Camping & Skiing
- Simon Blunden
- Jun 6, 2017
- 3 min read
One destination we've started to enjoy visiting in both the summer and winter is Manning Park, B.C. Located about 220 kilometers East of Vancouver, E.C. Manning Park is a huge Provincial Park spanning over 70,000 hectares and is accessed via Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton, B.C. From Vancouver, you head East on Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley past Abbotsford, Chilliwack and then as you enter Hope you are treated to some spectacular views of the Fraser River.
Once in Hope, you head Eastbound on Highway #3 towards Princeton, B.C. and quickly begin ascending into the Canadian Cascade mountains. A nice place along the way to take a break from driving is the Hope Slide which is the location of Canada's largest landslide ever recorded. Manning Park is a great destination for both winter and summer visits. The park has a ski resort that offers both Alpine and Nordic skiing, Tubing and Ice Skating. We first discovered Manning Park Ski Resort during a B.C. Family Day Holiday and were immediately impressed with how quiet the ski hills were even on a holiday.
Like many other ski resorts during B.C. Family Day, Manning Park offers 50% discount on lift passes for B.C. residents on the holiday which made our family ski very affordable. Pictured above is our youngest daughter about to descend "Featherstone" ski run as she looks out over the Cascade Mountains.
On a clear day, the views are stunning. Because the park is located East of Metro Vancouver, the conditions are generally much better than the local Vancouver ski mountains yielding a heavier snowfall and snow that is less heavy due to the semi-arid location within the Cascades. In fact, during the 2010 Winter Olympics, the IOC had to ship snow from Manning Park to the local Vancouver Mountains because conditions were so bare. Anyone who has tried to battle the local Vancouver ski mountains during busy weekends or holidays know too well that parking can be a nightmare and you experience long line ups waiting for ski lifts. For us, the longer drive pays off with ample parking and minimal line ups allowing for a busy day of skiing.
As I mentioned earlier, Manning Park also offers some exceptional camping in the summer. The last time we visited Manning Park we secured a campsite at the popular Lightning Lake Campground. This is a very popular Provincial campground boasting 147 campsites and so reservations are highly recommended. This would be considered "Dry Camping" since the campsite doesn't offer electric, water or sewer hookups for those camping with RVs or Trailers. However, the campsite is well equipped with bathrooms which include hot water showers.
The lake itself offers some peaceful kayaking and canoeing experiences because motorized boats are prohibited. A few years ago, we purchased a used Advanced Elements inflatable kayak and so it was great to explore the lake while soaking in the sun and amazing mountain views. Manning Park Boat Rentals offer reasonably priced rentals of Paddle Boards, Kayaks, Canoes and Boats for those that don't own their own equipment. There are numerous hiking trails a couple of which loop you around the lake itself.
For those that enjoy the outdoors, this really is a great place to unplug and relax and you are forced to disconnect because there is no cell service in the park itself. If I could give one word of advice for campers, it would be to make sure you prepare and pack for cooler temperatures. Even though we visited Lightning Lake in the middle of a hot August, temperatures did dip considerably during the evenings.
I could probably write for hours recommending things to do while visiting Manning Park, but one activity I definitely recommend is to head up to the Cascade Lookout which is a short, windy 16km drive up the mountain opposite the Resort. We drove up about an hour before sunset and were treated to some incredible views and a spectacular sunset.
Even our Beagle Molly enjoyed the spectacular sunsets (as well as sniffing out chipmunks and squirrels). Whether you visit in the summer or winter, Manning will be sure not to disappoint.
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