Hikes, hangs and history: Why Squamish is happening in the fall

Everyone knows Squamish as that quaint little district municipality you can stop at on the way to Whistler, but there are plenty of reasons why it should be the destination and not just an afterthought.

In 2024 alone, Squamish visitors spent over $400 million. According to a 2024 economic impact study, there were over 1.8 million domestic visitors and over 125,000 international visitors that year. Those visitors supported over 3,600 jobs and contributed to $100 million in wages.

Squamish visitors have access to all sorts of amazing outdoor activities, which might make you think that it’s not worth visiting in B.C.’s rainy and gloomy fall season, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

From hikes that are doable and sometimes even better to do in the fall, to places to hang out and sip and savour tasty drinks and bites, to monuments that attest to the important place Squamish holds in B.C. history, these are just a few of the ways Squamish is happening in the fall.

Some autumn-friendly Squamish hikes

There are a couple of reasons why hiking in Squamish during the fall might be superior to heading that way in the summer.

For one, way less traffic. You can have a more serene and meditative time when you’re not hiking up a trail behind a lineup of other eager hikers.

Two, fall is absolutely beautiful in B.C., and Squamish never looks better than with the colourful displays of trees during the autumn season.

Murrin Provincial Park

A slightly lower-difficulty hike that folks can take part in during the fall is at Murrin Provincial Park. The leisurely hike takes you up to a lookout point that, weather permitting, offers a stunning view of the surrounding area.

Best of all, the park is open year-round.

“Established in 1962, this park has various climbing walls named the Shaman, Sugarloaf, Bog Wall, Leviticus, Petrifying Wall and The Brunser that provide for excellent climbing opportunities,” BC Parks says.

Panorama Loop

The Panorama Loop is another fairly easy trail that offers stunning views of the surrounding area.

“Halfway through the trail is the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform: a cantilevered deck that juts out over a sheer drop and offers majestic views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. The Panorama Loop is open year-round. During the winter months, you may need snowshoes to access the trail,” reads a blurb on the Sea to Sky Gondola website.

You can read more about hiking and trail suggestions on the Tourism Squamish website.

Squamish Canyon

Not quite a hike, but a lovely scenic experience nonetheless, Squamish Canyon is absolutely worth your time this fall.

It’s one of the most Instagrammable places in all of the district municipality.

A blurb on the canyon’s website reads, “One of the primary span bridges stands 39 m (130 ft) long and is designed to support over 47,000 kg (104,000 lbs), that’s about 578 people, 5,897 river otters, or 94 grizzly bears!”

The forest inside the Squamish Canyon area will be preserved for generations, thanks to a collaboration with the founder, Squamish Nation, the Province, and local stakeholders.

You can read a little more about what to expect during a fall visit on the Squamish Canyon website.

Best fall Squamish hangouts

Rainy weather shouldn’t prevent you from having a great time; thankfully, if hikes aren’t your thing, there are plenty of places to cozy up indoors in Squamish.

AIKA Spa

While AIKA Spa does feature an outdoor component, the overall experience is well worth a bit of B.C. rain.

AIKA is a spa experience nestled into a private sanctuary in the middle of the forest.

The family-run experience, founded by a family from Brackendale, B.C., offers something called the AIKA cycle, featuring hot and cold therapy. Even beyond the actual spa experience, once you set foot in the magical forest that surrounds you, with the cleansed, pure forest air, you might find it hard to leave.

Create Makerspace

 

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What better time of year for arts and crafts than the fall? If it’s too chilly and gloomy outside, you can brighten up your day at Create Makerspace, an incredible place for artists, imaginators, and folks who are just curious about creation in general.

Create Makerspace offers a wide variety of classes and opportunities for people interested in all types of arts and crafts, including pottery, textiles, woodwork, and even digital fabrication or 3D printing.

If you don’t want to take a full course, you can also just drop in.

Create also suggests it would be a great place for a holiday party “but actually fun.”

Cloudburst Cafe

 

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Every “cool” city needs a rad coffee shop to pop in at, and Cloudburst Cafe is one of those in Squamish.

Featuring good coffee, including XL sizes that include four shots of espresso, and plenty of eats and treats, including vegan options, Cloudburst is a great place to start the day. During our last visit, the tunes were on point as well.

Sip and Savour

Running until Nov. 26 is Squamish Sip and Savour, an annual dine-around event which is back for its eighth year.

Think multi-course menus, special events, and casual specials that’ll make fall a little less gloomy.

Autostrada

Autostrada is an Oyster Bar and Grill located at Britannia Beach, and it’s the perfect place to stop after a historic experience at the Britannia Mine Museum.

As part of Sip and Savour, Autostrada is offering a few options at $45 per person (+$35 with a wine pairing), including a stuffed pasta filled with ricotta, lemon zest and single-origin black pepper with slow-braised Canadian lamb shoulder.

There’s also a pair of comfy couches positioned right next to a fireplace for you to warm up.

Pepe’s 

Pepe’s, formerly Pepe & Gringo, is a culinary institution in Squamish and is also part of this year’s Sip and Savour.

It has been around since 2004, and the award-winning restaurant is considered by many to be a local landmark. You might remember that we featured Pepe’s in an article earlier this year, after Adam Sandler, of all people, showed up at the establishment.

“Adam Sandler dropped by for a steak last night. A real pleasure to have him in – a great night all around,” Pepe’s wrote in one of two posts about Sandler. 

“What a cool moment meeting Adam Sandler last night, having dinner at the best restaurant in town – Pepe’s Chophouse! Should we convince him to move to Squamish? 👀,” the other post’s caption joked.

You can find the full list of spots on the Sip and Savour website.

Important history in Squamish

The Britannia Mine Museum

The Britannia Mine Museum isn’t just a cool place to pop in with some friends and family; it’s also a national historic site.

While many drive by the museum and the iconic Mill No. 3 building, the importance of the mine and its place in B.C.’s history is something to take note of.

If you’ve never signed up for the full tour experience, you’re missing out. Particularly when it comes to the headliner of the show, a full interactive movie experience called BOOM!, akin to something you’d find at Universal Studios. The production value is noteworthy, and it’s actually an amazing experience for kids and adults. You can read more about BOOM! on the Britannia website.

The full experience even includes an underground train ride, offering you a glimpse of what it was like to be a miner.

Mill No. 3 has also been a huge part of TV and film history. As we reported last year, Mill No. 3 was even featured in The Last of Us. 

You can read more about Squamish’s history on the Tourism Squamish website.

Do you have any favourite places to visit in Squamish? Let us know in the comments.

The author of this article was hosted by Tourism Squamish.