Uncovering British Columbia’s most unusual attractions

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This was published 5 years ago

Uncovering British Columbia’s most unusual attractions

By Ben Groundwater

This is sponsored content for Keep Exploring Canada

The Enchanted Forest, Malakwa

The 800-year-old cedar trees in the Enchanted Forest would be reason enough to visit – however, there's more to this reserve near Malakwa, in BC's south. Look closely among the trees and the moss-covered boulders and you'll spot hundreds of fairies and dwarves, pirates and dragons, beautifully sculpted fairytale figurines that were placed there by artists Doris and Ernest Needham back in the 1950s. This is a magical hideaway that continues to attract visitors today.

Home of a Thousand Faces, Radium Hot Springs

There's a fine line between quirky and creepy, and you'll find it delicately trodden at this mountain homestead in Radium Hot Springs in south-eastern BC. This is the abode of Rolf Heer, otherwise known as the Radium Woodcarver, whose property is strewn with his work: large bearded faces that have been carved – using a chainsaw – into hunks of timber. Heer is a true eccentric, and his tumbledown house and collection of artworks will leave visitors in no doubt of it.

Burgess Shale, Kootenay

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Horne Lake Caves, Vancouver Island

BC has always been known for extreme sports – we're talking heli-skiing, mountain-biking, rafting and more – and this experience fits right in: abseiling down a seven-storey waterfall in the middle of a cave. The location is Horne Lake Caves, a vast underground network of caverns on Vancouver Island. After traversing to the end of Riverbend Cave, thrill seekers will find a series of rock-climbs and ladders that leads to the huge Rainbarrel waterfall, seven storeys of cascading water to abseil down by torchlight.

Yoho National Park

Out in eastern BC, in high Rocky Mountain territory near the Alberta border, lies Yoho National Park, more than 1000 square kilometres of absolutely spectacular, untouched wilderness. Wolves roam the rugged terrain up here; moose, elk and deer can be spotted flitting among the trees; black bears and grizzlies call it home. This is a place to hike, to camp, and to check out from the modern world.

Mascot Gold Mine, Hedley

Though the star attraction at the Mascot Gold Mine is underground – this site dates back to 1936, and a walking tour into the old tunnel provides an amazing window into the lives of the miners who once worked here – there's also beauty to be found in the surrounding area. Mascot mine is perched atop the Similkameen Valley, a stunning alpine landscape that is the traditional home of the Snaza'ist first Indigenous people.

Rock Candy Mine, Grand Forks

Budding geologists young and old will love this site in southern BC, an adventure park for those interested in all things crystal. Visitors to the Rock Candy Mine, near the town of Grand Forks, are allowed to keep whatever they can find (and carry) on the site, which is likely to include plenty of colourful rocks in all shapes and sizes. This is family-friendly adventure in a scenically beautiful place.

Free Spirit Spheres, Vancouver Island

Forget the standard hotel rooms. This is accommodation the likes of which you've never seen. The Free Spirit Spheres are large wooden balls suspended in the forest on Vancouver Island, treehouses that sleep either two or three, quirky homes with all of the creature comforts. There's meant to be harmony in these curved shapes, in the lack of any sharp angles or flat walls. Whether you feel nurtured or not, you'd have to agree that there's nowhere else quite like this.

Tofino, Vancouver Island

This sleepy town on the western coast of Vancouver Island was once purely the domain of local loggers and fishermen, but these days has been transformed into a hippie-friendly enclave as popular with visiting surfers and hikers as it is with the artists and other creatives who now call it home. Most are drawn by the natural attractions here, by the beaches buffeted by reliable waves, by the lush surrounding forests, the chance to spot whales in the Clayoquot Sound and epic storm watching in the winter months.

Okanagan Lake

Millions of years of glacial creep have helped shape Okanagan Lake, a fjord lake in southern BC that's paradise for seekers of soft adventure. Along its 135 kilometre length there's the chance to indulge in almost every watersport there is: stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding, pedal-boating, canoeing and more. This local favourite holiday spot is also said to be the home of Ogopogo, a (probably) mythical sea serpent that roams the depths.

Experience Canada's culture for yourself here thanks to our friends at Adventure World

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