Top Things to do in Hope
What to do and see in Hope, Canada: The Best Nature & Parks
Discover the best top things to do in Hope, Canada including Heather Meadows Trail, Ross Lake, Eaton Lake, Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, Fraser Canyon, Kawkawa Lake, Silver Lake Provincial Park, Skagit Valley Provincial Park, Hope Friendship Garden.
Restaurants in Hope
1. Heather Meadows Trail
2. Ross Lake
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
3. Eaton Lake
4. Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park
5. Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area
6. Fraser Canyon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By PookyCake - Victoria, Canada
I have countless fond memories of driving through the Fraser Canyon with the family. Beginning in and around 1987, we would make the journey from northern BC to the lower mainland almost religiously every summer and did so until 2009. Even though the Coquihalla had opened in 1986, the Fraser Canyon – Highway 1 – was our route of choice. I’m not sure why this was the case because the Coquihalla is apparently faster; however, the scenery and everything encountered in between certainly made it worthwhile. I think the Vancouver Sun summarized the essence of the Fraser Canyon quite aptly when they described it in this way: “A highway clinging to sheer granite walls, mountain peaks looming overhead, a raging river below [. . .] it wins hands down for drama.” Indeed, as far as scenery and things to do, the Fraser Canyon has enough to keep one occupied for at least a few days, assuming one has the time. If, however, you’re just driving through (as we often were and are), there’s still plenty to see and experience over the course of a day. For the purposes of this review, I’ll assume we’re driving from the Fraser Valley and towards the Canyon. For all intents and purposes, the Fraser Canyon runs from Hope to Cache Creek, a distance of roughly 195 kilometers. It’s a stunning 2+ hour drive full of amazing rock cliffs, raging rapids and living history. Hope is a sleepy town on the banks of the Fraser River and serves as the entryway into the Fraser Canyon. It is also an excellent start to one’s road journey. One of the first things you’ll notice as you drive along the highway road through Hope is the stunning wood sculptures peppered throughout the community. Each and every one of these sculptures has been carved using a chainsaw, which is why Hope is informally known as the “chainsaw carving capital of the world.” The intricate level of detail that goes into each carving is nothing short of remarkable. My personal favourite is the large Sasquatch, which happens to look just like “Harry” from the Hendersons. At last count there were just over 80 carvings of varying size throughout Hope. Even if you don’t have time to see them all, you can still get take in a good selection along Highway 1. A funny aside: There’s a rest area barely 5-minutes outside of Hope, heading towards Yale. Over the years, I’ve stopped here twice because the company I was with really needed the washroom. One of those individuals was my grandmother who, after being on the road for many an hour, requested the stop. Well, let me just say . . . don’t stop here unless you absolutely HAVE to. As far as pit toilets go, these have to be the absolute worst. The stench is absolutely overpowering – you can smell it even before you go in! It was rather hilarious seeing my grandmother’s disgusted face as she walked back to the car. Naturally, she proceeded to complain about it for several minutes afterwards ;) Anyway . . . The short 25-minute drive from Hope to Yale is fairly flat and uneventful, but that’s because you’ve yet to enter the Fraser Canyon proper. Once you arrive at “historic Yale,” you’ll know you’ve hit the Fraser Canyon’s gateway. In the current day, Yale doesn’t look like much; it’s one of those “blink and you miss it” kind of towns. In its heyday, however, Yale played a significant role in the early economic development of the Province. In the 1850s, it represented the start (or terminus) of the old Cariboo Wagon Road and was thus a boon of activity as hordes of transients and prospectors set up shop here en route to the Cariboo gold rush, which had its zenith in Barkerville. In fact, during the height of the gold rush in 1858, Yale was actually the largest community north of San Francisco! Nowadays, that’s hard to believe but is a fact of history. While in Yale, I do recommend checking out the “Yale Historic Site” as it provides some key insights into what life was like during this early period. Moving on from Yale, you effectively enter the Fraser Canyon and this is where the physical beauty of the rocky gorge between the Cascades and Coast Mountains really begins to shine. There are a number of safe pull-off sites between here and Cache Creek, allowing for that scenic shot or epic selfie. There’s also many a historic site to patronize. The first of these is the Alexandra Bridge, which is about 15-minutes outside of Yale. As you’re driving along Highway 1, watch for the signage and then pull off into the park to your left. The parking area is quaint and features a few picnic tables and pit toilets. There are also a few apple trees here, which typically sport tasty treats; however, the real treasure to be found is the old Alexandra suspension bridge (built in 1926). The signage is somewhat poor, but you can find the bridge down a path – which is actually the old Cariboo highway – from the parking area. It’s about a 15-minute walk and well worth it. Once here, you can see and experience a piece of history: This bridge, which is actually the second built on this site, served as a critical link during the Province’s opening of the Fraser Canyon to vehicle traffic in the 1920s. Prior to that, the original Alexandra Bridge (built in 1863) functioned as a critical link for the Cariboo Wagon Road. Indeed, if you’re adventurous enough, you could actually walk along this old road for the better part of an hour and imagine what it must’ve been like in covered wagon times. Continuing north, you’ll eventually come across Hell’s Gate, which is one of the major tourist attractions in the canyon. It gets its name from the journals of Simon Fraser who once wrote that this part of the canyon was a “place where no human should venture, for surely these are the gates of Hell.” I’ve been here a few times – 1993, 2016 and 2019 – and while the magic and wonder has worn off a little bit as I’ve aged, I’ve since learned to appreciate Hell’s Gate for different reasons. When I was younger, the big thing for me was the airtram ride and delicious fudge; now that I’m