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Manning Provincial Park

© Maureen Fleury

Just under a three hour drive from Vancouver is Manning Park where you will find wilderness and very little commercialism. Outside of the Manning Park Lodge, Gibsons Pass Ski Area, the park Visitor's Center and a gas station, there is nothing but the natural beauty in a diverse landscape. Manning Park is located in the Cascade Mountains and covers a large area of 70,844 hectares. Highway 3 is the only road into the park with the town of Hope at the western side and Princeton on the east. The park entrance is 16 miles east of Hope and 30 miles southwest of Princeton so be sure to get gas and provisions in these towns. The highest elevation on Highway 3 is Allison Pass at 4403 feet and you will find yourself on a steady climb as you enter the park. The road is paved and in some places there are passing lanes, but don't expect a super highway. Highway 3 is well traveled because it's the southern route between the Okanagan and the Coast, though it has quieted down since the toll road was built.

On the west side of Manning Park is a lush, rainy, coastal forest of fir and cedar. As you ascend, the landscape changes to alpine meadows of pine and aspen. The east side is grassy with very few trees, except for pine. This is the weather pattern on the West Coast. The clouds and moist air come in from the Pacific Ocean and hit against the west side of the mountains, so there is plenty of rainfall and moderate temperatures. The east side of the coastal mountains gets significantly less rainfall and is much colder in the winter and warmer in the summer.

Manning Park is best known for hiking, but visitors will find great facilities for horse trails, campgrounds, fishing, canoeing, mountain biking, cross-country and downhill skiing. Along Hwy 3, there are short trails, picnic areas, campgrounds and lakes that are accessible by car. The backcountry offers longer trails for hiking or horse riding and wilderness camping. As you can see, outdoor recreation is the main attraction.

Here is all what Manning Park can offer you:

Flora
Midsummer is the best time to view a gorgeous display of sub-alpine flowers, though some flowers begin to bloom in the late spring. The meadows become lush carpets of color with Indian paintbrushes, alpine daisies, western anemones, phlox, betony, yellow glacial lilies, arctic lupines and orange fan-leaf cinquefoil. On the warmer west side of the park, the rhododendrons bloom in June. These large pinkish-red flowers are clustered on dark green bushes. Visitors can admire the beauty of wild strawberries and wild orchids. In September, the deciduous trees come alive with color where the Cascade and Coastal Mountain ranges meet.