Garibaldi Highlands is just north of Squamish alongside Highway
99 the Sea to Sky Highway. The Highlands, as the name suggests are
spread over hillside benches and offer great
snow-capped mountain views and distant ocean views. The area
is known for its bald eagles, fantastic rock climbing, hiking,
and mountain biking.
Attractions/Activities
- Britannia Beach. 12 km. (7 mi) south of Squamish. Site of one
of the world’s great mines, which closed in 1974 after producing
more than 56 million tons of copper. Today, you can visit the B.C.
Museum of Mining and walk the Britannia mine’s cavernous
tunnels, which have also served as a location for X-Files episodes.
- Murrin Lake Provincial Park. Just north of the mine site, an
ideal picnic and climbing spot for novice and intermediate climbers.
- Shannon Falls Provincial Park. From a viewing platform, photographers
can get fabulous shots of the cascade, which drops 335 m. (1,099
ft.) along Hwy. 99, just south of Squamish.
- Stawamus Chief. There are more than 200 climbing routes up this
monstrous monolith, whose sheer face soars more than 652 m. (2,139
ft.) above sea level. The Chief, just north of Shannon Falls, has
been in several action adventure films, with stars including Sylvester
Stallone shooting on location.
- Squamish Logger Days. Competitors come from around the world
to show their skills in wood. Other festivals include the Thunder
in the Streets Squamish Car Rally and Squamish Open Annual Regatta
Sailboat Races.
- West Coast Railway Heritage Park. Train enthusiasts and history
buffs alike converge to learn about and relive what it was like
at the peak of the train era. The entire park was developed and
is maintained by volunteers who are more than happy to give an
explanation on the many displays open to the public. One of the
park's most recent acquisitions is the famed Royal Hudson #2860
steam locomotive which for decades traveld between Vancouver and
Squamish.
- Annual Eagle Count. From November through January, thousands
of bald eagles gather in the area one of the largest such
gatherings in the world. Local groups and the Nature Conservancy
sponsor an eagle count in January that draws international crowds.
- Furry Creek. Furry Creek is home to one of BC's most scenic golf
courses, with panoramic ocean views and hills to challenge golfers
of all stripes!
