The West Coast Loop is the name I came up with for an epic trip that spans two Provinces and 2,442km of spectaular natural wonders. The West Coast Loop starts in Calgary Alberta, and runs down the Trans- Canada Hwy 1 to Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in BC’s Lower mainland. Then its a quick ferry ride over to Vancouver Island and off to Parksville BC and beyond if you so choose, but we tend to stay at Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville. Then it is back to Calgary, but now following Hwy 3 the Crows Nest Hwy.
This trip has so many possibilities If you love to camp and explore. There are potentially more than 25 campgrounds just along Hwy 1 alone. Hwy 1 the Trans-Canada offers you 4 National parks as you travel to the West Coast with several campgrounds to choose from. Provincial campgrounds dot Hwy 1 all the way to the coast and offer some excellent camping opportunities. If you decide to take the ferry over to Vancouver Island there again are many campgrounds up and down the island that will offer you the Island experience and ocean getaway.
Vancouver Island is a Macrocosm all onto itself. A mosaic of rural farms , metropolitan cities, and quaint towns. Vancouver island is big over 460km or 290 miles in length and 100km or 62 miles wide. That’s 32,134km2 or 12,407 sq miles of island to explore. There are hwys that travel North/South and West to the Pacific Ocean and Pacific Rim National Park. On the Eastern side of the island there are two hwy’s to explore. The old Hwy 19A will take you along a very scenic lazy route traveling from Parksville to Campbell River in the North. Then there is Hwy 19 which is the main North/South Hwy on the Island and travels from Victoria in the south to Campbell River in the North, and beyond to Port Hardy.
When on the Island visiting family we now stay at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. Lorraine loves this campground and it will also be the place we will have our wedding at, in August 2019. Rathtrevor beach is located on the outskirts of Parksville BC, where all the amenities of a city can be found along with some touristy attractions. Parksville has an incredible public beach that we highly recommend you visit, especially if you have kids.
While here we use the campground as a jump off point to explore the island in our toad. there are so many wonderful places to visit all within minutes or a couple of hours drive from Parksville.
There are also private campgrounds up and down the island, some with Beachfront campsites, but as with all the campgrounds on the island and around Parksville, reservations are key to getting a spot during high season.
Traveling back after an always fantastic time on the island with family, finds us in line at the ferry terminal waiting to head back to Horseshoe Bay. From there it’s back onto the Trans-Canada Hwy and onwards to Hope BC. There the road splits into three options, Hwy 1 the Trans-Canada, Hwy 5 – the infamous Coquihalla, and Hwy 3 the Crows Nest Hwy. Lets take door number 3.
The Crow’s Nest Hwy travels from Hope BC to Medicine Hat Alberta a distance of 1,163km or 697mi. On our return we don’t travel the whole Hwy as we turn off at the junction of either Hwy 22 or Hwy 2 in Alberta and head north towards Calgary.
There are so many opportunities to explore some incredible locations, towns, and campgrounds while traveling Hwy 3, but first you have to get through E.C. Manning Provincial Park. Manning Park as it is know in BC is a beautiful forest preserve with several campgrounds and a hotel type lodge in the middle of the park. Once out of the park you will then hit the small town of Princeton. After Princeton you will have the opportunity to split off of Hwy 3 and head in to the Okanagan on Hwy’s 3a and then Hwy 97, which will take you to all three cities and two Townships of the Okanagan. If you skip the Okanagan detour then you will continue on Hwy 3 to Osoyoos.
Once you make it to Osoyoos, there is one Provincial campground and several private campgrounds to choose from. The Provincial campground Haynes Point is very popular and only has 37 sites. Making a reservation here is difficult if not impossible but certainly worth a try.
As you leave Osoyoos the road now begins to take on a serious elevation climb and will continue to do so until you reach the Alberta border. There are four passes in total that must be climbed before reaching Alberta. the worst is the Kootenay Pass at 1774m or 5820 ft.
Along this stretch of Hwy 3 there are several Provincial campgrounds and Private campgrounds in which to choose from if you decide to take a break from the open road. We like to stop at Christina Lake and camp at Gladstone Provincial park in the Texas Creek campground. This is a nice halfway point between Osoyoos and Fernie. When you leave Christina Lake and head back out on Hwy 3 the journey will take you towards Fernie BC where again there are several campgrounds, both provincial and private in which to choose from. Again we like the Provincial campgrounds and have stayed at both Kikomun Creek and Mount Fernie. If you like to mountain bike then Mount Fernie is your mecca. Fernie is the last stop in BC before the Alberta border and travel times back to Calgary from here are about 4 to 5 hours.
Nuts & Bolts
This trip is amazing and offers so many opportunities and adventures as you explore these two epic highways. As with any RV Adventure planning is essential to enjoying the trip, and ensuring you have a campsite at all the various weighpoints and stopovers along the way. Depending on how much time you have this trip can be done in as little as two weeks or you can take your time and stretch it out for a month easily. Along the way you will not have any issues finding amenities, fuel, food, or propane. There are many places in which to stop and take on supplies. Cell phone coverage along this route is pretty good considering how much time you spend in the mountains, but there are gaps and outages; so just be aware that you may not get a signal in every place you stop or travel to. This trip can be expensive depending on where you are coming from and how big your family is. We have done this trip as described several times over the years and have found that we typically spend between $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 for a months tour. Using BC’s Discovercamping reservation site to look at and reserve campsites for this trip helps out a lot. If you should decide to do this trip or a variation of it you will not be disappointed with any of the attractions or natural beauty that you will find along the way.
Happy Trails
the Glampurs