Route ID: BC06 Hot Springs / Rocky Mountains / Banff / Jasper / Kamloops
Hot Springs / Rocky Mountains Vernon-Nakusp Hwy 6 (DH2) New Denver- Kaslo Hwy 31A (DH5) Balfour- Creston Hwy 1A (DH1) Radium-Jasper Hwy 93 (DH22) Clearwater-Helmcken Falls (side trip from Clearwater) (DH59)
- 1300 km (4-5 days) - the best of southern British Columbia and Alberta
Highlights - wonderful roads... a rider's delight...all of them! - Kootenay, Banff, Jasper and Wells Grey National parks - alcyon, Ainsworth, Fairmont, Radium, Banff and Canyon) - world renowned Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise and the Columbia Ice Fields (be sure to watch for moose, elk and bears!!) - tourist attractions everywhere
Vernon-Nakusp Hwy 6 (DH2)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Someone should tell this to the Ministry of Highways before they go straightening perfectly good roads. Fortunately, they limited their "improvements" to the final 16.0 km (10.0 mi) of this 128.7 km (79.8 mi) odyssey. What genius thought a multi-million dollar multi-laner was needed on a road where the only access from its western end is a ferry that holds forty cars? This road is so quiet, ranchers herd cattle on it. Despite the Ministry’s misguided efforts, this bridge across the Monashees between the Okanagan and Kootenays remains one of southern B.C.’s finest Destination Highways. An enormously varied riding experience, it ranges from farmland to wilderness, canyon to mountain summit, and tight narrow twisties to long, leaning sweepers. As for the freeway at the end? Like the signs say, that’s your tax dollars at work.
New Denver- Kaslo Hwy 31A (DH5)
This road is a must, especially if you’ve read the bike magazine articles touting it as one of B.C.’s great motorcycling roads. Truth be told, while this reasonably scenic highway scores top marks for twistiness and is unblemished by development, it does have its faults. Poor sightlines, the occasional dose of gravel and cracking, bumpy pavement make it a challenge to ride well. Up one series of rivers and down another, past the crumbling ghost towns of the Silver Rush, it’s sometimes a tight squeeze through the mountains between New Denver and Kaslo. Demanding? Yes. But if you haven’t ridden this classic, you haven’t ridden B.C.
Balfour- Creston Hwy 1A (DH1)
In our humble opinion, this is the best motorcycle road in southern B.C. Even if you’re a glutton for twistiness, DH1 will test your appetite for turns. After beginning with a light starter up the east side of the fertile Creston Valley, the Ministry of Highway’s head chef serves up a never-ending feast of curves, sweepers and esses along the shores of Duck and Kootenay Lakes. If you have a choice, put away your Fat Boy and unsheath the ZX9R. But whatever your dry weight, come prepared to overindulge. Beautiful water and mountain scenery are almost always in view, traffic is light and development consists of the occasional pub or other service. The only thing not perfect about this DH is the pavement, but in B.C., no doubt you’ve ridden far worse. Take it from us, you won’t find a better riding experience anywhere in the province. Okay, so maybe our opinion’s not so humble after all.
Radium-Jasper Hwy 93 (DH22)
Like running the gauntlet? This beautifully engineered and smoothly paved toll highway (eastbound only) through Banff and Kootenay National Parks has B.C.’s greatest concentration of wildlife and glorious scenery. Unfortunately, this trip through the Rockies also may have B.C.’s greatest concentration of speed tax collectors enforcing the restrictive 90-kmh (55-mph) speed limit. The mountain weather in this World Heritage Site is changeable and you can expect to see rain roll in at anytime. It can also be very cold if you ride early or late in the day. But if you plug in the electric vest, keep your eyes open and have a good radar detector, you should make it through unscathed.
Clearwater-Helmcken Falls (side trip from Clearwater) (DH59)
The Clearwater Valley. Land of pure, crystal clear streams, creeks and rivers. And since this remote road is virtually unpolluted by pylons, it’s also clear sailing all the way along the Clearwater River to Wells Gray Park’s Helmcken Falls. At almost three times the height of Niagara, it is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada. Admittedly, the DH’s curve count is nowhere near as spectacular. But with the right amount of wrist rotation, the turns that guide you through the forested vales and squat mountains won’t seem quite so tame. Is it worth making the detour up this consistently paved dead-ender? Clearly.