Mobile Menu

  • Destinations
    • Canada
      • British Columbia
        • Vancouver Island, B.C.
        • Okanagan
        • Lower Mainland, B.C.
        • Northern B.C.
        • Interior B.C.
        • Kootenays/Rockies
      • Alberta
      • Yukon
      • Northwest Territories
    • U.S.A.
      • Alaska
      • Washington
      • Oregon
      • California
    • West Coast Galleries
  • Experiences
    • Things To Do
    • Staycation Secrets
      • Canada
      • U.S.A.
    • Adventure
      • Adrenaline
      • Beaches
      • Biking
      • Camping
      • Fishing
      • Hiking
      • Hunting and Fishing
      • Rafting
      • Skiing
    • Sip & Savour
    • Family Activities
    • Indigenous Tourism
    • Accessible Travel
    • Travel Tips & Advisories
  • West Coast Galleries
    • Nature Photography
    • Wildlife Photography
    • Cityscapes
  • Contests
    • Autumn Escape
    • Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023
    • Hotel Zed Contest
    • It’s A Shore Thing Summer Getaway
  • About
    • The Armchair Traveller Newsletter
    • Explore our travel guides
    • Impressive West Coast
    • West Coast Partners
    • West Coast Traveller Directory
    • Join Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Explore West Coast Traveller on TikTok
  • Search
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • TikTok Icon
  • Flickr Icon
  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • TikTok Icon
  • Flickr Icon

West Coast Traveller

  • Destinations
    • Canada
      • British Columbia
        • Vancouver Island, B.C.
        • Okanagan
        • Lower Mainland, B.C.
        • Northern B.C.
        • Interior B.C.
        • Kootenays/Rockies
      • Alberta
      • Yukon
      • Northwest Territories
    • U.S.A.
      • Alaska
      • Washington
      • Oregon
      • California
    • West Coast Galleries
  • Experiences
    • Things To Do
    • Staycation Secrets
      • Canada
      • U.S.A.
    • Adventure
      • Adrenaline
      • Beaches
      • Biking
      • Camping
      • Fishing
      • Hiking
      • Hunting and Fishing
      • Rafting
      • Skiing
    • Sip & Savour
    • Family Activities
    • Indigenous Tourism
    • Accessible Travel
    • Travel Tips & Advisories
  • West Coast Galleries
    • Nature Photography
    • Wildlife Photography
    • Cityscapes
  • Contests
    • Autumn Escape
    • Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023
    • Hotel Zed Contest
    • It’s A Shore Thing Summer Getaway
  • About
    • The Armchair Traveller Newsletter
    • Explore our travel guides
    • Impressive West Coast
    • West Coast Partners
    • West Coast Traveller Directory
    • Join Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Explore West Coast Traveller on TikTok
  • Search
You are here: Home / Travel / 24 hours in Whistler – sans skiing or cycling

With its meandering paths and routes, Whistler is Immensely walkable and fun to explore. Jennifer Blyth photo

24 hours in Whistler – sans skiing or cycling

September 8, 2020 //  by Jennifer Blyth

Share this:

The picturesque mountain town of Whistler is renowned for its downhill opportunities – whether your downhill method of choice involves two wheels, two skis or a board.

But for those who prefer more leisurely recreation, there’s still a lot to love about the community.

As the last stop in a mountain-to-mountain-to-mountain summer circle tour through BC and the Alberta Rockies, we’d allocated just 24 hours to explore this popular destination. Our first visit in many years, we knew downhill mountain biking wouldn’t be on the itinerary, despite the many opportunities to do so, so what was on the agenda?

Here’s a look at our 24 hours in Whistler:

Arriving from Lillooet, we enjoyed a winding, picturesque drive through the canyons and nearby town of Pemberton, stopping to stretch our legs along the emerald waters of the aptly named Green Lake, a large glacier-fed lake about four kilometres north of the Village. While its cool temperatures make the lake less popular swimming, we saw SUP enthusiasts, paddlers and boaters enjoying the calm waters. The Valley Trail hugs the north side of the lake, while Nicklaus North Golf Course sits on the southwest end.

Whistler Village

Checking into the Blackcomb Lodge, comfortable and perfectly located in the heart of the village to make the most of our limited visit.

With any destination, a walkabout is often the best way to get your bearings – and definitely appreciated after a drive. Immensely walkable, with its meandering paths and routes, Whistler is fun to explore, but it will help to pick up a map to guide your explorations between Whistler Village, Village North and the Upper Village.

