Kamloops, BC to Hope, BC in Autumn

Beautiful British Columbia!  There are so many amazing sights for us to see without going far from home.  Here are some photos taken during recent trips down from home in Kamloops to Hope, BC which is a three hour drive.

Kamloops early morning

An early morning departure from Kamloops sees the sun warming up Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter as it shines down the South Thompson River.  Sun Rivers development enjoys the early morning sun while downtown homes patiently awaits.

Nicola Lake

 An autumn day following the old Highway 5A along Nicola Lake offers some colorful trees to brighten up the shoreline.  Most of the indigenous deciduous trees of the area offer the yellow leaves throughout the Nicola Valley during the Autumn months.

Spences Bridge, BC

As we cross the bridge over the Thompson River at Spences Bridge we see these interesting mountain formations.  The original 82 year old Spences Bridge was dismantled last year after being deemed a safety hazard.

Hoodoos in the Thompson Canyon

We follow the Thompson River and see a lot of work being done on the railway across the river from the highway.  We also saw some work being done on this side of the river on the railway, this must be the time of year to clean up any fallen rocks and debri before winter weather causes havoc.

Thompson River rapids

The river is low at this time of year but the rapids seen at this rocky corner offer lots of excitement for the white water rafting that takes place through many rapids like these during the summer months.  This is just one example of a reported 25 rapids between Spences Bridge and Lytton, BC, no proof necessary for me, I will just take their word on that!

Lilloet Mountain Range

The Lillooet Range is part of the Pacific Range of BC’s Coastal Mountains and offer some great sights with snow covered peaks and a beautiful blue sky as a backdrop today.  We’ve travelled this road during winter months, as well, and will say that these road conditions and views are much nicer on this day.

Yale, BC

After passing through the last tunnel of the Fraser Canyon we approach Yale, BC.  Yale was once the head of navigation on the Fraser River as it was considered unnavigable past this point.  In the 1860’s, Yale was a booming town due to the gold rush and the sternwheelers made regular visits to Yale.

Othello Tunnels, Hope, BC

The Othello Tunnels are a nice walk off the parking lot through pretty mossy trees while the river rushes by.  It is part of the Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park near Hope, BC and closes when the summer season ends so no Autumn visits.  The Coquihalla River rushes through the rocky crevices and the tunnels were built for the decommissioned railways of long ago, both great sights to see.  

Bridal Falls, BC

A return trip on Hwy 1 brings us past Bridal Falls where we see the changing of the leaves.  We drive to Hope then onto the Coquihalla Highway 5 for a different scenic trip home.  I will share that trip another time.

To see what most of this road looks like during a winter trip, click here and you will see quite a difference. Just remember that whenever or wherever you travel, be safe!