Paved route through Alberta and BC

I put together a track (tracks) for GPS devices that has the main Tourist attractions along the route, as well as a few neat side trips. It has the fuel stops that I have experience with, and some nice hotels, like the Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff which is a personal favorite. I did mark a few campsites as well that I have experience with.

I may build on this thread and welcome input from other BC members for routes around Vancouver that would be traveler friendly.

All the roads listed in the track I have personally ridden with my FZ and other bikes and tried to piece together as many of my favorites without making it too convoluted.



The track was built on the premise of a US / Canada Border crossing at Chief Joseph Border crossing south of Waterton National Park. It is a seasonal 08:00 to 22:00 crossing on a nice piece of road that connects with Hwy 89 in Montana near Babb.

There is fuel available in the park at Waterton and it is worth a side trip into the Park to see the Prince Of Wales Hotel and the view from the hill it sits atop. Red Rock Canyon is another nice stop inside Waterton National park while you are there. Accommodations are available at the town-site as well as 3 campgrounds.

I purposely avoided Calgary but if a traveler wants to see the gargantuan-mass-of-traffic-headache it is an easy side trip and I would be happy to give assistance in planning for that.

Highway 40 west of Longview is a great road that only just recently opened after the flood damage from last year. This year it will have a few very short gravel sections through construction areas as the road continues to be re-rehabilitated. This is a fantastic and scenic road up to where it joins the Trans-Canada highway. It is a very high mountain pass and generally opens up in the later part of June each year. Mountain goats and Big Horned sheep are common and not shy so caution is advised near the summit.

I route off the Trans-Canada onto old number 1 , now called highway 1A, as it is much less busy, and more scenic, both before and after going through Canmore Alberta.

You must purchase a Park pass at the Gates west of Canmore if you follow the track onto the Icefield Parkway (highway #93) up to Jasper.

Lake Louise is a nice spot to see, by the big hotel by the lake, but Morraine Lake nearby is more scenic and worth the short ride. The Lake there is what is on the back of the twenty dollar Bill in Canada.

There are many photo ops' to be had along the Icefield Parkway and the Icefield itself where you can take a tour on one of the huge buses, that take you out onto the Glacier. Worth it if you have never been.

At Jasper I route you onto a very short detour that has a few different cabin accommodations, my favorite being Takara Lake Lodge. Expensive but very nice with a long history. There are a few other very nice ones, but reservations are a must during high season. If you are riding;it is High-Season.

Jasper is worth exploring so plan a bit of time if you can. I marked a favorite Greek restaurant in Jasper, but there are many good food establishments in town, The Gondola Ride at Jasper is better than the one in Banff, especially if you do the hike at the top.

Highway 16 (Known as the Yellowhead Route) west of Jasper is very picturesque and be sure to stop for a picture if the weather is clear when you see Mount Robson in your mirrors. It is best seen from the west side.

Grizzly Bear and Black bear sightings along the highway are not uncommon; just remember they are fast as cats so don’t stop for a close up. The highway narrows as you turn south onto Highway 5 near Blue River. It is very picturesque with thick forest and lots of elevation change as you follow and cross the valley. A nice stop is at Little Hell’s Gate along the route before reaching Little Fort.
As you near Kamloops the Valley opens up into more wide open farm land. Kamloops is a large center built on the hill side in a very hot and arid “high desert” climate. There are lots of services for anything you might need. Almost every major hotel chain as well as camping is available.

The route takes you up and out the south side of Kamloops on the #5A, and winds through the Nicola Valley and along a huge lake. It is typically very windy along the lake, perfect for kite surfing and sail boarding, but can be challenging on a bike on the narrow highway.

Merrit is the next services along this stretch and although limited in selection, it has both accommodations and food, and fuel. Heading west from Merrit, Highway 8 is a narrow, winding road that is a blast on a sport-bike. Please remember that in British Columbia the penalty for speeding is harsh (40 kph over the limit will lose you your bike for a week, as well as a huge fine.) Even at a reasonable speed you will burn your chicken strips off on this stretch of road.

