Things to Do in Whistler

North America’s major ski resort focuses on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, attracting up to two million winter and summertime visitors a year.

Linked by the groundbreaking Peak 2 Peak Gondola, the two mountains peer over the pretty alpine town of Whistler Village.

The official skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic winter games, the Whistler and Blackcomb resorts merged in 1997 and together have a total of 38 ski lifts and more than 200 ski runs.

In summer the ski runs transform into mountain-bike trails for nail-biting thrills, and the alpine meadows are crossed by hikers and nature lovers.

From 1900 to 1974, the Britannia Mine was a major copper source on the eastern shore of Howe Sound, and until the railway and highway were constructed in 1965, Britannia was an isolated community. Today, the site's museum, housed in the original mine buildings, is both a National Historic Site of Canada and a Canadian Tourism Commission Signature Experience.

Whether chugging into an early haulage tunnel aboard a mine train or panning for gold (keep what you find!), you'll discover the mine's rich history. It's Mill 3 that leaves most visitors speechless; the massive cathedral-like interior was once considered the heartbeat of the community because it’s where ore was produced before being shipped off to nearby ports.

The mine closed in 1974, and by 1978, it was sold to a real estate company that realized its potential as a tourism attraction along the rapidly developing corridor now known as the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

Brandywine Falls is a spectacular 216-foot waterfall located just a short hop off the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler. The falls are also surrounded by Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, which has tripled in size in the past decade. Measuring 216 feet, the waterfall is nearly 30 percent taller than Niagara Falls, albeit with a fraction of the water volume. A half-mile (1-km) walking trail leads from the parking lot to a viewpoint, and it’s worth venturing a few minutes further down the trail, too, as a second viewpoint offers panoramic views across Daisy Lake. Both the Lava Lake and Sea-to-Sky trails offer short hiking and mountain biking opportunities within the park. The steeper Swim Lake Trail, which starts just before the railway crossing, doesn’t actually lead to a good swimming hole, as Swim Lake doesn't have a dock or  beach. However, the trail is worth exploring because it provides the best opportunity to spot the rare and endangered red-legged frog.

The Cheakamus River flows roughly parallel to the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Whistler and Vancouver, but its path is far different than the paved four-lane highway. Much of the river flows through Cheakamus Canyon, where plenty of exciting whitewater rapids and one sizeable waterfall make the river a popular rafting and kayaking route. None of the rapids are too challenging, so the trip is considered suitable for kids and parents alike.

The river is also a favorite spot for local fisherman. Coho and Chum salmon swim upriver between September and December; Bull, Rainbow and Cutthroat trout fishing is strong from late autumn until early spring; and Steelhead season typically lasts from March until May.