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Sea-to-Sky Highway

TIME : 2016/2/22 10:08:15
Sea-to-Sky Highway

Sea-to-Sky Highway

Although Highway 99 technically runs from the US border through Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler to the Highway 97 Junction just north of Cache Creek, it’s the 77 miles (124 km) from Vancouver to Whistler that is commonly referred to as the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
While it’s easy to whiz up the highway from Vancouver to Whistler in less than two hours, it’s also possible to spend days exploring all the see-it-to-believe-it landscapes along the route. Just after passing the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, the road begins to traverse a series of stunning landscapes: Porteau Cove and its beachfront campground on Howe Sound, the Britannia Mine Museum, the 1,100-foot (335-m) Shannon Falls, a towering granite dome known simply as the Chief, the outdoor-minded town of Squamish and a pinnacle of volcanic rock known as Black Tusk.
For many, the fun truly begins when the Sea-to-Sky Highway reaches Whistler Village. As the basecamp for Whistler Blackcomb, it is home to North America’s best-known ski and snowboard resort, possibly the world’s most famous mountain bike park and enough entertainment, shopping and nightlife to suit any traveler. 
The highway does continue north to both Pemberton and Lillooet, two industry-led towns renowned for their nearby access to the Coastal and Chilcotin mountains, but after Pemberton the road is known as the Duffy Lakes Road rather than the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

Practical Info

The Sea-to-Sky Highway stretches 77 miles (124 km) from Vancouver to Whistler. It was recently rebuilt for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, so the majority of the highway is now a divided four-lane road.