At Spences Bridges you will cross a busy level train track and join the Trans Canada Highway for a nice (one of the best) stretches of it as it winds through the Fraser Canyon to Lytton, where you will turn onto Highway 12 to Lillooet along a great piece of pavement that has lots of nice elevation change and a few very tight corners. Pay attention to the signs as over cooking a corner would be deadly! There are typically lots of deer on the northern half of the highway, especially early in the day. There is a very short stretch just before you drop into the valley floor near Lillooet that is one lane (alternating) where it hugs the cliff wall. Watch for rock fall on that stretch.

Make sure to fill right up at Lillooet as it is the last chance until Pemberton and you might burn more than usual along what is known as Duffy Lake Road. It has recently been paved and is a spectacular road for both scenery and as a bike-fun road. Watch for motor-homes and trailers that cut the tight corners and drag gravel up onto the road-way.

The sea to Sky Highway runs from Whistler to Vancouver and the track ends just above the Ferry Terminal at Horseshoe Bay. This is a great highway but has very low speed limit making it a bit of a drone. Unfortunately it is the only practical way down and the views make up for it. It is heavily patrolled so be good.

Vancouver navigation has been left to a local expert.
 

Attachments

  • Tourist paved north route.gpx
    1 MB · Views: 23
Last edited:
I'd be happy to contribute :)

That would be great.

Although I have been down the sea to Sky Highway and through Vancouver many times, I am no expert. I thought it best to leave it to a local for a good route through the city as well as hotel and gas stop recommendations.
 
I've never done anything like this before but I do have Basecamp which I use regularly for uploading routes to my GPS. Pm me to give me some guidelines to go by :)
 
I've never done anything like this before but I do have Basecamp which I use regularly for uploading routes to my GPS. Pm me to give me some guidelines to go by :)

If you are used to building routes with Google maps, you can do it there, then export the "klm file"to your hard-drive and import that into Basecamp. Add any way-points to the file (like hotels, fuel stops, food stops) and then export the file from Basecamp. It will automatically export it as a "gpx" file. You can email the file to me if you want and I can filter it to reduce its size. "KLM" files from Google tend to have TONS of waypoints when converted.




Eventually it would be nice to see local versions of this for each area that there are members. It would be a helpful tool for those here that like to travel. Local intel is always the best!
 
Last edited:
The Southern Track Description

The southern tracks:

Leaving Vancouver I route along Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser River and detour into Harrison Hot Springs. I have stayed in the big resort hotel and it is very nice. Great food and Amenities to be had.

Hope to Princeton (Highway 3) is a beautiful road with lots of passing lanes that runs through Manning Park. The Cascade Mountains at their spectacular best; Trees, snowcapped peaks and clear, mountain rivers with lots of places to pull over to take it in. There is one notorious corner that sneaks up on you, so if you see vehicles appearing to move through the trees at a right angle, slow down. Again, pay attention to signs to avoid disaster.
The highway is two-lane most of the way with few passing lanes once you pass Princeton, all the way to Osoyoos. It tends to be very hot in the Okanagan and Osoyoos is the worst for that. It does however have a great, sandy beach to cool off at and is a very busy summer vacation spot with one of Canada's warmest lakes. Later in the summer the fruit stands beside the many orchards are a fantastic spot to stop for a snack if you like truly fresh fruit like peaches and apples.

The road east up and out of Osoyoos has been a long time favorite, best done early in the morning so you can enjoy the short but intense section of extremely tight curves as you near the top of the hill. Try not to get stuck behind a big truck or camper as it will ruin the experience. You can push your tires and skill to the limit even at less than illegal speeds. This is one of my favorite stretches of highway #3. Not long after than bit of fun you will descend to Rock Creek through a wide but very tight switch back, and turn north on highway 33. Be sure to fuel at Rock creek before heading north to Kelowna on this remote but entertaining stretch of pavement. Be extra vigilante as the deer population is always high through this section.

From Kelowna to Vernon you are on the Okanagan Valleys super-highway. The vistas of the lake from the top are nice, but it is BUSY. From Vernon you turn onto Highway 6 for a great but remote run to the needles Ferry. Be sure to fuel at Lumby as you will have no other opportunity until Nakusp. Highway #6 is another long-time favorite with a few narrow tight sections that can get your pegs scraping. The cable Ferry at Needles doesn’t run 24 hours but I would not recommend that highway in the dark due to the wildlife. After the ferry the highway is scenic but fairly casual, with long sweepers as it winds along the lake to Nakusp. After Nakusp you will turn south and Head for New Denver past a couple of my favorite campgrounds. If you camp, bring cash or checks as they don’t take plastic.

