Once a well-kept secret for Vancouver locals, Squamish’s popularity is on the rise, and it’s no surprise why. Travellers have discovered this delightful adventure destination and know that each season brings something new.
Here are our top three Must-Dos when visiting Squamish this fall.
Photo credit: Rope Runner Aerial Adventure Park
Try your hand rope running at the town’s newest attraction, Rope Runner Aerial Adventure Park. Standing 17 metres high and 20 metres in diameter, the structure is built of steel, wood, ropes, and wire. Guides assist visitors in running the line and taking part in other games on the ropes.
A full-body harness and unique safety system keep visitors safe, giving them the ability to move through the various levels of the course. They get to choose their path along the circuit, balancing over wooden beams, running like a ninja warrior, jumping off the tower at 15 meters or navigating through the obstacles. A selection of 50 games is offered, including logger sports (high wire log rolling), Ninja warriors (running boards, monkey bars, rings of madness and more), biking (pedalling a bike on a beam 40 feet in the air), climbing (big spider-web climbing net) and more. It’s absolutely as death-defyingly fun as it sounds.
Credit Tourism Squamish
Hit the hiking trails, which will take you along rivers, lakes, ancient rainforests and vast mountainous terrain. The famous Sea to Summit trail (accessible from the Sea to Sky Gondola’s base parking lot) is a moderate 7.5 km trail with 900 metres elevation gain, offering stunning vistas of Shannon Falls, Howe Sound, Sky Pilot and the surrounding peaks. The Stawamus Chief trail (7.5 km with 550 metres gain) remains a classic for its stunning views and diverse terrain made of a mix of steep stairs, ladders and mossy, west coast forest. Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest just outside Squamish features 10km of trails, the most common being the main loop around Brohm Lake itself.
Credit Tourism Squamish
Located on the ocean at the tip of the Howe Sound fjord, and the doorstep of eight Provincial Parks, Squamish is a rock climbing mecca. The area boasts more than 3,500 rock climbing routes and bouldering problems, including the famous Stawamus Chief. Plenty of companies offer beginner courses and guided tours, perfect for every level of climber, including kids. Beginners may feel most comfortable trying their hand at the Via Ferrata, or “Iron Way”, a vertical adventure that allows you to clip in and ascend upwards along Squamish’s famous granite using metal rungs and a specialised cable system. If you’re brave enough, take the time to lean back and take in the jaw-dropping views of Howe Sound and the beautiful snow-capped peaks of Sky Pilot.
