Looking for recommendations for riding British Columbia

Nightmare · Nov 11, 2025

I'm just about to start planning a week long trip starting from Calgary, AB going through the interior of BC and I would love to hear about your "must ride" roads or routes that you have done.

So far I've had a few people suggest Creston -> Kaslo -> Nakusp -> Vernon

PS: If you have any suggestions on good sites/apps to plan your route or tips for accommodations (I am mainly planning on camping) I would appreciate them!

Valker · Nov 11, 2025

Banff area to Radium Hot Springs is a great road with stunning scenery. Most every road is though. Fraser (SP?) canyon is very nice, but it can be very hot and dry.

St-Gerard · Nov 11, 2025

All of them, my favorite's ,the 99 Sea to Sky, though to Cache Creek. Of course the Fraser Canyon," Trans Canada number One. Highway number 3 is also good, beautiful around Manning Park. Highway 12 between Lillooet and Lytton is also a good ride. Real question is do you like the twisty's or straights.Picture is from highway 12

Nightmare · Nov 12, 2025

I'm looking for the slower and twistier roads, last year I did an overnight "trial run" from Calgary, to Kananaskis village (highway 40), Longview, through the crow's nest pass then more or less south of Fernie to the border and came back up through Radium. I found the high speed (110km/h+) straightish roads really tiring, for example from Canmore back to Calgary (so I would normally take the 1A for a slower road with a LOT more turns and less traffic)

St-Gerard · Nov 12, 2025

When are you planning to go on this ride, and how many days?

Weaselinsuit · Nov 12, 2025

I would second the road from the TransCanada down through to Radium. The road from Radium up to Golden is nice; full of sweepers that run alongside the river. Highly recommend on a gorgeous sunny summer day.

The portion of Highway 5A that runs south from the Connector running between Kelowna and Merritt (97C) down to Princeton is also nice.

If you get over to the Island, Victoria up the Malahat to Cowichan and over to Port Renfrew and back around to Victoria is also nice, depending upon traffic (though coming south from Port Renfrew, people were putting good about slowing down and waving me past). The section running from Cowichan to Port Renfrew is twisty and a good chunk runs through forest with not as much traffic.

Nightmare · Nov 12, 2025

I don't have a set date yet, but I am looking at summer, probably July or August (trying to pick the months with the least amount of rain) and I am planning on 7 days.

From my test run this last season, I'm trying to keep my riding to 4-5 hours a day (6 at the extreme max), that's with the stock seat so I'm hoping when I pick up a Sargent Cycle seat I might be able to increase that time. With that kind of time limit I doubt I can make it to the island and back in a week.

Snowdreamer · Jan 15, 2026

I would plan a northern route to Lilloet going west, and then a southern route return from Lilloet - both can be great if you steer away from the main routes. Route 99 from Lilloet to Pemberton / Whister / Squamish is one of the very best - I'd run it out and back from / to Lilloet instead of the mess of Vancouver. Better yet = two awesome campgrounds (Cottonwood and Cinnamon Provincial Parks) are on top of the mountain along this route, I'd make for one heading west, the next day ride to Squamish and then backtrack to the other. They are on a great fast clean river and, at higher elevation in July / Aug, will be much better camping than other spots. Each will have Park Ranger coming around at dark to collect the overnight fee ($25 ish I remember). Very few people using those spots especially mid-week. West through Golden and Revelstoke is ok to make distance. Return through Vernon, Needles, Nakusp, Nelson, Balfour. AVOID the LAKEVIEW STORE & CAMPGROUND - the actual motorcycle site was fine, but you had to park bike 150 feet away and walk down to site on shore.

drrod · Jan 15, 2026

If you get to Kaslo, then if you have time, take a run up and back on 31 to Meadow Creek. It is a great road! If you are up to it, the road continues on to the Galena Bay ferry terminal. However it is gravel/dirt from Meadow Creek to Galena Bay.

Nightmare · Friday at 4:08 PM

Thanks for the suggestions! I have family in a few of the stops below which influenced my route (free place to stay with showers!)
Here is what I am thinking so far:

The overall route, google maps limits the number of points/stops so this is approximate:
Total Route: 2172km, 26hours

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Day 1: 5hr 10min 480km Calgary to Grasmere, BC (via Highway 40)

Calgary to Grasmere

www.google.com

Day 2: 4hr 35min 321km Grasmere to Kaslo, BC (via Balfour Ferry Terminal)

Grasmere to Kaslo

www.google.com

Day 3: 5hr 22min 379km Kaslo to Vernon, BC (via Howser and Nakusp)

www.google.com

Plan B-Day 6: 4Hr 10Min 374km Prince George to Jasper, AB

Prince George to Jasper

www.google.com

Plan B-Day 7: 4Hr 32min 412km end at Calgary

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Nightmare · Friday at 4:09 PM

I am planning on fine tuning the route if/when I find better (quieter and more twisty) roads also adjusting depending on where I find accommodations. The destination towns were mainly used to point google maps in the right direction.

Chris09 · Friday at 8:20 PM

a big problem right now in southern bc are the deer; as far as I know, the sea to sky remains a good route through Squamish and all the way to Pemberton which is a cool ride east from there, not so sure, the duffey lake trail I'd have to imagine would be at your peril, I think I'd just rip all the way back again

drrod · Friday at 9:48 PM

I see that you are planning on going from Kaslo to Shelter Bay via 31. Couple of things that I should remind you of:
1. Meadow Creek to Shelter Bay is gravel/dirt. OK on an ST with street tires if you are confident in your ability and it is DRY. Otherwise.....
2. Kaslo to New Denver via 31A is one of the best motorcycle roads in BC IMO. Be a shame to miss that.

I would suggest you go to Meadow Creek and then backtrack to Kaslo and then on to New Denver and Nakusp.It wont take you any longer and, as much fun as MC to SB is on a DS bike, it may be not so much fun on the ST (assuming you are on an ST).

Nightmare · 2026-01-21T10:44:25-0600

That is great info to have, thank you very much! I've done my fair share of gravel roads on my ZX14 which was unpleasant at best but on the ST1300, a bike with 100lbs more weight plus my camping gear, I would very much rather avoid gravel! I'll amend my route to go via the 31A, as I've been looking around the side roads it makes me yearn for a dualsport, so many fun looking gravel and dirt roads out there.

I'm still looking for more roads similar to the Westside Road, between Vernon and Kelowna, I've camped on the Okanagan Lake just off of Westside road and it was a great ride on the motorcycle (pre-fires, but most of the road is still beautiful). I like this particular road because it is quieter, slower, scenic and more twisty than the highway. If you know of any similar roads on my approximate route I would love the feedback!