Adventures Along BC's Highway 93

Last week, my wife, daughter, and I took a trip to Radium, BC. The town is famous for its hot springs, but our goal was to stop at as many beautiful places along the way as we could. Luckily, British Columbia’s Highway 93, like its northern counterpart in Alberta, the Icefields Parkway, is one of the most beautiful drives in the world with so much to see just off the road.

Earlier that week we had actually cancelled our hotel because our daughter suddenly came down with a high fever. The same thing happened last fall, when we were too late to get a refund on a reservation (though thankfully we were able to use it as credit for this year). Not wanting to take the chance again and thinking the fever would surely turn into a more prolonged illness, we cancelled while we could still get our money back. But after two days she was suddenly completely fine. On the original day we were supposed to leave, we checked and saw that the hotel still had a room, so we booked it and left the next day.

Pit stop just before the exit from Highway 1 to 93 overlooking the Bow River.

Once on Highway 93, our first stop was Marble Canyon. This is a beautiful, short, and easy hike with bridges that criss-cross the canyon below. I have done it before when snow piled a few feet deep made those bridges feel quite treacherous to cross! This time, however, we only went a little ways in as our goal with Gracie was to sightsee rather than to actually hike. Still, you are treated to lovely views of the entrance to the canyon pretty much straight away, so even a quick stop is worth it.

The water level was very high. What you see above is usually far more of an exposed beach!

Next, just a short drive away, is Numa Falls. This is one of the most easily accessible waterfalls in the Rockies. You literally just park and you're right there. A bridge over Numa Creek offers stunning views, and the high water level made for a very impressive sight.

Somehow, I am even more enamored with the view opposite the falls as the creek cuts through the landscape.

The next place we stretched our legs was the Kootenay River Day Use Area. Though mostly a parking lot, there were a few picnic tables and nice views of the Kootenay River. If the water had been lower, we would have let Gracie get close, but it was rushing and high up on the steep banks! The weather was perfect—not as hot as the day before and not as rainy and cloudy as the next. Ultimately, the timing of our trip was ideal.

After this we went straight through to Radium, as we wanted to get checked into our hotel. But the next day, we also stopped at the gorgeous Kootenay Valley Viewpoint, which offers spectacular views of the valley and the river running through it. It's a popular spot, with parking available on both sides of the highway and even a pedestrian crossing—just be careful when crossing or when driving in this area.

The views were definitely unbeatable, but how was it taking a road trip with a 20-month-old? Well…