25 Unique Places to Visit in British Columbia

The province of British Columbia offers a wide variety of activities and sights, through diverse landscapes and historical areas. Each area of the province has amazing qualities and places to visit, but for those who are looking for the truly different, or unique, these destinations may be for you. Some destinations are for adventure seekers and outdoor lovers, some are for those looking for sites with cultural or historical significance. Some areas are off the beaten track, while others are popular tourist sites, but unique enough that you won’t find one in every province. Whatever your interests may be, we are sure you will find a place you would like to visit on this list.

Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark

The second Global Geopark in North America, this is an area of geological heritage of international significance. There is an abundance of hiking trails that lead to 21 different destinations and 41 different geosites within the park itself, and hikers can witness the beauty of waterfalls, meadows, lakes, canyons and mountain peaks. Take some time to join the guided walk to the dinosaur tracks close to the town, and for something indoors, pop into the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery to discover the fossils found in the area.
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Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park

Meaning “red goat” in the native Tahltan First Nation language, Spatsizi is one of Canada’s largest parks and one of the most important habitats for Woodland Caribou. For outdoor and animal enthusiasts, this is the perfect area to spend a lot of time as the park encompasses two unique geographical areas – the Spatsizi Plateau and the Skeena Mountains. Along with canoeing, fishing, and hiking, this is an excellent wildlife and birding zone, as it is common to see bears, wolverines, beaver, hoary marmot, stone sheep, mountain goats, and more than 140 species of birds.
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Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park

Anhluut’ukwsim Laxmihl Angwinga’asanskwhl Nisga’a – that might be too much of a mouthful for most tourists to handle pronouncing, and might likely be forgotten unless written down, but the landscape and scenery will be held in memory for a lifetime.

As the first provincial park jointly managed by a First Nations tribe and the B.C. government, it is a fantastically unique destination. Take a guided tour through the most accessible volcanic areas, with a 3 km walk through old-growth forest to an amazing viewpoint above the crater.
 

Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands)

Haida Gwaii was voted as one of National Geographic’s Best Trips in 2015, and we think it should be on the list every year. Along with the unmatched natural beauty of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and the Haida Heritage Site, visitors can experience the SGang Gwaay UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the last authentic examples of a west coast First Nations village. Reservations are necessary, as this can be a popular destination, especially in the summer months.
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Cody Cave Provincial Park

Above the Anisworth Hot Springs you can adventure into the fragile and amazing underground world in Cody Caves Provincial Park in the Selkirk Mountains with one of the professional caving companies in the area. Even in winter you can experience caving to see incredible ice formations. This is an explorer’s dream destination.
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Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Neighbourhoods

The month of April brings out the beautiful cherry blossoms in Vancouver. There are a variety of neighbourhoods that you can check out to experience the best blossoms. You can also enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs for almost the entire month. During the festival you can experience everything from a gala night to a Japanese Fair, a picnic in Queen Elizabeth Park, to a free concert downtown.
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Tulip Farms

There is nothing more beautiful than looking upon rows and rows of blooming tulips, but this may not be something that you expect to see in B.C. The best time to view the blooms is in April. There is a big festival that happens every year, but you don’t need to attend to see the flowers. It is recommended to check out the websites of the farms or the festival to see when they expect the best time to view the flowers will be.
Abbotsford Tulip Festival

Chilliwack Tulip Festival

Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve

We think that anyplace that we can see magnificent wildlife or birdlife is unique, especially when you may be coming from a country or province where you can’t see these!

The wetlands at this nature preserve provide an opportunity to view the beautiful Great Blue Herons that reside here, along with an Interpretive Center which can provide a lot of wonderful information on the birds and the area.

There are plenty of trails to take you through the reserve, and it is a perfect place for your entire family to enjoy the outdoors.
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British Columbia Wildlife Park

Home to more than 40 species of birds and animals, this is the perfect day out for anyone who loves wildlife. With opportunities to view animals like Arctic Wolves, Bobcats, Cougars, Bison, Mountain Goats, a variety of reptiles, bears, birds of prey, raccoons, geese, and so many more, this is a great place for visitors to the area to be able to view some of the local wildlife. The Discovery Center is a great place to start your day, and if you want to take a break, there is a café on-site. Check out the available guided tours and private experiences.
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Raptors Ridge Birds of Prey

There are 28 raptors that call this place home, so if you would like the rare opportunity to see the birds of prey up close and personal, this is your chance. There are several daily programs available, including a “Hawk Walk”. Check out their website for visiting hours and more information on how to get up close to these beautiful birds.
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Nanaimo Bar Trail

This is a unique activity in a unique area. Located in Nanaimo, foodies will love this goodie based activity. Just stop at the Visitor’s Center for a brochure with the route and descriptions of the 39, yes, we said 39, yummy stops. Along this route you will be able to try out a variety of sweets, including the classic Nanaimo Bars, deep fried Nanaimo Bars, Nanaimo Bars cupcakes, and so on and so on. You will enjoy every bite!
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Petroglyph Provincial Park

This unique destination will take you back in time and give you an opportunity to learn a little about pre-historic life in the area. There is a short interpretive walk that leads you to view the petroglyphs that were created more than 1000 years ago. Let your imagination run wild at this amazing site in Nanaimo.
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Capilano Suspension Bridge

