• Barj Dhahan Hiking the Inca Trail

    5 Best Hikes in Beautiful British Columbia

    One of my favourite ways to enjoy nature and bond with my family is to go hiking. British Columbia has a bounty of outstanding hiking trails nestled within beautiful forests and parks.

    Barj Dhahan and his son at Machu Pichu In November 2013, I was fortunate enough to visit Peru and experience the beautiful landscape with my son, Gabriel. We hiked the Inca Trail and climbed to Machu Pichu – it was a lifetime high for me! We’re lucky to have stunning forests and parks in British Columbia, and I highly recommend exploring them one weekend with your friends and family. It’s a great way to connect with nature, bond with family, and do a healthy activity.

    Here are 5 of my favourite places to hike in BC:

    1. Pacific Spirit Park (UBC Endowment Lands). Over the years I have walked all the trails within this park, and visited all the beaches. I like walking the trails during autumn, especially on rainy days. It’s an incredible experience.
    2. Garibaldi Provincial Park. Years ago, along with four friends I camped on the shores of Garibaldi Lake on a full moon. It was a truly magical and mystical experience to spend the night there. I love the thrill of climbing through the chimneys to the top of Black Tusk. I have done this three times.
    3. Cathedral Grove by Cameron Lake in the McMillan Park. I have childhood memories visiting this area many times when my family lived in Port Alberni. The ancient trees, some older than 800 years, stretching heaven-ward are awesome. It is amazing that these trees were there before Columbus reached the Americas in 1492!
    4. Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. I visited this park with my grade 8 class. Going into the caves was scary but exciting. I had never been ‘underground’ before. It’s a must visit for anyone interested in caves.
    5. Osoyoos Irrigation Canal Trail. There are great views of the lake as one walks through beautiful apple, cherry, and peach orchards. This area is the only ‘desert’ in Canada. My wife Rita’s family has a lakeshore property on the US side of the desert, and each summer, we went to Osoyoos/Oroville for at least a few weeks. I have wonderful memories of hiking in the mountains around the lake.

    We are blessed with such amazing natural beauty, landscapes and hiking trails in BC. We should all try to walk the hikes as much as we can. It’s good for the body and spirit!