As we strolled the pedestrian thoroughfares, we soaked in the mountain resort ambience, where lifts and gondolas deliver skiers and cyclists right from the village to the waiting runs.

After a day on the road, we relaxed with a local brew on the patio overlooking a favourite spot in the Village. Jennifer Blyth photo

While the shops closed early during our visit – presumably due to the impact of COVID-19 – a vast selection of pubs, cafés and restaurants were bustling. After a day on the road, we selected a casual option for Night 1, settling in for a local brew on the patio overlooking one of my favourite spots in the Village, a beautifully planted river water feature.

A light dinner, and it was time to plan for the next day’s adventures.

Discover Whistler beyond the mountains

Having taken advantage of gondola views during our previous visits, including Whistler’s breathtaking Peak to Peak experience, we decided to stay grounded this time. After a morning coffee and yummy chocolate croissant from Moguls Coffee House, we headed about 6 kilometres south along the Sea-to-Sky Highway to the trailhead for the Train Wreck Trail. (Turn onto Legacy Way, then Jane Lakes Road where a small parking lot accommodates hikers.)

The Train Wreck Trail outside Whistler offers an enjoyable walk through West Coast forest. Jennifer Blyth photo

An easy walk of about 1 kilometre along a well-maintained sloped trail through West Coast forest took us to a sturdy suspension bridge across the fast-moving Cheakamus River. Across the water sits your destination: the remainder of a 1956 train wreck.

An easy walk along the Train Wreck Trail leads to the suspension bridge across the fast-moving Cheakamus River. Jennifer Blyth photo

The train had started in Lillooet, loaded with lumber bound for Vancouver. Behind schedule, the crew tried to make up time, and with the train travelling more than twice the speed limit, one of the engines jumped off the track at a sharp curve, with 12 boxcars derailed, some blocking the track for days.

While five boxcars were salvageable, the remaining seven were too damaged. Stripped of all useful material, they were dragged out to this destination – the quickest way to get the trains back on schedule. Nature took its course, and over the years, the site has become a local destination for hikers, history buffs and graffiti enthusiasts, who continue to leave their colourful calling cards on the wrecks.

For the route back, we opted for more rustic trail along the river; alternatively simply retrace your route back up to the trailhead, or connect with the Sea-to-Sky Trail for further adventures.

Cultural explorations

Back in Whistler, it was time to explore one of the highlights of the trip, the Squamish-Liloet Indigenous Cultural Centre.

Located on six forested acres along Fitzsimmons Creek in the Upper Village, the impressive cedar and glass building echoes a Squamish Longhouse and Lil’wat Istken (earthen dwelling); inside, discover an exceptional display of artifacts, artwork and exhibits exploring the heritage and living culture of the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. Guided tours are available, included with admission, or enjoy a self-guided browse.

The Squamish-Liloet Indigenous Cultural Centre’s Great Hall features 22-foot-high ceilings and curved glass plank walls, hand-carved cedar welcome figures, massive spindle whorls, cedar canoes and more. Jennifer Blyth photo.

Entering through the Great Hall, with its 22-foot-high ceilings and curved 220-foot glass plank walls, enjoy hand-carved cedar welcome figures, pictograph-embossed boulders, massive spindle whorls and a series of cedar canoes. Upstairs, in the temporary exhibit space, we enjoyed Sqātsza7 Tmicw – Father Land, showcasing the multi-disciplinary genres of Lil’wat artist Ed Archie NoiseCat, including limited-edition print, woodcarving, metalwork, glasswork and handcrafted jewellery, on exhibit through February 2021.

Upstairs at the Squamish-Liloet Indigenous Cultural Centre, find more exhibition space, including work by Lil’wat artist Ed Archie NoiseCat showing through February 2021. Jennifer Blyth photo.

An on-site theatre shares a film each hour, and the Thunderbird Café offers a unique menu inspired by traditional Squamish and Lil’wat Nation cuisine.

Outside, find a longhouse, pithouse and access to a short Salish Stroll, sharing some of the common uses and characteristics of some of the native plants. (Guided forest walks, included in the price of admission, are also available Thursday to Sunday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.) Indigenous artists were also at work during our visit.

