Driving the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Highway 99): Shannon Falls, Sea to Sky Gondola & Brandywine Falls

Connecting Vancouver with Whistler across 120 kilometres of Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky Highway climbs from sea level along the glacial ocean fjord of Howe Sound (Átl'ḵa7tsem, a UNESCO Biosphere Region and North America's southernmost fjord) straight into the glaciated peaks of the Coast Mountains. Instead of rushing through in 1 hour 45 minutes, allow 4 to 5 hours to stop at these five landmarks going south to north.

1. The Fjord & Squamish Stops (45 to 60 Mins North of Vancouver)

1. Porteau Cove Provincial Park & Britannia Mine Museum (km 38 & km 50): pull over at the waterfront pier of Porteau Cove for a 180-degree view over Howe Sound, and 10 minutes further at historic Britannia Beach to ride an underground mining train inside the 1923 20-storey Mill No. 3 concentrator building or grab espresso at Outbound Station and Galileo Coffee.
2. Shannon Falls Provincial Park (km 58, Free Entry, 10-Minute Stop): just before entering Squamish, turn right into Shannon Falls and walk 5 minutes up a flat cedar boardwalk to stand at the base of a 335-metre-high (1,099-foot) cascade tumbling down sheer granite cliffs.
3. The Sea to Sky Gondola & Stawamus Chief in Squamish (km 59): rising right beside Shannon Falls is the 700-metre vertical granite monolith of the Stawamus Chief, one of the largest granite domes on Earth. Ride the 10-minute Sea to Sky Gondola up to 885 metres elevation to cross the 100-metre Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and stand on cantilevered decks overlooking the turquoise river delta of Howe Sound.

2. The Canyon & Waterfall Stops Approaching Whistler (15 to 25 Mins South)

4. Alice Lake & Tantalus Lookout (km 74 & km 82): pull into the roadside Tantalus Viewpoint (northbound lane) to see the serrated glaciers of the Tantalus Range rising across the Squamish River valley.
5. Brandywine Falls Provincial Park (km 105, 15 Mins South of Whistler, Free Entry): a flat 10-minute (500-metre) walk across a covered bridge and railway tracks leads to a cliff-edge platform facing Brandywine Falls, where Brandywine Creek plunges 70 metres sheer over a black hexagonal basalt rim into a horseshoe canyon (walk 2 minutes further to the viewpoint over turquoise Daisy Lake).