Pemberton, Pemberton Valley, British Columbia, Canada

The Birkenhead River winds through farmlands east of the community of Mount Currie

River Rafting and Whitewater Adventures: The Birkenhead River offers whitewater travel through old-growth forest with incredible views of the huge whaleback mountain, Mount Currie, which dominates the Pemberton Valley. Jet boat tours are also offered on rivers in the Pemberton area. On these trips, you can run whitewater, enjoy spectacular mountain views, and spot wildlife. More information on River Rafting in the Sea to Sky area.

Fishing: Whether you're after trout or salmon, or fishing by boat or from shore, the Pemberton area offers a wide variety of fishing. Spring anglers fish for coastal cutthroat trout, bull and rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and Rocky Mountain Whitefish. Summer offers the same species, with the exception of the cutthroat, plus sockeye and chum salmon. Fall offers a spectacular run of Coho salmon that has to be seen to be believed. The best fishing can be found in the tributaries of the Lillooet River drainage system, which includes the Birkenhead River, Green River, Lower and Upper Lillooet River, and many of the smaller feeder streams. A number of lakes cater to those who enjoy flyfishing, include Blackwater Lake, Gates Lake, the Joffrey Lakes, and all the alpine lakes; Tenquille, Ogre, Owl, Fowl, Chain and Ivey Lake. More information on Fishing in the Pemberton and Sea to Sky area.

Winter sees the Pemberton area turn into a wonderland of outdoor activities; skiing across mountaintops, snowmobiling over glaciers, or gracefully gliding along cross-country ski trails. Heli-skiing remains one of the top draws to the Pemberton Valley because of its untouched scenic beauty and great winter weather. With the growing popularity of snowmobiling, numerous spots in the valley have been created just for snowmobiling. The most popular is the Pemberton Ice Cap, which provides vast areas of ice and snow, excellent panoramic views, and interesting glacial features such as ice caves and crevasses. Other snowmobiling sites include the 45-km trip along the Upper Lillooet and Meager Creek Forest service logging roads north of Pemberton, which lead to the Meager Springs Hot Springs, and the popular Hurley Pass, located between Pemberton and Gold Bridge. Open meadows at the summit of the pass offer excellent opportunities for all skill levels. In nearby Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort has the largest ski area on the continent: over 28,000 hectares (just over 7,000 acres) of skiing area, with over 200 marked trails and 12 massive Alpine bowls. More Skiing and Winter Recreation in the Pemberton and Whistler area.

The last stage of the Green River cascading over the Nairn Falls south of Pemberton

Nairn Falls Provincial Park is located just south of Pemberton beside Hwy 99, and features captivating views and day-use areas. As it flows through the park, the Green River carves its way through a mass of granite at the foot of Mount Currie. Having picked up volume from the Soo River and Rutherford Creek on its way from Green Lake in the Whistler area, it swirls and crashes its way along until it reaches a fracture in the granite. Suddenly, its broad shape is transformed into a thundering column of whitewater as it drops 197 feet (60 m) at Nairn Falls.
Emerald green glacier waters roar 60 metres into a steep, forested valley of Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock. As abruptly as the theatrics begin, the river reverts to its former character and hurries on towards Lillooet Lake. Unlike Shannon Falls or Brandywine Falls, Nairn Falls does not drop down a sheer pathway but instead boils through several frothy cauldrons. Over the centuries, silt carried in the water has scoured out bowls in which the whitewater churns momentarily before surging to the rocks below. Clouds of spray are jettisoned above the maelstrom in random patterns that are pleasant and hypnotic to watch. This is one of the most (hydro) dynamic sites in the Whistler region. If you're just visiting for the day, park at the picnic area just inside the park gates beside Hwy 99. The 1-mile (1.5-km) trail to the falls is smooth and only moderately difficult to walk. Fine views of Mount Currie present themselves along the way.

Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park is an hour's drive north of Mount Currie near D'Arcy. It has mountain biking trails and paddling and fishing options on the lake. The park has a wilderness camping area situated 1.2 miles (2 km) from the vehicle/tent sites at the northwest corner of the lake. You can either walk to it along a pleasant trail or paddle in from the boat launch. There is a delightful, arm's-length approach to camping at Birkenhead.

