Distance From Vancouver to the Beginning of Silver Skagit
Road:
About 140 km via Highway 1 East.
Liked: Wide
road with few potholes, very few vehicles, great views from suspension
bridge and International Point day use area, many
camping opportunities
along Skagit River (but, after entering Skagit Valley Provincial Park,
camping is allowed in paid campgrounds only).
Of note: The road is gravel, with
numerous blind turns and deer wandering nearby, with clouds of dust
accompanying cars as they move, making it especially important to
observe the 60 km/h speed limit. You may need a car wash after coming
here. Some logging trucks may be present. Few good views along the road all the
way to the suspension bridge 59 kilometers from the start. Remote
wilderness area with no cell phone signal.
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Backroad Mapbook (2010 edition)
Coordinates
for the Beginning of Silver Skagit Road:
Page 15 (Hope) E7.
Silver Skagit Road is located near Exit 168
from TransCanada Highway 1. It goes past a few private properties, and
then asphalt gives way to slippery and dirty, but fairly wide and
pothole-free (but see the trip report) road. Skagit River rapidly flows
on the side of the road for many kilometers (anglers, note that Skagit
River is catch and release only, but fishing for food is allowed in the
lakes).
The best natural attraction before the
suspension bridge 59 kilometers after the start is an impressive
waterfall 6.1 km into your trip, just before the turnoff to Silver Lake
Provincial Park. Silver Skagit Road also leads to four wilderness
trails, all of which are listed in the table below. This is a good road
to take, if you want peaceful camping and crowd-free hiking. Weekends
would obviously be busier than weekdays.
In the table below we have
listed the points of interest we have observed along the Silver
Skagit Road. Zero your odometer right after you turn onto Silver Skagit
Road from Flood-Hope Road. Directions are in the trip report below.
PP = Provincial Park: firearms,
ATV, and off-campground camping restrictions are in place. FSR = Forest
Service Road.
DUA = Day Use Area (usually holds
about 10 vehicles at most, except for the large International Point DUA
with space for about 50 vehicles).
0.
Here are Google Maps directions from Flood-Hope Road to USA border by
International Point Day Use Area.
1. We are on
Highway 1 East, shortly after Chilliwack, en route to Exit 168 near Hope.
TransCanada Highway 1 in British Columbia past Chilliwack
2. The last
chance to fuel up is at the Shell gas station at Exit 135, which you
take to get to
Bridal Veil Falls,
Minter
Gardens, and the
town of
Agassiz.
Follow signs to Bridal Veil Falls to get to that gas station. There is a
restaurant there too, and the area looked quite festive today.
Photo of Rancher's Restaurant at Exit 135 of TransCanada Highway 1
3.
Taking
Exit 168.
Highway 1 East in BC near Exit 168
4. After
taking Exit 168, follow the Skagit Valley sign seen below and turn right
onto Flood-Hope Road.
5. Within a
minute, you would reach a flashing yellow light. Here you need to turn
right again, this time onto Silver Skagit Road. Zero your odometer after
turning. The table above shows the points of interest along the road,
and when to expect them.
Flood-Hope Road at Silver Skagit Road near Hope BC Canada
6. The
beginning of Silver Skagit Road. Asphalt gives way to gravel in a few
kilometers.
Silver Skagit Road Province of British Columbia Canada
7a. The first
attraction - an impressive waterfall on the side of the road by the 6.1
km mark.
Waterfall on Silver Skagit Road BC Canada
7b.
Very shortly, at 6.3 km, there is a Right turn to Silver Lake Provincial
Park. Silver Skagit Road continues on the Left side.
Silver Skagit Road turnoff to Silver Lake Provincial Park - July 2024
photo
8. The road
itself looks pretty much the same all the way to the end - tall trees on
both sides, and an occasional mountain view ahead.
Silver Skagit Road East of town of Hope British Columbia Canada
9. Skagit
Valley Provincial Park entrance is 37.3 km after the start of the road.
Camping on the roadside is not permitted past this point. Three
campgrounds are available. Whitworth Campground is for campers with
horses only ($14 per night). Ross Lake Campground for horseless campers is $16 per night.
Skagit Valley Provincial Park Entrance British Columbia Canada
10.
Here is a map of the Skagit Valley Provincial Park, provided at the entrance
to the park. Note that "You Are Here" marker is incorrect, as the map
was likely moved to its present location. The actual location is to the
left, approximately where the horse symbol is shown.
Skagit Valley Provincial Park Map BC Canada
11. It is
actually quite surprising that such a rarely used road (we encountered 15
vehicles at most all day long, and that's for 60+ kilometers; albeit, it
was a weekday) has such a pothole-free surface. Now we know why - a
grader takes care of the potholes. To be fair, there were plenty of
potholes after the Nepopekum day use area at km 53.5, but this grader
would take care of them in a matter of days.
Picture of a Grader on Silver Skagit Road Province of British Columbia
Canada
12.
So, you drive on this mostly featureless road for a long time, and then
start enjoying some excellent views by the end of the drive. The suspension
bridge is at km 59.0, and this is where the Galene Lakes trailhead (the
toughest trail along the road) begins.
Suspension Bridge Silver Skagit Road Skagit Valley Provincial Park BC
Canada
13. The views
from the bridge are impressive.
Skagit River
14. Now
looking in the opposite direction while standing near the bridge.
Skagit River Province of British Columbia Canada
15. The best
views are just two kilometers away, at the large International Point day
use area. There are picnic tables there, a playground, and a lake.
International Point Day Use Area Skagit Valley Provincial Park BC Canada
View from International Point Day Use Area near USA Border Skagit Valley
Provincial Park
17. The
mountain views are very impressive. And when we got there in the middle
of the day on a Summer Tuesday, there was a total of one family enjoying
it all.
Skagit Valley Provincial Park British Columbia Canada
18. Three
hundred meters past the International Point day use area is the United
States of America.
International Boundary Skagit Valley Provincial Park British Columbia
Canada
Silver Skagit
Road does not appear to be very popular, and it bodes well for those
hikers and vacationers who want to experience fine British Columbian
nature while avoiding the crowds. Two following trips describe our
Skyline II and Skagit River hikes, and we have not met a single person
on those trails. Not sure about the weekends, but on weekdays this place
is quite likely to be all yours. Enjoy!