Whistler is the middle of a long mountain corridor, and the best day trips are either north towards Pemberton or south on Highway 99 towards Squamish and Vancouver. Almost all of them are short drives, many are free, and most can be combined with the trip down to the coast. This guide groups them by direction and says what each suits.
South: Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is the closest stop and the easiest. It sits on Highway 99 between Squamish and Whistler, closer to Whistler, and the falls are about 70 metres high. A short walk of 10 to 20 minutes one way crosses a covered footbridge to a viewing platform, and the park is free. In the off-season the gate is closed and you may need to walk in from the road, and trails are not maintained in winter, so it is better in summer and autumn. Stay behind the fences, because the canyon slopes are unstable.
South: the Squamish stops
Squamish is the outdoor town at the head of Howe Sound, and it holds four separate reasons to stop. The Sea to Sky Gondola lifts you about 885 metres to a summit lodge with a suspension bridge and views over the water, and it keeps an annual maintenance closure, so check the dates. Shannon Falls Provincial Park is beside the gondola base and is a short, easy walk to one of the tallest waterfalls in the province. The Stawamus Chief is a steep granite monolith with trails to three summits, which suits fit hikers who have most of a day. In winter, Brackendale Eagle Viewing is a free stop from November to January, when bald eagles gather along the rivers to feed on salmon.
South: Britannia Beach
Britannia Mine Museum, a National Historic Site, sits beside the highway on the Vancouver side of Squamish and works best as the last stop of a day or the first of a drive north. It has an underground mine train, gold panning and a light-and-sound show in the old mill, and it is the best choice for families and anyone who likes industrial history. Allow two to three hours, book ahead where the museum recommends it, and check the days it is open. Because the underground train and the mill show are the highlights, arrive early enough to see both.
North: Pemberton and Nairn Falls
Pemberton is a farming valley about 32 km north of Whistler, and it feels like a different place, with open fields, a small town and big peaks behind. Nairn Falls Provincial Park is the walk to do there, a 3 km round trip to a 60 metre waterfall in a narrow gorge, with a viewpoint about 1.5 km in. One Mile Lake, a little north on the highway, is a summer swimming and picnic stop. It is a calm half day that suits anyone who wants less crowds than the village.
North: Joffre Lakes
Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, on Duffey Lake Road east of Pemberton, is the postcard hike of the region, with three glacier-fed lakes in a row and a gain of about 400 metres to the upper lake. Summer is the easy season, and a day-use pass is typically required, so check the BC Parks page before you go. From November to the end of May, conditions are severe, vehicle access depends on the weather and the park suits only experienced, well-equipped visitors, so treat it as a summer outing.
Taking the long way to Vancouver
If you are heading to the coast, the Sea to Sky Highway is a sight in its own right, and the Sea to Sky Highway Self-Guided Audio Drive gives you stories and stop ideas as you go. A sensible plan is Brandywine Falls in the morning, the Sea to Sky Gondola or the Chief in the middle of the day and Britannia Mine Museum on the way out, which turns the transfer into a full day.
Practical notes
Highway 99 can close for weather or incidents, so check conditions in winter and carry winter tires from autumn to spring. Most of the provincial parks have no cell service and no staff, so bring water, layers and a map, and keep to marked trails. Food stops are sparse between the villages, so pack snacks and fill the tank in Whistler or Squamish. If you would rather not drive at all, tours from Vancouver and the seasonal buses cover the main Squamish stops, though the northern parks really need a car.
