Hope is a delightful small town surrounded by towering mountains in eastern end of the British Columbias beautiful Fraser Valley. It is also the junction of three major highways and is about a 1.5 hour drive east of Vancouver.
The town of Hope is easy to miss unless you are staying on Highway 1 which passes through the edge of town. Routes 3 and 5 bypass the town unless you exit, and exit you should. Many visitors stop in Hope for a rest after a long drive, but still miss much of the ambience of this little town.
The towering mountains in every direction make you feel tiny as you explore this quaint little mountain community. Directly across the road from the Trans Canada Highway (easy to cross in the town) is a narrow park that runs along the Fraser River. To the east of town the famous Coquihalla River continues on its descent to where it flows into the Fraser. There is a park and wilderness trail along that side of town as well.
Famous area attractions include the famous Othello tunnels (you should bring a flashlight), Hope Slide located east of the city on Highway 3, Kawkawa Lake, and beautiful full size wood carvings of some of the local wildlife which you can see in the city’s central park. There is also a museum located in the Old City Hall.
Hope has a superb indoor swimming pool, a small town cinema and plenty of dining and accommodation options.
On weekends especially, it is common to see sailplanes soaring in the area as they capture lift from the winds blowing up the mountain slopes. Introductory flights are can be arranged through The Vancouver Soaring Association .
If you are passing through the Hope area, be sure to exit the Highway and give yourself some time to explore all that Hope has to offer. Better yet find a motel and spend an entire day. You’ll be glad you did.