Howe Sound stops: Lions Bay to Britannia Beach, BC

The first exit and the only Lions Bay beach that welcomes dogs, off leash, which settles it for anyone travelling with one. Take the Kelvin Grove exit, park in the pay lot above the rail line (about 24 stalls, $24 buys the day) and follow the trail down from the foot of Tidewater Way to a rocky shore with washrooms and a picnic area. Divers rate it too: the Village describes a stepped wall with a sandy ledge at 26 to 28 metres. The park runs 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the water here is a Rockfish Conservation Area, so leave the rods at home.

Freshly rebuilt and worth a look. The Village cut the ribbon on July 1, 2026, after a $1.2-million overhaul that added a building with four washrooms and a covered patio, new play structures, and proper steps and paths down to the sand. The catch is parking: about 22 pay stalls above the rail line, and the meter's full-day button costs $36, the priciest beach parking on this stretch. The 262 bus is the Village's own suggestion. No dogs. Swimming was closed for part of late July when samples missed guidelines, so check the water-quality results before wading in.

The quiet one, and the Village wants it to stay that way: there is no visitor parking below the highway, and the neighbourhood is resident-permit only. Park in the free provincial lot at the northbound Highway 99 interchange instead (cars on the ramps or shoulder get ticketed and towed) and walk down. What's waiting is an unserviced natural beach with long views of Howe Sound and nothing else: no washrooms, no bins, no dogs. Pack it in, pack it out, and treat it as a short stop rather than a beach day.

The classic Howe Sound pull-off, and BC Parks' own description is hard to argue with: North America's most southerly fjord, right at the waterline. Follow the park signs, not Porteau Road 2 km earlier; northbound, it's a left turn and a controlled train crossing. The beach is rock and pebble, so wear shoes, and there are no lifeguards; BC Parks warns that tide and wind can change fast. Bring your own water: a current advisory says drinking water is off because of lead. The day-use lot closes at night; BC Parks and its operator post different times (11 p.m. and 10 p.m.), so plan on 10.

The fast option at the south edge of Britannia Beach: a burger shop and café built for people who don't want to sit down, right on the 99. Coffee comes early, burgers come from a takeout window, and the online menu runs from The Early Bird, a double bacon breakfast burger, to the O|Tacoma, a fried-onion smash burger. The Squamish Chief reported picnic tables and a washroom out front when it opened. Hours aren't posted on the website (it points to Google), so check before counting on it for a late-afternoon fill-up.

The stop that justifies the whole drive. Britannia was a copper mine from 1904 to 1974, and at its late-1920s peak it supplied 17% of the world's copper; the museum tells that story inside the 20-storey Mill No. 3, a National Historic Site you'll have seen from the highway. Full admission ($42.95 for adults) gets the underground train and the BOOM! show in about 75 minutes; a cheaper site ticket skips the train. Allow 1.5 to 3 hours, book ahead, and park free. Published hours run only to Oct. 11, so check the site for winter times.

The best reason to turn into Britannia Village. The Vancouver bakery's third location sits in The Ritz, a restored miners' bunkhouse with a covered porch on Copper Drive, and the menu is close to the city original: croissants, scrolls, crullers, and focaccia sandwiches with smoked salmon or prosciutto and Gruyère. It's the best pastry stop between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish. Mind the schedule, which the bakery's site lists as closed Tuesday and Wednesday, open until 3 p.m. on Monday and Thursday, and until 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

The sit-down meal of the stretch, in Britannia Village's restored School House. Vancouver's Autostrada built the menu around the water outside: shucked oysters with red-wine mignonette, a $135 seafood tower for four, a $42 lobster and prawn roll, and Italian pastas such as linguine vongole. It's not cheap, but happy hour runs 3 to 5 p.m. daily, and that's the sweet spot for a drive home from Squamish. Doors open at 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday and at noon Friday to Sunday; reservations are taken online.

Just past Britannia, and the easy freshwater swim on this stretch. Browning Lake has a small sandy beach, picnic tables (some with barbecue holders) and an easy trail around the shore, and BC Parks charges nothing for day use. Climbers know it for walls like the Petrifying Wall and Sugarloaf, with about 250 routes. Bring water, as there's none on tap, and expect no lifeguards. Dogs are banned from the main beach and picnic area, overnight parking is prohibited, and BC Parks tows cars parked outside the lots.