How to plan your road trip in British Columbia

Once you move to British Columbia you realize that it is a province with stark beauty.

On one hand, you have urban beauty with cities like Vancouver and Victoria. On the other, you can witness true untamed beauty by visiting any one of the many national parks that BC has to offer.

One of the first things you should do as soon as you get a chance is to go on a road trip in British Columbia. With a Tim Horton’s almost everywhere and hospitable people, a Canadian road trip is the stuff of dreams.

In Canada you have so many routes, that you will be spoiled for choice. But there are some that stand out for being perfect for families with children in the tow. Here’s one of the favourite family road trip routes.

Road Trip in British Columbia: The Pacific Rim Loop

Vancouver Island is where the blacktop finally ends, and the lush green coastal rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean. The route from the Lower Mainland to the Pacific Rim National Park shall show you some of the greatest sights British Columbia has to offer.

In a six-hour drive you’ll see awe-inspiring trees, big mountains where families and especially kids love to go hiking, big beaches where everyone loves to swim, and a whole lot of family fun.

You can get a ride in a multi-level car ferry, that has a restaurant and a kid’s play area, from Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay. It will cost you about $110 for a family of four.

If you are going over the weekend you should get a reservation. The journey will take almost two hours, but it will be a fun-filled two hours. On the way you will be spotting orcas, seals and wild eagles.

Get down in Nanaimo, and then drive north to Parkville to enjoy the beach. Here you’ll find shallow beaches which reveal their wonders at low tide. Your children will feel like Indiana Jones.Plus, there are two big mini-golf courses at Parkville too. Paradise Fun Park is a good option here for it has mini-golf and bumper boats with water cannons. The water cannons are an absolute blast. The Paradise Fun Park will cost you $50 per family.

After you have had your fill there, you can follow the Pacific Rim Highway westward across Vancouver Island and visit Cathedral to visit the massive Douglas firs and Western red cedars. There are lots of fallen trees which children see not as fallen trees but as obstacle course to be tackled. You can try it too. After this, there are two other places to stop by.

If you drive north you will reach Tofino, the home of surfers. But you can also head south to Ucluelet which is a logging community now turned into a tourist village. Ucluelet is also the doorway to the coastal Wild Pacific Trail.

Both are amazing places, so which should you visit? Both of them! They’re just a 30 minute drive apart.

When you have had your share of the adventures the wilderness has to offer you can drive back south all the way to Victoria. The capital of British Columbia is something your kids will adore. You can take them to Beacon Hill Park, which has a petting zoo and a splash park.

However before setting up on a road trip with your children make sure you pack all the essentials; lots of healthy snacks, change of clothes and sunblock.

Henry Kingston is a passionate health and lifestyle blogger who loves to write about prevailing trends. He is a featured author at various authoritative blogs in the health and fitness industry and currently working for Centra Care Kids, a Florida-based pediatric urgent care provider. You can find him using Twitter.

Plan your road trip in British Columbia

• Explore more day trips from Vancouver.
• Read our Moving to Vancouver city guide for more easy-to-follow advice.