Be sure to fuel in either Nakusp or New Denver as the road (highway 31A) to Kaslo has nothing but a Ghost town along its length. The short detour just before the hairpin to Sandon is fun but not paved. If it is dry you should be able to do it fairly easily even on sport-bike tires and is worth a look. Highway 31 A is one of the best motorcycling roads in B.C. in my opinion and other than sometimes rough road surface, and deer is perfection. As you get close to Kaslo the road winds along the river in curve after excellent curve.

Kaslo is my favorite B.C. town with a real hippy vibe. It has a great Hotel with a patio that overlooks the lake, a perfect spot to relax for a while. You can also find breakfast at a local favorite as early as 6 a.m. and the municipal campground is an easy walk to the main street for you campers. There is a really nice B&B called the Gables (I think) just down the street from the hotel.
Gas can be found just south of town, before the run to the Balfor ferry. Watch your speed as there are plenty of hiding spots for the local constabulary along this stretch. You pass Ainsworth Hot springs as pointed out by another forum member. It is reported to be a nice place to relax and take in the natural Cave hotsprings, right beside the highway. Accommodations are available.

At Balfor you will enjoy a nice free inland Ferry ride, giving you a chance to relax and take in the scenery for about an hour. Right at the dock (at Balfor) there is a great little bakery if you like that sort of thing.
Leaving the ferry you will climb a steep winding hill past Crawford Bay, after that you are on what is thought to be the best motorcycle road in the province. I would argue that since the speed limit is ridiculously low and traffic is busy. It is however an entertaining and beautiful road with a weird tourist attraction on the lake side, not too far south of Crawford Bay, called the Glass House. It is worth seeing but easy to miss if you are cooking along, so watch for the signs. I did mark it on the track.

After Creston and the long slow wind through town, you will be on Highway #3 for the duration of B.C. and into Alberta. It has a few interesting places to stop for touristy shots, but is a busy highway. Be patient, enjoy the road, and stop and enjoy the places along the way. I have marked some of my favorite places along the track.
 
Last edited:
The southern tracks:


Hope to Princeton (Highway 3) is a beautiful road with lots of passing lanes that runs through Manning Park. The Rockies at their spectacular best;

The highway is two-lane most of the way with few passing lanes once you pass Princeton, all the way to Osoyoos. It tends to be very hot in the Okanagan and Osoyoos is the worst for that. It does however have a great, sandy beach to cool off at and is a very busy summer vacation spot. Later in the summer the fruit stands beside the many orchards are a fantastic spot to stop for a snack if you like truly fresh fruit.

The road east up and out of Osoyoos has been a long time favorite, best done early in the morning so you can enjoy the short but intense section of extremely tight curves as you near the top of the hill.


Gas can be found just south of town, before the run to the Balfor ferry. Watch your speed as there are plenty of hiding spots for the local constabulary along this stretch. At Balfor you will enjoy a nice free inland Ferry ride, giving you a chance to relax and take in the scenery for about an hour. Right at the dock (at Balfor) there is a great little bakery if you like that sort of thing.
.

Just a few notes for you Wild Rose Country people.

The Hope-Princeton is in the Coast Range and not the Rockies.

It should be close to Peach Season in the Okanagan and the comments about Osoyoos (Oh-Soo-Yus) are uncalled for as it may be somewhat hot but it is very dry and quite comfortable. Go swimming in Canada's warmest fresh water lake at Haynes Point and miss most of the unpleasant Vancouver tourists.

Osoyoos to Rock City by way of Anarchist Mountain is a true joy early in the day when traffic is non-existent but the best turns are the switchbacks climbing out of the valley and descending into Rock City. Very nice view over the summit and down past Bridesville though.

You mention the Balfour Ferry but omit mentioning Ainsworth Hot Springs which is a pleasant place to spend an evening, particularly when it is cool.
 
Last edited:
Just a few notes for you Wild Rose Country people.

The Hope-Princeton is in the Coast Range and not the Rockies.

Technically it is the Cascade range where the highway cuts across, but I stand corrected.

It should be close to Peach Season in the Okanagan and the comments about Osoyoos (Oh-Soo-Yus) are uncalled for as it may be somewhat hot but it is very dry and quite comfortable. Go swimming in Canada's warmest fresh water lake at Haynes Point and miss most of the unpleasant Vancouver tourists.

