Attraction Vancouver — Sea-to-Sky day trip, Canada

Sea to Sky Gondola, Shannon Falls and the Chief

An hour north of Vancouver on one of the great coastal highways: a 335-metre waterfall at the roadside, a ten-minute gondola to 885 metres above Howe Sound, a suspension bridge across the void and a straight look at the face of the Stawamus Chief.

Duration: 1 day
Distance: 4 km
Difficulty: Easy
Best season: May to October for clear views and open trails; the gondola runs most of the year

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The drive is half the point. Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky, leaves Vancouver over the Lions Gate Bridge and then hugs the east shore of Howe Sound, a fjord of dark water and steep forested islands, for most of the way to Squamish. Just before town the mountains close in: on one side of the road Shannon Falls pours 335 metres down a granite wall, and next to it the Stawamus Chief, a 700-metre dome of granite, rises straight out of the parking lots. Between them, the Sea to Sky Gondola lifts you off the highway to a ridge high above the fjord.

The gondola opened in 2014 and climbs about two kilometres in roughly ten minutes to a summit lodge at 885 metres. Up top, the reward is a view you would otherwise need a long, steep hike to earn: Howe Sound laid out below, the Coast Mountains on every side, and the granite walls of the Chief across the valley. A 95-metre suspension bridge, the Sky Pilot, crosses a gap to a network of easy loop trails and viewing platforms. It is a half-day that suits every fitness level, and on a clear day it is the best view you can buy within an hour of Vancouver.

For hikers, there is a better version: the Sea to Summit Trail climbs from the gondola base to the summit lodge, and you ride down. It is rated advanced by the operator, but it turns a sightseeing trip into a proper mountain day.

Getting there. Drive Highway 99 north from Vancouver; the gondola base and Shannon Falls Provincial Park sit side by side just south of Squamish, about an hour from downtown without traffic. There is no local transit link from Vancouver; commercial coaches run to Squamish and some seasonal shuttles serve the gondola, so check what is operating.

Tickets. Buy gondola tickets online on the official Sea to Sky Gondola site; online prices have been lower than the ticket window, and later-afternoon discounts are sometimes offered. Hours change through the year and the gondola closes for maintenance for a stretch each autumn, so check the official schedule before you go. Shannon Falls is a BC Parks site with no admission charge; check the park page for current parking rules.

Good to know:

Look at the webcam or the summit conditions before you drive. On a socked-in day you pay for the inside of a cloud.
The summit can be several degrees colder and much windier than the highway; bring a layer even in August.
Summer weekends are busy on both the highway and the gondola; go early or on a weekday.
The gondola was vandalized twice, in 2019 and 2020, and has since reopened; that history is why you will see extra security at the base.

Tips & Insights for this route Planning this route? Read our practical tips before you go — 9 tips. Read the tips

Download waypoints (GPX) Points of interest in walking order — not a trail trace.

Day by day

DayDistanceAscentDescentWalking time

Day 1 Hardest dayWaterfall, gondola and the summit loops

Distance4 kmAscentNot recordedDescentNot recordedWalking timeNot recorded

Day 1

Waterfall, gondola and the summit loops

Shannon Falls Provincial Park → Sea to Sky Gondola base 4 km

Navigate this day Print day

Start at the waterfall, ride up, then loop the summit trails and viewing platforms before riding down.

Segments

Shannon Falls 0.8 km Map

Shannon Falls parking lot → Falls viewpoint

Short, flat forest path

Start at the bottom. Shannon Falls, 335 metres high and the third-highest waterfall in British Columbia, drops in a series of cascades down a granite face at the end of an easy 350-metre trail along Shannon Creek from the parking lot. The boardwalks can be slippery; stay on the trail. The spray and the scale are best in late spring when the snowmelt is running. About 30 minutes.

About this place

Shannon Falls Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located 58 kilometres (36 mi) from Vancouver and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Squamish along the Sea to Sky Highway.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Mfield, Matthew Field, http://www.photography.mattfield.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
The gondola ride 0.3 km Map

Gondola base → Summit Lodge

Gondola cabin, then a short walk

The eight-person cabins climb about two kilometres of cable in roughly ten minutes, over the forest and up the wall of the ridge. Look back as you rise: Howe Sound opens up behind you and the Chief's granite face slides past to the side. About 15 minutes including boarding.
Summit Lodge and viewing decks 0.2 km Map

Summit Lodge → Summit Lodge viewing deck

Wooden decks and paved paths

The lodge is built from Douglas fir and wraps around a big deck at 885 metres. This is the classic view: the length of Howe Sound, the islands, and the mountains beyond Squamish. Get your bearings here and grab a coffee before the trails. About 20 minutes.

About this place

Howe Sound is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2021.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge 0.3 km Map

Summit Lodge → Far side of the bridge

Suspension bridge with mesh sides

The 95-metre bridge crosses a gap in the ridge with nothing but air beneath it and the whole fjord to one side. It sways a little, which is the point. The far side leads to the trail network and the viewing platforms. About 15 minutes.

About this place

Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway. The population of the Squamish census agglomeration is 24,232. This includes First Nation reserves of the Squamish Nation although they are not governed by the municipality.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: The original uploader was Damieng at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Chief Overlook 0.8 km Map

Far side of the bridge → Chief Overlook platform

Well-built trail and a viewing platform

A short walk brings you to the platform that looks straight across at the Stawamus Chief: a granite dome rising more than 700 metres above Howe Sound, crystallized about 100 million years ago and polished by glaciers. Climbers from around the world come for its walls; look for them. About 30 minutes.

About this place

The Stawamus Chief, officially Stawamus Chief Mountain, is a granitic dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. It towers over 700 m (2,297 ft) above the waters of nearby Howe Sound. It is one of the largest granite monoliths in the world.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Trougnouf · CC BY 4.0
Panorama Trail and the ride down 1.4 km Map

Chief Overlook platform → Gondola base

Easy forest loop, then the gondola

Loop back toward the lodge on the Panorama Trail through subalpine forest with openings over the water, stopping at the Spirit viewing platform, where displays share Squamish Nation history. Ride down, or before you do, sit on the deck for one last look at the Sound. About 60 minutes.

About this place

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, established in 1997. It encompasses both the eponymous Stawamus Chief and the Slhanay granitic domes and the surrounding forest.
Read more on Wikipedia