Black Tusk
Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Provincial Park offers camping at Garibaldi Lake restricted to two designated areas - Taylor Meadows and the west end of Garibaldi Lake. Elsewhere in Garibaldi Provincial Park, there are alpine hut's and wilderness campsites at Russet Lake, 2 km east of Singing Pass, and at the northwest end of Wedgemount Lake.

Wildlife Viewing: The diminutive One-Mile Lake in Pemberton has a boardwalk that runs across its marshy north side. From here, it's possible to quietly watch birds, particularly during migration season. This can begin as early as April, when larger birds such as trumpeter swans make an appearance. For the most part, though, its mergansers, mallards, and loons, while in the surrounding forest, songbirds and hummingbirds work the woods.
The Upper Lillooet Headwaters is now a protected area, which must come as a relief to the wildlife that have been pushed farther and farther north as logging destroyed lower stretches of critical shelter. Without the forest, animals that come down from higher elevation cannot survive the coldest days of winter. Moose, deer, bear, wolf, and others leave their prints on the silty sandbars that stand revealed at low water levels, and slip mutely through the fir, cedar, and pine forest. Although the occasional bear may leave a paw print outside your tent as a calling card, most wildlife prefer to remain well out of sight. Don't let that stop you from looking for signs of their presence in the landscape. They're there!

Salmon Spawning: Beginning in late August and early September, salmon that have made their way up the Fraser, Harrison, and Lillooet Rivers, begin the last part of their journey in the Birkenhead River. The sockeye run is particularly spectacular: the river turns red with them. The sight is so remarkable that at first you can hardly believe your eyes. Salmon also run in Gates Creek, which flows into the south end of Anderson Lake in D'Arcy. The Birkenhead River is easily spotted from either Hwy 99 as it passes through rural Mount Currie or numerous places along the D'Arcy-Anderson Lake Road, including the Owl Creek Forest Service site.

Scenic Flights of the Pemberton area are very popular, whether by plane, floatplane, helicopter, or glider. Enjoy a truly amazing bird's-eye view of Pemberton Valley, Whistler Valley, Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, breathtaking glaciers, the captivating Black Tusk, or the turquoise waters of Garibaldi Lake. Tours and custom charters leave from Pemberton airport to Garibaldi Park and the sacred Stein Valley.

Pemberton Railway Station with Mount Currie in the background

Scenic Drives: If you're looking for a scenic drive, Portage Road leads from Pemberton, through Mount Currie, and all the way to D'Arcy on the shores of the beautiful Anderson Lake, with some breathtaking scenery along the way.
See the best of BC when you embark upon one of the many circle tours that take in the best of British Columbia. Take the Coast Mountain Tour and head north out of Vancouver on the intensely scenic Sea to Sky Highway to the magical winter resort town of Whistler, and continue on to Pemberton and Lillooet. Cross paths with two historic routes - the Pemberton Trail and the Gold Rush Heritage Trail - which linked the coast with the interior in the days before the automobile. Return via the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys.

Annual events include the Lillooet Lake Rodeo, held each May in Mount Currie, and the Salmon Festival in D'Arcy in August.

South of Pemberton is the renowned winter and summer resort destination of Whistler and the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort.

Just east of Pemberton lies Mount Currie, the busy heart of the Mount Currie Reserve of the Lil'wat group of the Stl'atl'lmx Nation. Noted for a rodeo on long weekends in May and September.

More Photographs of Pemberton

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	Rossetti Realty - Re/Max, North Vancouver	Listing Details
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	The Lodging Company, Kelowna	Listing Details
	Ski Vacation Rentals: Ski-in/ski-out chalets, condos, and vacation homes at BC�s top ski resorts. The Lodging Company has the perfect condo for your next getaway and can arrange discount lift tickets and airport transfers! View our complete listing of properties online or call us Toll Free at 1-888-676-9977 for personal assistance in planning your vacation.

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