A fine finish

For dinner it was cultural explorations of a different variety: Basalt Wine & Salumeria, featuring Old World-inspired menus with a modern, West Coast influence. On our menu tonight was a tangy kale Caesar salad, delicious with chickpea croutons and crispy charcuterie bits, and a shared Basalt Board – nostrano, cacciatore and speck charcuterie, with gruyère, port cheddar and herb-rolled Happy Days goat cheese.

A full day and the perfect end to our 24 hours in Whistler!

Plan your adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thewestcoasttraveller

Share this:

Category: TravelTag: British Columbia Destinations, Canada, Food, Food & Dining, Indigenous Tourism, Staycation secrets, Things to do, WCT Intro, Whistler

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver gets $5.18M from feds

The Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver is getting a $5.18-million boost from the federal government.…

Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver gets $5.18M from fedsRead More

Boo the bear preps for big spring debut as B.C.’s Kicking Horse Resort opens

It’s a bear-y good day for fans of Boo the bear. With British Columbia’s Kicking…

Boo the bear preps for big spring debut as B.C.’s Kicking Horse Resort opensRead More

Waterfalls, not wildflowers are Mt. Rainier National Park’s main springtime attraction

By Taylor Newquist, The Spokesman-Review A thin layer of clouds hung over Mount Rainier on…

Waterfalls, not wildflowers are Mt. Rainier National Park’s main springtime attractionRead More

Fly high and touch the sky at Golden Skybridge

For adrenaline junkies, outdoor adventurers or families looking for a thrilling, interactive way to spend…

Fly high and touch the sky at Golden SkybridgeRead More

Ottawa rejigs trusted-traveller program in bid to avoid last summer’s airport chaos

The federal government has rolled out a revamp of its trusted-traveller program to clear any…

Ottawa rejigs trusted-traveller program in bid to avoid last summer’s airport chaosRead More

Fire-breathing metal dinosaur roars for travellers in BC Ferries lineup

Passengers waiting at a BC Ferries terminal in Nanaimo in Vancouver Island were probably not…

Fire-breathing metal dinosaur roars for travellers in BC Ferries lineupRead More

‘You barked, we listened:’ BC Ferries’ pet pilot project expanded

Dogs – and cats – are getting their day on BC Ferries … at least…

‘You barked, we listened:’ BC Ferries’ pet pilot project expandedRead More

200+ former employees return to Lytton’s Kumsheen Resort to kick off 50th anniversary

In what was expected to be one of the biggest gatherings in the Lytton area…

200+ former employees return to Lytton’s Kumsheen Resort to kick off 50th anniversaryRead More

Summer zipline tours to restart at Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area

Visitors to Juneau, Alaska can once again take to the skies at Eaglecrest Ski Area,…

Summer zipline tours to restart at Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski AreaRead More

Previous Post: « Vancouver Island photographer self-publishes local birding guide
Next Post: Mountain bikers seek climb and punishment in the Cariboo »

Primary Sidebar

Things To Do

Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver gets $5.18M from feds

May 29, 2023

Boo the bear preps for big spring debut as B.C.’s Kicking Horse Resort opens

May 29, 2023

Waterfalls, not wildflowers are Mt. Rainier National Park’s main springtime attraction

May 26, 2023

Fly high and touch the sky at Golden Skybridge

May 25, 2023

Recent Posts

Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver gets $5.18M from feds

May 29, 2023

Boo the bear preps for big spring debut as B.C.’s Kicking Horse Resort opens

May 29, 2023

Waterfalls, not wildflowers are Mt. Rainier National Park’s main springtime attraction

May 26, 2023

Fly high and touch the sky at Golden Skybridge

May 25, 2023

Footer

The West Coast Traveller has an immense social media footprint, with eight social media sites and and 125,000+ social followers.

Join us on social media and Join Our Community by sharing your stuff!

Get Inspired

News Media Groups

Black Press Media
Sound Publishing
Oahu Media Group
Alaska
Boulevard Magazines
Used.ca

Let’s Get Social

West Coast Traveller
I Love British Columbia
I Love Alberta
I Love Yukon
I Love Northwest Territories
I Love Washington
I Love California
I Love Oregon
I Love Alaska

Visit Our Companion Sites

I Love Saskatchewan
I Love Manitoba
I Love Nunavut
I Love Ontario
I Love Quebec
I Love Newfoundland and Labrador
I Love Nova Scotia
I Love New Brunswick
I Love Prince Edward Island

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • TikTok Icon

Copyright © 2023 West Coast Traveller and · All Rights Reserved