Fall Road Trip Guide: Here’s where to go to enjoy B.C.'s fall colours

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Ontario’s and Quebec’s forests get a lot of attention this time of year, but Central Canada isn’t the only region in the nation that erupts into a kaleidoscope of autumn colours come September. British Columbians are also currently busy raking yellow, orange, and red leaves out of their gardens.  

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The deciduous trees and forests throughout British Columbia put on a show as the plants prepare themselves for winter, attracting travellers and drawing out locals to some of the more scenic routes and areas to observe the colourful results. 

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B.C.’s leaf-peeping action starts mid-September or earlier in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, but doesn’t hit its full effect until mid-October in some of the colder regions on the Island and in the Interior North and East of the coastal centre. 

If you’re planning a road trip in B.C. this fall, there will certainly be some fall colours to check out regardless of what corner you’re headed to. Here are a few routes and standout places to visit to take in the fall colours in British Columbia. 

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Pacific Marine Circle, Vancouver Island

289 km (five hours)

Victoria has many parks and gardens that shift visually with the seasons, including the provincially-renowned Butchart Gardens. Not far up Highway 1 on the first leg of the Pacific Marine Circle, which runs from Victoria to Duncan to Port Renfrew and back to Victoria, is Goldstream Provincial Park. Known for its old-growth temperate rain forests and waterways, if you pass through at the right time in mid-October, you might also get to witness the Goldstream salmon run. 

Best tackled over two days or more, the nearly-300-km route provides a huge variety of sightseeing opportunities from the road alone. The Cowichan Valley enjoys one of the most temperate climates and longest growing seasons in all of Canada. Take time to explore the colourful local farms as well as the indigenous culture that existed long before and still thrives there today. Downtown Duncan provides convenient access to both, with great eateries featuring local produce and a Totem Tour that connects the dozens of totems on display through the city. 

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Vernon to Penticton, Okanagan Valley

110 km (one hour and 45 minutes)

A tour along the Valley starting in Vernon and heading south through Kelowna, across the lake, and beyond through Summerland and Penticton, provides dozens of opportunities to pop off the road and get a taste or feel for the season.  

As one of the most productive farmlands in the province and Western Canada’s most established wine region, the Okanagan Valley heartily celebrates the fall harvest season. Think pumpkin patches, apple picking, corn mazes, wine festivals, and the like. And as the last of the fruit falls from the trees, so does the chlorophyll from their leaves, causing the trees to come alive once more before winter. 

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A longer and twistier (but also more scenic) way to get from Vernon to Kelowna is via Westside Road, which skirts the west banks of Okanagan Lake.  

Mission to Hope via Highway 7

80 km (one hour)

Branded “Scenic Highway 7,” but commonly known as the Lougheed Highway to locals, this popular fall route connects Coquitlam, which is under an hour from the Vancouver centre with the mountain city of Hope, passing through Maple Ridge, Mission, Agassiz, and Harrison Hot Springs along the way.

The latter tourism hot-spot makes a great destination amidst the slower traffic of shoulder seasons like autumn. Agassiz is also worthy of an afternoon of exploration, with multiple charming cafes and tasty farm-to-table culinary experiences.

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Vancouver to Pemberton via Highway 99

155 km (two hours and 10 minutes)

The Sea-to-Sky highway is one of the most visually rewarding drives in the nation, if not the world. But blasting from Van City to Whistler and beyond to Pemberton on Highway 99 in one go, though easily done on a tank of gas in most vehicles, is best enjoyed with a few stops. Great coastal hikes — such as the trek to the Tunnel Bluffs — radiate from the main route for those who want to stretch their legs and take in the views.

For those who don’t, the Sea to Sky Gondola provides a bird’s-eye perspective of the rugged coastal mountain wilderness, which features patches of red and yellow amidst the predominantly green pine and fir forests, and without the quad burn. 

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But the colour starts in the big city. Take a drive through Stanley Park and across the Lions Gate Bridge, or walk the seawall, to see how the oranges look when they meet the dark blue of the Pacific ocean.

Rossland to Nelson Via Castlegar, Highways 22 & 3

80 km (one hour and 1 5 minutes)

This picturesque hour-long route connects the three Kootenay cities of Rossland, Castlegar, and Nelson, each of which is a hidden gem in and of itself. With a rugged charm and thriving adventure tourism industry, Nelson is Peak Kootenay. The surrounding mountains are blankets of evergreen speckled with yellow aspen, birch, and cottonwood, while the city itself is home to even more non-native trees that transform at this time of year.  

Castlegar and Rossland offer similarly brilliant downtown displays and access to mountain trails and roads to gain elevation and perspective on it all.