12 spontaneous road trips to take from Vancouver before summer ends

Love travelling but hate the planning that often comes with it? This list of must-visit summer destinations is for you, whether you’re in the mood for a scenic day on the lake, a trip to the Island, or an afternoon of fun at a waterpark. So with that in mind, here are 12 spontaneous road trips to take from Vancouver before summer ends.

Cultus Lake Park 

Cultus Lake Park offers one of the most accessible lake days near Vancouver, at just an hour and a half’s drive from the city. With crystal-clear waters, sandy beaches, and almost 300 front-country campsites to choose from, the only hard time you’ll have is leaving.

Aside from water activities, visitors can hike the Seven Sisters Trail (connecting Entrance Bay and Clear Creek campgrounds) and the more challenging Teapot Hill Trail, offering stunning mountain vistas. And for those seeking more family-friendly action, you can check out Cultus Lake Waterpark, one of the largest of its kind in BC.

Where: Chilliwack, BC
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour and 50 minutes by car

Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park

Waterfall lovers, this one’s for you. The Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park is located just east of Chilliwack, and includes a 60-metre-high waterfall! The best part? This gorgeous view is only a 15-minute walk away. No fatigue or dehydration is necessary to reach this famous spot!

Once you’ve enjoyed the falls, you can check out the 32-acre Minter Gardens. Get some quality bird-watching in, or make use of the Bridal Falls Waterpark if you need a little cool-down. Since Chilliwack is just a hop skip and jump away, you might as well venture off into the Cheam Lake area!

Where: Bridal Falls, BC
Distance from Vancouver: One hour and a half by car

Pemberton 

Situated just 20 minutes north of Whistler, Pemberton has plenty of hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and pumpkin-picking opportunities to offer visitors, all the while surrounded by stunning summer scenery. This includes the stunning Joffre Lakes, Birkenhead, and Nairn Falls Provincial Parks.

Where: Pemberton Valley, BC
Distance from Vancouver: Two hours by car

Sasamat Lake

A popular choice for lake days in the summer, Sasamat Lake offers visitors wide shandy shores to explore and an extensive hiking trail network if you want to work up a sweat before taking a dip into its clear waters. All in all, it’s about an hour and a half trip each way if you want to bus, or a one-hour drive to Belcarra Regional Park.

Where: Harrison Hot Springs
Distance from Vancouver: One hour by car

Squamish

Food. Art. Beer. Hiking. What more could you want in a day trip destination? Squamish is an ideal place to spend the day or weekend if you’re feeling indecisive, because there’s something for everyone here. Home to the Stawamus Chief, Alice Lake, and the famed Sea-to-Sky Gondola, it’s a popular spot for a reason!

Where: Squamish, BC
Distance from Vancouver: 50 minutes by car

Buntzen Lake

Situated in Port Moody, Buntzen Lake is easily accessible via transit and offers a beautiful spot for swimming, picnicking, hiking, and paddling. You can take the N9 from downtown Vancouver to Coquitlam Central Station, where you can easily hop on 179 to head to the lake’s entrance.

Where: North of Port Moody
Distance from Vancouver: Just over one hour by car

Harrison Hot Springs

Fortunately for Vancouverites, the small town of Harrison is only 90 minutes away – and the resort town has much to offer day-trippers. Golfing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and various lake activities all await.

Where: Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Distance from Vancouver: Just under two hours by car

Golden Ears Provincial Park

This is definitely a destination for your most active friends. Pack lunch beforehand and go walk/hike around one of the biggest parks in BC. Tackle the trail up Golden Ears, or keep things a little more lowkey by walking along the creeks and lakes in the area. Afterward, swing by Big Feast so your friends can say they ate a restaurant featured on “You Gotta Eat Here.”

There’s also the nearby Alouette River, which makes for a great paddle and swimming destination!

Where: Maple Ridge, BC
Distance from Vancouver: Around 50 minutes by car

S⨱ótsaqel / Chilliwack Lake Park 

Located just under three hours away from Vancouver, Chilliwack Lake is a beautiful spot to set up for the day of paddling, kayaking, and swimming this summer. The scenic provincial park is situated in the upper Chilliwack River Valley, and is known for its valley-bottom lake with sparkling waters.

Where: Chilliwack, BC

Pinecone Burke Park 

Fun fact: Pinecone Burke Park is also home to the largest freshwater tidal lake in North America – AKA Pitt Lake, which runs south to include Burke Mountain. Influenced by the tides from the Strait of Georgia, the lake boasts unique tidal waves for boating and fishing.

Visitors can also access the stunning Munro and Dennett lakes and Burke Ridge by using old logging roads and trails from the Port Coquitlam and the District Hunting and Fishing Club at the end of Harper Road.

Where: North of Coquitlam, BC
Distance from Vancouver: Approximately one hour by car

Qualicum Beach 

This one is the furthest pick on this list, only because you have to hop on a ferry to the Island to get there. The quaint town of Qualicum Beach is known for its soft, sandy beaches and mountainside waterfalls, such as those found at the famed Little Qualicum Falls Park.

Where: Qualicum Beach, BC
Distance from Vancouver: Three hours by car and ferry

And that’s a wrap on some of the most incredible road trip destinations to visit in BC before summer ends. If you’re looking for places to visit in BC without a car – check out these summer destinations you can access by bus!

Happy adventuring!