Probably the best-known site in the Vancouver area, this site offers much more than just the bridge. There is nowhere quite like this elsewhere in the province. The 450-foot-long suspension bridge hangs 230 feet above the river and is the start of an adventure. The treetop adventure offers kids of all ages an exciting activity, along with the incredible cliff walk, the story center, and the living forest. With plenty of eating options, including an on-site ice cream shop, this is a visit you won’t ever forget.
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Miniature World

An absolutely cool place to visit in the city of Victoria on a rainy day or when it’s too hot to spend time outside. Located right in the center of the city, this unique museum is easy to get to and fun to spend time in. Adults and children alike will have a blast checking out the tiny versions of all sorts of items, from fantasy and fiction to real world models. Dollhouses, railways, circuses, castles and so much more will captivate the imaginations of all.
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Bridal Veil Falls

This provincial park is home to the 6th highest falls in Canada. The park is home to a magnificent waterfall that drops 122 meters down the side of Mount Cheam and flows into Bridal Creek. There is a relatively easy half hour loop trail takes you right to the falls, so this is a good place to visit even for those who don’t have much experience hiking. There is a picnic area so you can turn this into an afternoon adventure.
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Hell’s Gate

This is an amazing place to visit and will be a sight you will never forget. The thrilling ride on the Airtram takes you down 152 meters into the beautiful Fraser Canyon to a historic site and a chance to take a walk over the Suspension Bridge. This site is home to one of the only descending air-trams in North America, along with a fisheries exhibit, a wall dedicated to Simon Fraser, gold panning, observation decks, fudge factory and a café. Plan to spend the whole afternoon here to really enjoy the experience of 750 million litres of water travelling through a 33-metre-wide passage.
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Sasquatch Museum

What is more unique than a whole museum dedicated to the myth of Sasquatch? Everyone loves the stories of Bigfoot, so why not put this on your “to do” list in B.C. Located in the Visitor’s Center in Harrison Hot Springs, this unique little museum will fascinate travellers. Take the time to watch the videos, see the pictures, read the research and decide for yourself if the myth is real or not.
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Spotted Lake

A weird and wonderful natural mineral rich lake located in Canada’s only true desert area – Osoyoos – this incredible lake is best viewed during the summer months. Due to the heat of the summer, much of the water in the lake evaporates, leaving large concentrations of various minerals that form the spots visible in the lake. Throughout the summer, the spots shift in size and colour as the minerals within each change with further evaporation. You can see colours ranging from blue to green to yellow dependant on the mineral makeup in the water that’s left. Note to travellers: you can not swim in this lake at any time of year.
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VanDusen Garden’s Elizabethan Hedge Maze

Hedge mazes date back to Elizabethan England and labyrinths in general even farther back than that. One of the few hedge mazes in North America, this is part of the fabulous VanDusen Gardens in Vancouver’s city center. The maze itself is made of 3,000 pyramidal cedars – Thuja occidentalis ‘Fastigiata’ to be specific – all planted in the autumn of 1981 and slowly grown into the form of the maze one finds today.
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The Enchanted Forest

If you happen to be travelling between Kamloops and Banff, AB, you may want to stop and spend some time in this fun forest. Back in the 1950’s this “forest” was created by a local artist and her husband. Now there are more than 350 figurines representing fairy tales and mythical creatures hiding throughout the woods, making this a fun walk through the ancient cedar forest.
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Playground of the Gods

Just outside of Vancouver, on Burnaby Mountain, you will find the Playground of the Gods. While we are used to seeing totem poles carved by the First Nations of Canada, these amazing carvings were actually done by a Japanese man named Nuburi Toko. He is from Kushiro, in northern Japan, which is the sister city of Burnaby. It took him, along with his son and a local carpenter, a year to create the 25 poles that are in the park. Our travel tip – go at sunset to get the best pictures.
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Gastown Steam Clock

Built in 1977, this unique steam clock is located in Vancouver’s Gastown. It was only the second such clock to ever be built and one of the only ones in the world. It was built by a Canadian clockmaker and was originally intended to bring more visitors to the area, which we think it certainly has. It steams and chimes (the same tune as Big Ben) every fifteen minutes so there are plenty of opportunities to get your photos.
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Great Bear Rainforest

The name alone should entice you to visit. This is one of the largest coastal rainforests in the world, as well as home to the unique black bear, that is, well, white. This black bear species is called the Kermode (or “spirit”) bear because of its unique coloring. Along with the bears you can see a multitude of wildlife throughout the area, or spend some time learning about the First Nations traditions and culture.
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Cathedral Grove

Vancouver Island is where you are going to find the magnificent Cathedral Grove, which is home to ancient Douglas Firs. The oldest trees here are about 800 years old and measure 250 feet in height! This awesome, spiritual place is also an ancient First Nations site where you can see archeological evidence dating as far back as the 10th century. This is one area not to be missed.
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Othello Tunnels

Part of the famous Kettle Valley Railway and located in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, the Othello Tunnels are a cool place to go hiking or bike riding. Check the website to see about closures before heading up. Biking or hiking the tracks, trails and tunnels is a great experience in a gorgeous area, so make sure you take your camera. It is our recommendation that you dismount bikes in the tunnels and take flashlights with you. You will love the unique experience of going through the five tunnels on foot.
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