No disrespect was meant to Osoyoos, but to us northerners it is hot. Peaches and apples are always a treat from the fruit stands. There is no shortage of tourists in Osoyoos in the summer, and yes the lake is warm.

Osoyoos to Rock City by way of Anarchist Mountain is a true joy early in the day when traffic is non-existent but the best turns are the switchbacks climbing out of the valley and descending into Rock City. Very nice view over the summit and down past Bridesville though.

It is a great piece of engineering from a bike stand point, yes.

You mention the Balfour Ferry but omit mentioning Ainsworth Hot Springs which is a pleasant place to spend an evening, particularly when it is cool.

Ainsworth: Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort

Ainsworth is not a spot I have ever stopped at, but I will mark it on the track. I did however route into Harrison Hotsprings out of Vancouver, which I have been to and it is also a nice place to relax for a day, with a much bigger and better hotel. BC Resort Hotel | British Columbia Resort Hotel

Toad Rock campground is only a few kilometers from Ainsworth and a neat funky place that is motorcycle specific camping. Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground, Kootenay Lake BC
 
At the moment I'm struggling with Basecamp. For the first time ever, it's not giving me any map detail, even at highest detail. None of the 3 maps work properly

Currently on Google looking for a solution
 
Last edited:
At the moment I'm struggling with Basecamp. For the first time ever, it's not giving me any map detail, even at highest detail. None of the 3 maps work properly

Currently on Google looking for a solution

That is weird, Did you have Base camp do a update and lose your maps? Click on the "Map" tab; Does it show anything? I deleted my OSM data on the work computer or I would send you zip file. If you have maps on your GPS unit (sd card format) just plug the unit into your computer with basecamp open and it will read the map on the GPS. It will only be visible when the GPS is plugged in. It still allows you to use all the regular functions that way.

I always have the maps on CD that way I have them installed on both the home computer and GPS.

Just FYI. The Canada TOPO DVD is not locked and can be installed on multiple computers, which is a bargain at $99.00 considering that. It is about 5 gigs of data so won't fit in most GPS, unless you load it on an SD card. I have it on my laptop and home computer but have not put it on an SD card yet.
 
I've got the maps and I swear it worked post-update but it's not working at the moment. I'm going to re-load the 2015 City Navigator map and see if perhaps there was an error
 
I've updated the map to feature some Vancouver landmarks and some food and lodging suggestions outside of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. There is so much to do in Vancouver and food choices are almost impossible to narrow down. Gas stations are in abundance from Pemberton all the way to Hope and it's almost impossible to run out

View attachment Updated Vancouver Route.gpx
 
Pictures along the route




Duffy Lake road between Lillooet and Pemberton.


Fraser Canyon near Lyton.


Kootenay Bay Ferry Terminal.


Kaslo Hotel.


Harrison Hot Springs looking out at the lake.


Hwy 12 heading from Lyton to Lillooet.


Toad Rock Campground entrance.


Christina Lake.




Highway 93 north of Lake Louise.


Anarchist Mountain east of Osoyoos.


Banff Springs Hotel.


Castle Mountain near Banff.


Morraine Lake, near Lake Louise.


Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff.
 
Ainsworth: Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort

Ainsworth is not a spot I have ever stopped at, but I will mark it on the track. I did however route into Harrison Hotsprings out of Vancouver, which I have been to and it is also a nice place to relax for a day, with a much bigger and better hotel. BC Resort Hotel | British Columbia Resort Hotel

Toad Rock campground is only a few kilometers from Ainsworth and a neat funky place that is motorcycle specific camping. Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground, Kootenay Lake BC

The Indians, Aboriginal People, First Nations...........those guys....regarded Ainsworth as a Spiritual Place but later gold miners drove a tunnel into it and hit hot water. The U-shaped tunnel forms most of the "spring" but the mouth has been dammed up to offer a hot pool that is immediately adjacent to a glacier fed cold pool. Great to hop from one to another.

On another point............I don't think you will find any reference to a "Cascade Range" in Canada where it is referred to as the Coast Range. Further east are the Purcells, Selkirks, Monashees and Cariboos. And.........if in that area,...............you should ride the Bugaboos and Hoodoos. Two different things. The Hoodoos being most easily accessed.
 
Back
Top