Arrive by Air

Take the convenient 1.5-hour flight from the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport to land on a paved strip in the heart of the Bella Coola Valley. There are no hassles at the small Bella Coola Airport. If you've pre-booked your accommodation and arranged for pickup (many accommodations can do this), enjoy a few days of adventure and relaxation before flying back to reality. Rental cars are available through some accommodation providers.

Heading North by Car -- Take a Detour

If you have extra time -- perhaps you are on an RV holiday and heading north -- consider turning west to the Bella Coola Valley via Williams Lake. You will be blown away by the diversity of the scenery from the Chilcotin Plateau down into the Bella Coola Valley. All roads, including “The Hill,” are RV friendly. Bella Coola has four RV/camp operators with a total of 69 campsites and 101 RV units. After spending time in Bella Coola, return to Williams Lake and continue north on Highway 97 to Quesnel, and then Prince George. The highlights are noted below.

From Vancouver by car

This is a journey of approximately 1,000 km (620 mi) with average driving time of about 10 or 11 hours. This one-way trip, which can be completed by ferry service, would lend itself well to a week or 10 days including time for the many activities that abound in the Valley.
 
Follow Highway 1 east through the lush Fraser Valley to Hope, a town surrounded by mountains and famed for its chainsaw art. Continue north to Lytton, stopping at historic Yale, a boom town in the days of the 1858 Gold Rush.  
 
Ride the Airtram at Hells Gate on the Fraser River and follow to Lytton. This primarily logging town is the doorstep to Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park, a vast wilderness site. At Lytton, the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, continue north to Cache Creek and follow Highway 97 to Williams Lake, a great spot for mountain biking or a river rafting trip. The BC Cowboy Hall of Fame is well worth a visit.
 
From Williams Lake head west on Highway 20, over the picturesque Chilcotin Plateau; along the way, consider turning off to fly fish at Chilko, Tatla or any number of other trout-filled lakes. Soon you are into mountain scenery.
 
Arriving at Nimpo Lake, treat yourself to a flightseeing excursion and be dazzled as you soar above Hunlen Falls, one of Canada's highest waterfalls. Then take in the amazing spectrum of red, orange, yellow and lavender hues of the well-named Rainbow Mountains.
 
Just past Anahim Lake you enter Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, BC's largest park. At Heckman Pass you descend “The Hill” to follow an exhilarating switchback down into the Bella Coola Valley on Highway 20, also known as the Freedom Road. In 1953, a group of determined locals, frustrated by the lack of action of the government to give them road access out of the Valley, built the last section. The Freedom Road connects Bella Coola to the interior of the province. Highway 20 is paved or seal-coated between Williams Lake and Anahim Lake. From Anahim Lake to the Valley floor, well-maintained gravel sections are suitable for all vehicles. The road from the foot of The Hill to the wharf at Bella Coola is also paved.
 
(Note: This itinerary from Vancouver is the shortest route; you can also follow Highway 5, the Coquihalla, north to Merritt and cut across to Lillooet on another picturesque route on Highway 8. Or follow the Coquihalla to Kamloops, then drive Highway 97 to Ashcroft, Cache Creek and up to Williams Lake.)

The Discovery Coast Circle Tour

This 7- to 10-day road and ferry trip covers some 1,835 km (1,140 mi) and includes everything from soft adventures to historic sites. Along the way, you will constantly be distracted by the scenery.
 
Depart from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, to take a ferry to Victoria. After admiring the city's renowned gardens, parks, museums and beaches, drive north. Highlights along the way include the cultural centre “Come See our World” in Duncan, painted murals in Chemainus, and the waterfront city of Nanaimo with access to Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park. Continue north and turn off to Highway 19A to the oceanside communities of Parksville and Qualicum Beach. You may wish to cast a line in Campbell River, the Salmon Capital of the World; the fishing and scenery are spectacular. Don't miss the turn-off to Telegraph Cove, a village raised on stilts, and take a whale-watching tour.

Port Hardy, at the end of the road, is where you catch a BC Ferry again. Aboard the Queen of Chilliwack, you cruise by small islands in Queen Charlotte Strait, catch glimpses of harbour seals and sea lions and keep watch for whales blowing spray. You may also see schools of dolphins in these waters.
 
Then you cruise a section of BC's mid-coast that is only accessible by air or water. You'll see wondrous granite cliffs, dense evergreen forests and, occasionally, deserted sweeps of beach pounded by the Pacific. Some sailings go directly to Bella Coola, others stop at remote coastal communities such as McLoughlin Bay, Shearwater, Klemtu and Ocean Falls. These sparsely populated areas are known for fishing, sea kayaking and visits to Aboriginal sites. As you ferry north, keep your eyes on the ocean to see whales blowing spray or sea lions sunning themselves on offshore boulders.
 
Plan time in Bella Coola to take advantage of the outdoor recreation -- hike a trail, go fishing in both fresh and salt water, take a river or ocean guided trip and be enamoured by the meld of Aboriginal and pioneer history. Continue your journey on the celebrated Freedom Road (Highway 20), so named because determined locals built the road from Bella Coola to Anahim Lake on the Chilcotin Plateau. (Note: this road is mostly paved, but there is also a well-maintained gravel section; very steep in places with switchbacks, but suitable for all vehicles.) Drive through sections of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, BC's largest park. Watch for mountain goat, caribou, black bear, moose and countless bird species. At the top of the steep switchbacks known as "The Hill" you are at Heckman pass, which rises 1,524 metres (5,000 ft) above the sea.
 
Continue on Highway 20 across the Chilcotin Plateau, a region of golden, rolling ranchland that teems with outdoor possibilities. Charter a float plane to fly over Turner Lake and view one of North America's highest waterfalls -- Hunlen Falls plunges 253 metres (850 ft) over a sheer rock face. Try for trophy-size trout at Tatla Lake or drive a further 80 km (50 mi) on a gravel road to Chilko Lake, the largest natural, high-elevation freshwater lake in North America. Back on Highway 20, at Riske Creek, you can detour to Farwell Canyon along a well-maintained gravel road to view hoodoos -- tall pillars of layered rock, some in whimsical formations. Stay on a back road to explore Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park, home to more than 500 free-roaming bighorn sheep.
 
Heading east again on Highway 20, you arrive at Williams Lake amid rolling ranchland. Williams Lake is home to the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin and the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame and a great spot for mountain biking and rafting trips on the Chilcotin, Chilko and Fraser Rivers. Drive south on Highway 97, following what was once the old Cariboo Wagon Road to 100 Mile House and see the original Barnard Express BX stagecoach. Continue beyond to Clinton, where you can saddle up for a real cowboy experience at one of the area's many guest ranches.

Heading south towards Pemberton, stop at Joffre Provincial Park where hanging glaciers crown three turquoise-coloured lakes. Complete the circle tour via the Sea to Sky Highway. From the world-class mountain village of Whistler, travel through narrow valleys with mountain glaciers visible in the distance alongside Howe Sound. The Sea to Sky Highway turns a final corner and the mountains give way to a spectacular view of Vancouver -- arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
 
Please note: This route itinerary is only a suggestion. The Vancouver Island section can be shortened by taking a ferry to Nanaimo from Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver. You can begin your journey from any point along the way.