14 Best Sights in British Columbia, Canada

Although the Okanagan Valley is known for its wine, there are quite a few cideries popping up as well. One of the best is Cambium Cider Co. in Vernon. Their tasting room is rustic and intimate; however, call ahead if you have a particular cider you want to try. They're known to sell out. If you can, try the Gin Botanical or the Traditional Dry. There's also a restaurant on-site.

Chinese people have a rich, grueling, and enduring history in British Columbia, and it's well represented in this Ming Dynasty-style facility. The art gallery upstairs hosts traveling exhibits by Chinese and Canadian artists, and an on-site military museum recalls the role of Chinese Canadians in the two world wars. Across the street is the Chinatown Memorial Monument, commemorating the Chinese-Canadian community's contribution to the city, province, and country. The monument, shaped in the Chinese character "zhong," symbolizing moderation and harmony, is flanked by bronze statues of a railroad worker and a World War II soldier.

This day-use picnic area with accessible picnic tables and restrooms allows for the unique experience of standing on the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. The trailhead for the Fireweed Loop trails is here, a ½-km (0.3-mile) and a 2-km (1-mile) loop trail with minimal elevation gain, where you can walk through a quiet forest and read the interpretive signs that tell the story of the region after the 1968 wildfire.

As the only day-use area in the park with small playground climbing structures, if you have children, you won't want to drive past this rest area. There are also several interpretive signs explaining how Parks Canada is helping wildlife (including bears, wolves, cougars, and ungulates) stay safe with the construction of underpasses and fencing. Read the signs before walking through Dolly Varden underpass (there are nine of them in the park) that the animals use to cross the highway to access important habitat and connect with mates. The site also has picnic tables and toilets.

This picnic site is located right next to the brilliantly colored Faedar Lake. On a stroll along the pathway that goes around the lake, you will have stunning views of the surrounding mountain peaks, and in the summer months, you'll likely see wildflowers. Outhouse toilets are available. Note that the parking area is not suitable for large RVs or trailers and is accessible only by west-bound traffic.

On the confluence of where the Porcupine Creek joins the Kicking Horse River, with a wildly scenic backdrop of towering Rocky Mountain peaks, this is a perfect spot for a picnic. There are picnic tables and outhouse toilet facilities. It's accessible by westbound traffic only.

At this exciting adventure park, a forested trail will take you across a canyon via Canada's two highest suspension bridges (130 meters [426 feet]; 80 meters [263 feet]). There are also viewing platforms where you can marvel over the canyon formation and the surrounding mountain ranges. A play park for kids is included in the fee, but there's an extra charge for the rope challenge course, mountain coaster, giant canyon swing, and zipline. There is also a climbing wall and axe-throwing in the park. Different day passes are available.

Near Siwash Rock, this centuries-old, 56-foot-wide burnt cedar stump has shrunk over the years but still gives an idea of how large some of the old-growth trees can grow. A Hollow Tree Society, made up of private citizens and donations, acts as the tree's unofficial caretaker. (You can also view an exact replica of the 43-foot-high Hollow Tree, coated in gold finish, at the corner of Marine and Cambie Streets, designed by Canadian Artist Douglas Coupland.)

This picnic site is located right next to rushing waterfalls; a very short walk brings you to the bridge that crosses in front of them. There are toilets and an abundance of picnic tables.

As the name indicates, the strong green color of this lake is stunning. Immediately next to the parking lot, there are a shelter, picnic tables, and outhouses, with other tables scattered throughout the forest. A hike on the interpretive lakeshore boardwalk trail takes you through the forest around the lake, where you can often see brook trout leisurely swimming in the crystal clear water.

According to a local First Nations legend, this 50-foot-high offshore promontory is a monument to a man who was turned into stone as a reward for his unselfishness. The rock is visible from the seawall. If you're driving, you need to park, and take a short path through the woods.

Located directly across from the Kootenay Park Lodge (now closed), this beautiful picnic area is just off the highway with ample parking, outhouses, and tables placed along the scenic banks of the fast-flowing Vermilion River.