seem to mind because they said it was much cleaner than it used to be.
You have to hike down (and later back up) a whole bunch of steps to reach the pools, but when has a soak not been worth a little extra effort. The pools are built with rock, but wide and comfortable with little benches built in to sit on, and there is a changing hut. I thought it was the perfect union of an out-in-nature hot springs with a few pleasant amenities!
Nakusp Hot Springs
After our “undeveloped” hot springs adventure, we headed for a more developed one. After stopping in the town of Nakusp for some food, we headed to Nakusp Hot Springs, where we had reserved a chalet for the night.
After staying at places like Chico or Quinn’s in Montana, Nakusp seemed like a fairly small affair. But that was part of its charm. The main building is round and modern looking, containing a lobby stocked with coffee and a few other basics (towels are provided) and the delightfully warm locker rooms. (They had heated floors!) Outside were two hot pools. Their four chalet buildings each included a larger family-sized cabin and a small studio available to rent. We had the studio, and it had everything we needed: a bed, private bath (no shower, but they had those in the locker rooms), and a small kitchenette with dishes. There is also space at Nakusp for camping.
We had a nice long soak, and then enjoyed a quiet evening of reading and playing cribbage!
Day 3: Nakusp to Nelson
Wilson Creek Falls
After another good soak and some time poking around the woods at Nakusp Hot Springs, we headed to Wilson Creek Falls for a short hike (cause you know we can never turn down a good waterfall).
*Sidenote: on the drive down from Nakusp Hot Springs, we stopped at another gorgeous little waterfall, right by the road, un-labeled and apparently unnamed (ok, I’m guessing it probably has a name somewhere; I just don’t know it). Anywhere else, the waterfall would have had it’s own little park or trail, but in BC, they are so commonplace. It’s crazy! And awesome!
Wilson Creek Falls was another gem we found on our All Trails App. The trail goes down some moderately steep switchbacks to a fairly impressive waterfall. We had the trail almost entirely to ourselves, seeing only one other couple. It was very peaceful. (Not to mention beautiful and fun!)
Kaslo
As we headed toward Nelson, we opted to go through Kaslo in order to stop at the Angry Hen Brewery. Kaslo is the cutest little lakeside town. I fell in love immediately. And the Angry Hen is one of my favorite breweries ever. I really liked the atmosphere–the sunny taproom with wooden tables and checkered flannel accents was cheerfully rustic–and the beer was delicious, including another great Hazy IPA. They also had great food. We had pretzel dogs for lunch, and because they were out of sauerkraut, the wonderful woman at the bar introduced me to stout vinegar, which is very yummy!
After our lunch and flights, we walked over to the lake and saw the S.S. Moyie, an old steamboat from the heyday of Columbia River travel. There were self-guided tours, but we didn’t have time, so alas we once again saved it for another day.
Nelson
Nelson definitely got the shortest end of the stick on this whole whirlwind tour. First, we arrived in the evening and didn’t have time to do much except check into our super charming room at the Cloudside Hotel and go out in search of food and drink (both of which were very good; more on that in a minute). And second, we were nearing the end of our trip and beginning to think about getting home to our dogs. Still, my general impressions of Nelson was that it was cool little town with lots to do. Skiing is big there in the winters, although we were a bit early for that.
After a little walking around town, we headed to Torchlight Brewing for dinner and a flight. Our favorite was once again their Hazy IPA (we’re SOOOO predictable), but we also really enjoyed their guest tap from Nelson Brewing: After Dark Organic Brown Ale, a smooth chocolaty glass of deliciousness. The ambience at Torchlight was warehouse-like and fairly bland, but they had excellent Mac and Cheese for dinner, so no complaints.
For atmosphere, check out Backroads Brewery, where we headed next. The place was packed with people relaxing after work, and the decor was a mix of cozy and fun. There was one brick wall, and the others were painted blue and green. All displayed local art and there was a cool old ski lift in the corner. This was another place set up for community seating at long tables, but there were also a few couches where we managed to score a seat. As for their beer, we enjoyed their hazy and pale ale, but although the name made me curious, I didn’t much care for the marzen.
*I also have to put in a good word for Oso Negro, the coffee shop where we stopped for coffee and pastries in the morning before hitting the road. They had a lovely little courtyard, and lots of cute pictures of black bears, not to mention excellent coffee.
Day 4: Back in the USA
The next day, we headed for home, but seeings as we were in a part of the state we don’t visit very often, we still made a few stops along the way.
Kootenai Falls
Because we just couldn’t resist squeezing in one more waterfall, we stopped and made the very short hike to Kootenai Falls in Northwestern Montana. The place was fairly busy, but the several tiered falls were still worth seeing.
Cabinet Mountain Brewery
And what better way to follow up a waterfall than with some tasty beer. We dropped in to Cabinet Mountain Brewery in Libby, where I very much enjoyed their Dunkel, Scotch Ale, and IPA. While the building seemed like it normally had a relaxed atmosphere, on this particular day it was packed. We had managed to drop by during an international chainsaw sculpture festival. After our beer, we went to take a look at the work. We didn’t even mind the crowds of people. These guys were seriously talented with a chainsaw!
Conclusion
And then, at long last, we made it home and were reunited with our dogs. Dug and Rocky were so very happy to see us, and protested every time we left their sight for a week afterwards. They don’t have to be worried though. We found so many dog friendly places that next time we go to Canada, we will get their puppy passports and bring them along.
So that was our crazy last few days in British Columbia. We will for sure be planning another trip up there soon. Does anyone have any recommendations of places in this area we should check out? Tell us in the comments; we’d love to hear from you!