Vancouver, Coast and Mountains

Welcome to the 20th Anniversary edition of the Vancouver, Coast and Mountains Backroad Mapbook. This mapbook, originally called Southwestern BC, was the start of what has proven to be a very popular outdoor recreation mapbook series. With over 1.5 million books on dashboards across the country we are very proud to be Canada’s source for maps when planning an outdoor adventure!

This book covers the southwest corner of beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver, Gibsons and Powell River frame the western edge of the area, while Hope, Manning Park, Boston Bar and Lillooet make up the eastern edge. Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, Squamish, Whistler and Gold Bridge are just a few of the prominent cities or towns. This dramatic area is highlighted by lush rainforests, spectacular coastal inlets and rivers surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with deep, dark lakes in the west. In areas closer to the coast, rugged mountains that literally rise out of the ocean floor dominate the area. Its natural beauty is second to none, a verdant landscape of looming mountains, wild rivers and fertile valleys. As you make your way inland, forests and eventually rangeland replace the coastal rainforest.

The Vancouver, Coast and Mountains region is an outdoor recreation paradise that will rival any recreational playground in the country. No matter the season, the breadth and variety of opportunities is amazing. It is an area where you can go ocean kayaking and alpine skiing in the same day. Anglers are just as active in the winter looking for steelhead as they are in the summer and fall chasing salmon. Trail enthusiasts can explore some amazing opportunities on foot, bike, ski or snowshoe, while kayakers can have as much fun on the wild rivers as they will exploring the endless coast. Of course, these are just a few examples of the many, many things to see and do in Southwestern BC.

As always, we spent hundreds of hours updating the maps. In addition to the countless roads, trails and recreational additions, the easier to read text and new colouring is certainly creating a buzz among readers. We have taken this to new lengths to help better define motorized and long distance trails as well as better classify the paved and unpaved road systems.

The writing has also been expanded and updated. In addition to new sections for ATV and Snowmobilers, we have dug up countless new opportunities for everything from trails to paddling routes and recreation sites. Thanks again to all of the people who have submitted tracks and waypoints as well as general updates to the book. We are also indebted to the various people at Recreation Sites and Trails and BC Parks for the help they give us ensuring we are up to date on the many improvements in those facilities.

The Backroad Mapbook is much more than a set of maps; it is an explorer’s guide and an armchair adventurer’s delight. The maps and writing will let the latter dream of places not so far away. So sit back and enjoy what this guide has to offer.