older, I tend to enjoy the history and ingenuity behind this place. In the mid-1800s, Hell’s Gate became part of the busy Cariboo Wagon Road and actually featured a small settlement for a brief period (since turned into the tourist attraction we see today). Come the 1860s, the railroads were being built and constructed. Some of this work led to a massive slide into the Fraser River, which impacted salmon runs in a significant way – the current Hell’s Gate attraction has information on this key event. Visiting in the summer of 2019, I was again reminded of the difference between a child and an adult’s perspectives. When I was here in 1993, Hell’s Gate seemed big – like you could spend a whole day here. Today, though, it seemed fairly compact and more like a quick stop of maybe an hour or so. Still, kids will enjoy the giant chair (which hasn’t aged well) and the gold-panning. Adults should be intrigued by the history write-ups and the large bridge that crosses the swirling and fierce Fraser below. Is it a bit of a tourist trap? Yes, but it’s definitely worth a stop, even if just once. As you continue driving north from Hell’s Gate, there’s a good chance you’ll spot adrenaline-seeking white-water rafters. While I’ve never taken part, it definitely looks like quite an adventure traversing the rushing rapids. The closest we’ve ever gotten was observing the rafters from the safety of the roadside (at safe pull-outs, of course). Additionally, I should note that at this point in the Fraser Canyon, you’ll have passed through a number of tunnels – 7, in fact. When I was little – and even today – these tunnels were a highlight for me. During my younger years, they signaled that we didn’t have much further to go in our drive towards the Fraser Valley. Nowadays, I remain curious about their history and the important role they played in BC’s highway modernization project of the 1950s and 1960s. Trivia: You can visit the old Hell’s Gate tunnel (pre-1960s) just adjacent to the “new” tunnel of the same name. As a relic of the old Cariboo highway road, it’s pretty neat! From this point on, the Fraser Canyon is all about the scenery. Parts of the landscape almost look to be dessert – a big contrast from much of BC – but it does allude to certain aspects of the “Gold Rush Trail” noted throughout the canyon. As you drive from Hell’s Gate, through Boston Bar, Spences Bridge, Jackass Mountain, and on to Cache Creek (terminus of the Fraser Canyon), do take in the natural geography and keep an eye out for Bighorn sheep! Along this part of the road, there are usually a number of fresh fruit stands set up. These were – and are – a big hit for the family. No preservatives and no additives. Just good ol’ fresh fruit. Indeed, there’s nothing quite like nature’s candy when on a road trip! Final aside: There used to be a restaurant in the Fraser Canyon called “Big Horn Restaurant.” It was located somewhere between Cache Creek and Boston Bar, just along the side of the highway. The family and I used to stop here all the time for lunch because we believed it to be good old fashioned home cooking . . . and it was for a while. From the mid-1990s to about 1999, it was owned by an elderly couple. The service was excellent and the food was home comfort food. You really did feel as if you were in someone’s home as opposed to a restaurant. Then, around 1999, some younger people took over. I remember one of the last times we dined at Big Horn – in 2000 – we had my aunt with us. In the lead up to lunch, we were really putting over how good the food was. Boy, did we get lots of egg in our face! The buns that came with our soup were still frozen and the fried chicken was identified by my aunt as being “Schneiders fried chicken!” Too funny. Unsurprisingly, Big Horn no longer exists. C’est la vie! It was nice to do what’ll likely be our last “big” family road trip this past summer. We were able to drive through – and experience – some of the best the Fraser Canyon has to offer. As you drive this nearly 200 kilometer stretch of road, you get a chance to immerse yourself in physical beauty; social, economic and cultural history; and, the general ruggedness of British Columbia. Indeed, whoever said the drive “wasn’t really worth while” clearly didn’t understand what they were witnessing.
7. Kawkawa Lake
8. Silver Lake Provincial Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By KellyNagle
We camped in site #20 which seemed to be the most private in the trees. No lake front sites, but the park is small, so the lake is never far away. Great for paddle boarding in the calm waters. Views are excellent. Water is chilly. We drove 10km down the FSR past the campground to Eaton lake trailhead. Excellent hike with over 900m elevation gain to another beautiful lakeside backcountry campsite.
9. Skagit Valley Provincial Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By nishadiliyanage - Colombo, Sri Lanka
I arrived in Vancouver just a few weeks back and one of the first things my family here decided to do was take me camping at the Skagit Valley Provincial Park. At first I was hesitant to agree to a 4 day trip with no phone signals, electricity or running water but I decided to go ahead anyway because they were taking their trailer with them (I assumed the camping will be more along the lines of glamping because of it). We were at the Ross Lake campsite which was around 60km inland from the freeway and the gravel roads were muddy. My heart sank deeper as we drove further away from civilization. Once we got to the campgrounds it looked quite clean and since it was a Thursday there weren’t many people and the pit toilets were quite clean too. I soon forgot about the lack of phone signals etc when we started going on hikes/trails! The views were breathtaking, the air was pure and I felt like I went through a complete detox in just 4 days. Being surrounded by pristine rivers, forests and mountains really did help me reboot. There’s a river near the campsite if you dare to take a dip in the ice-cold water! The park rangers have several programs through out the day during weekends and during weekdays, evening sessions which were really insightful. Even though the location is remote, it’s a truly breathtaking location and there’s a lot of things to do to engage with nature. I would really recommend doing so regularly to reboot yourself - it really helps to relax your body and mind.
10. Hope Friendship Garden
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By DenniseA_13
Across from hotel small but private small pond bagada water fountain. Beautiful at dusk very peaceful nice place to stop after travelling
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