E. C. Manning Provincial Park

Very cozy mountain resort. Not far from the Gibson Pass ski area, about three hours winter driving from Vancouver. Winter snowshoeing is best, summer hikes on the alpine areas, breathtaking views after a good hike or just driving to 2010m elevation if you take the long winding road from across the resort. In the wintertime, you can spot lots of wild animals tracks in the snow. Beautiful drive if you can take your eyes off the road for seconds. The ski area is not very busy, which is a nice thing for those looking for less crowded places to ski where there are no lineups to the ski lifts. Once on the top, you will be amazed by the views.
7 years ago (11-01-2018)

Manning Park has been a our camping spot for decades, and even though we no longer camp, we stay at the hotel/lodge about once a year, and visit family that still camps! The fishing is fun for kids and even adults, as long as you don't expect huge fish (my record is about 3 inches for smallest, and I have seen 14 inches but not caught them). There are hiking trails and beaches all over. The lodge area has a good restaurant, good coffee, a nice little shop, and even wifi in the lodge!
7 years ago (08-01-2018)

This is one of my favorite provincial camp grounds if you are into the whole "glamping" thing. They have facilities with showers, spacious camp grounds that provide you your own privacy, and lightning lake is breath taking. Further, if you love to hike there are amazing trails that surround the campsite (various endurance and difficulty levels), and you also have the option of renting a kayak at lightening lake to go for quick kayak around the lake. Also the campground welcomes your four legged friends as well. :)
7 years ago (30-11-2017)

East of Vancouver past Hope, a great place to stop and stretch your legs. We have an electric vehicle and were able top up while we waited. Bathrooms and seating indoors, plenty of picnic tables to have a snack. Parking was plentiful.
7 years ago (16-01-2018)

Quintessential Canadian landscape. This is one of my most favourite parks. There's no fee (that I recall) to enter the park. You can rent a canoe here and take it easy paddling on beautiful Lightning Lake; or you can just take it easy and have picnic. There's something for everyone here, from serious hikers to family day-trippers. The water was crystal clear and you could see through to the bottom. I went for a swim and it was wonderful, albeit very cold. It's sad that in the middle of August when the weather was fantastic there were almost no other people around. But I suppose with fewer people around, you can have it all to yourself and enjoy it more fully. I just love the ambiance of this park. The nature in the surrounding areas is wonderful. It's a bit of a trip to get there if you're just visiting Vancouver, which might be one reason why there were so few people around when I went; but if you have a car and want to see some stupendous nature without going to crowded tourist spots like Capilano or Grouse Mtn., I highly recommend it. I just never appreciated the quality of this park until I moved away from Vancouver (and then I really missed it).
7 years ago (30-12-2017)