Sea to Sky Highway

Highway 99 runs from West Vancouver up the eastern shore of Howe Sound, a fjord, and then inland and up to Whistler at about six hundred and seventy metres, covering roughly a hundred and twenty kilometres. It was a narrow and notoriously dangerous road until a rebuild before the 2010 Winter Olympics widened it, added barriers and cut the worst corners. The drive strings together most of the corridor's sights: Shannon Falls, the Stawamus Chief, the Sea to Sky Gondola at Squamish, Brandywine Falls and the Garibaldi trailheads. Interpretive pullouts along the route were developed with the Squamish and Lil'wat nations, whose territory it crosses.

What you actually see

• The fjord section - Howe Sound with islands and mountains across the water.
• The strung sights - Shannon Falls, the Chief and Brandywine within an hour.
• The Sea to Sky Gondola - a cable car and suspension bridge above Squamish.
• The cultural pullouts - interpretive stops developed with local First Nations.

When to go

May to October for clear driving and open trails; winter brings snow, chains requirements and heavy ski traffic to Whistler. Weekend traffic northbound is heavy in both seasons.

Honest expectations

Weekend and holiday traffic can double the driving time. Pullouts at the popular falls fill by mid-morning in summer. Winter conditions require proper tyres by law.

Nearby

Squamish is halfway; Whistler is the northern end.