On a warm summer’s evening, with a 7.5km ascent under your belt and a pint of craft beer on the table in front of you, there are few better places in Canada than the top station of Squamish’s spectacular gondola. The glorious glass-and-wood Summit Lodge is a triumph of environmentally congruous Northwest architecture while the views – Howe Sound on one side and the 100m-long Sky Pilot suspension bridge on the other – are unforgettable.
For an active day out, hike up from Shannon Falls on the Sea to Summit Trail and take the gondola down afterwards (down-only gondola tickets cost $15). There is a whole network of additional trails heading out from the Summit Lodge – some easy, others forging further up the mountain. You can also enjoy the wobbly suspension bridge, several viewing platforms and the lodge restaurant with its alfresco deck where the hills are alive with the sound of (live) music in the summer.
