7 ways to explore BC’s mountains this summer

BC’s mountains offer countless opportunities to discover new adventures.

Whether you like to climb to the very top of BC’s alpine peaks or wander the fertile valleys between them, there are countless opportunities to discover something new in the rugged mountains of British Columbia. Hike, raft, scale, ride, or fly your way around these massive ranges, and enhance your adventure by booking an experienced guide who can share their insights and lead you to all the best places.

Here are seven ways to enjoy BC’s mountainous landscape.

1. See it from above: take a flightseeing tour

Look down upon glistening glaciers, turquoise lakes, and alpine peaks on a flightseeing tour, and get up close to BC’s peaks within minutes of takeoff.

Join a trip with SKY Helicopters, based in Pitt Meadows, for a West Coast Craft Beer Flight and sample some of BC’s best craft ales after a 3015-minute flight into the backcountry. From Campbell River on Vancouver Island, hop on a 45-minute Comox Glacier Tour with 49 North Helicopters. In Northern BC, adventure seekers can fly over the UNESCO Global Geopark in Tumbler Ridge with Ridge Heli Adventures.

2. Ride downhill: gravity-fuelled mountain biking

BC is home to some of the best mountain biking in the world. There are endless alpine trails, downhill bike parks, and loamy, lush forests to flow down on two wheels.

In Squamish, Dialed In Cycling can show you the top trails with two-, three-, and four-hour guided tours and family rides. Try well-known trails and discover hidden gems with knowledgeable guides.

For a downhill adrenaline rush, BC’s bike parks pack a punch. With eight downhill bike parks across BC, the terrain is extensive and varied. Head to Mount Washington Alpine Resort to cruise the only Island bike park, with 23 trails and sprawling views over the Strait of Georgia.

3. Follow the leader: join a guided hiking adventure

Take to the mountains for a gentle, meandering day hike or tackle a longer backcountry trek.

In Whistler, choose between valley, alpine, and backcountry experiences that range from forest frolics to glacier treks. For a more off-the-beaten-path adventure, plan a multi-day trip along the Sunshine Coast Trail and experience one of Canada’s longest hut-to-hut hiking routes. To make the trip a breeze, book a guided experience with Footprint Nature Explorations based out of Powell River.

Based in Victoria, MB Guiding offers trips to lesser-known Island mountain ranges and routes. In Kamloops, join The Coyote “Sek’lép” Tour for a two-hour experience along the shores of Kamloops Lake.

4. Let gravity do the work: zip and zoom down the mountains

Little effort and ample reward are guaranteed when you book a zipline or mountain coaster experience.

Join a tour with West Coast Wild, located between Port Alberni and Tofino on Vancouver Island, and zip among six different zipline routes that thread their way through the Kennedy River Canyon. Further north, check out Eagle’s Flight ZipTour at Mount Washington and reach speeds of up to 100 km per hour with panoramic views of some of the highest peaks on Vancouver Island. In the Okanagan, tackle the seven-station zipline course at Oyama Zipline with views of Kalamalka Lake.

For more gravity adventures, try The Pipe Mountain Coaster in Revelstoke and glide down 1.4 km of track through a tunnel, gaining speeds of up to 42 km per hour while descending from Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

5. Test your balance: via ferrata, adventure parks, and sky bridges

For an adrenaline rush, scale the rocks on BC’s peaks with a Via Ferrata experience, or test your balance on a suspension bridge.

Join a Via Ferrata tour and clip into a cable and lanyard system to scale a series of iron rungs and ladders to the peak of Whistler or along the rock formations and bluffs surrounding the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish.

Test your fear of heights on BC’s newest attraction in Golden at the Golden Skybridge. This is Canada’s highest suspension bridge, spanning 426 feet above the canyon with views of the Rocky and Purcell mountain ranges and a rushing river and waterfall.

6. Ride the rapids: raft down ancient rivers

Navigating rushing waterways that cut through deep canyons is a whole other way to adventure through BC’s mountainous terrain.

Join Whistler Jet Boat Adventures to weave along the Green River to the base of Nairn Falls near Pemberton. Common wildlife sightings (think: bears and deer) are a bonus to the adventure.

One of the best whitewater rivers in BC sits under the towering peak of Mount Robson near Valemount. Book a tour with Mount Robson Whitewater for a three- or six-hour experience navigating Class 3 rapids. In the Fraser Canyon, stay at the all-inclusive REO Rafting Resort for a riverside camping and glamping getaway and a raft on the jade-green Nahatlatch River.

7. Go country: explore the trails on horseback

Let four legs lead the way with an adventure on horseback. It’s one of the best ways to explore the terrain in BC’s valleys and rolling mountainsides.

In BC’s South Chilcotin Mountains, Tyax Adventures offers multi-day horseback trips and hut-to-hut experiences through mountain passes, sub-alpine meadows, and past glacier-fed lakes. The all-inclusive Free Rein Guest Ranch in the South Cariboo offers an intimate atmosphere with only 12 guests at a time.

Big Bar Guest Ranch is owned by the tswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation and is located on the traditional territory of the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. Join a one-hour, half-day, or full-day ride and spend the rest of the day canoeing, fishing, swimming, hiking, or on a cultural tour of the area.

Further east, in the Canadian Rockies, Three Bars Guest Ranch sits on more than 35,000 acres and is home to over 120 horses. Join small-group rides every morning and afternoon, and in between enjoy fishing, hiking, ATVing, mountain biking, and more.

This summer, get out of your comfort zone and book a new experience in BC’s mountains.