BC 99 North, Sea-to-Sky Highway, North Vancouver To Squamish

This video follows BC 99 North, from Horseshoe Bay to Squamish. Provides footage of the first segment of the world-famous Sea-to-Sky Highway, and details some of the significant improvements that the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation have conducted in recent years for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

[@debbiewagner1996]

I moved to Squamish in 1977 for one year. I came from Kitchener, Ontario so it was a real shock. I am so thankful that I got to experience it then. I had two german shepherds and we used to walk everywhere, places that are now roped off. Whistler hadn't been developed yet and people going there from Vancouver were quite often stranded there due to rock slides on the scary 2 lane road. When I arrived I had the flu and it was raining and didn't stop for about 2 1/2 weeks. My friends kept telling me about all of the mountains surrounding us and I was like, yeah right! I woke up one morning to watch the sun rise and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was shining on Diamond Head mountain and it is a sight I will never forget. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

[@GReid-ol5gk]

I'm sorry, but the Northwest just has a unique beauty that is pretty hard to top. Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are all such beautiful places. Seriously, if you're able to visit any of these places, count your blessings.

[@FreewayBrent]

I agree...as much as I love California, the bright greenery and mountains will just about blow anybody's mind away. Absolutely love the Pacific Northwest, as well as the great cities of Vancouver, Seattle and Portland.

[@FreewayBrent]

I have to thank my friend, Victoria, for sending me the first song. I could not have found a more perfect beat for the scenery presented in this video. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@utsao]

Thank you very much, it's been 7 years since I moved away from BC and seeing the sea to sky again just brings back a flood of memories

[@ohkiersten]

beautiful!!! thank you so very much! this is the drive i take every weekend- i live in squamish and drive into the city almost every weekend. we are so blessed to live amongst such natural beauty. thanks to you, i can now show friends and family who don't live here, why they should visit!!!!

[@dph7796]

The TV series "MacGyver" was shot in BC for a four-year period from 1987-1991. An episode from Season 3 entitled "The Widowmaker" was shot in and around Squamish.

[@LorenzoMoore1000]

I must say This is truly an amazing road in western canada. Thie views of the mouintains are breathtaking. Thanks for posting.

[@louky264]

The best use of 10 minutes ive made tonight. My god driving that road has gotta be on my bucket list before i die. Just too lovely of a drive

[@robertwieczorek5838]

I drive from west van to squamish everyday for 3 months and I'm still in awe how this is in my back yard

[@northwest265]

Wow! what a great ride! Thanks for this beautiful scenic drive.

[@adogg619]

That sure was a breath taking experience. I wish I could see Canada one day. 5 stars!

[@VaFreeways]

The footage is incredible watching it on youtube... it must've taken your breath away seeing it up close. I haven't seen anything on this level since I was in Iceland and this might even top that.

[@thevultrantransituniverse1487]

Just did this road from Vancouver to Whistler a few days ago! It's was sure a scenic place to drive!

[@NikoBell12]

2:50 I know that 996 Carrera Cabriolet must've been a joy to drive on this road.

[@jamiearnott72]

Love the vid, and using Deep Forest as the opening song is perfect.

[@LondonUnderground186]

Beautiful video. I live in Vancouver area since March '012 and I never drove there yet on BC99... That gives me more the desire to ride there! Thanks!

[@Merche74]

this is gorgeous and great choice of song..

[@TraumahawkTV]

Going To The Sun Road is very beautiful, but i guess the fact that that whistler is my favorite place in the world, has been for about 5 years now, helps me love Sea To Sky that much more.

[@ScenicMirage]

Oh my, this freeway is absolutely breathtaking. I'd HAVE to be a passenger going through here, because I'd be too distracted taking in the marvelous scenery. Thank you so much for this video.

[@EdgeXXI]

I love it! Looks pristine, cold, and beautiful. I'm tempted to take time off work for a fortnight and check out BC.

[@heyuhhh7137]

every time we drive to whistler from vancouver, i can't help but stare at the fjord the entire drive. in winter it's so pretty! we're going to whistler this christmas!

[@FreewayFranks]

As I will tell you again, absolutely incredible !! what a wonderfull curvy road !!! 5 stars Brent !

[@RenKinRaM]

Absolutely beautiful. Hope to get there soon.

[@ivonerodrigues628]

Wowwww that's preety beautiful road. I love the mountains !!!

[@FreewayBrent]

Indeed. A truly wonderful road to drive and take in the views. Thanks for watching!

[@Denita6969]

Just awesome!!! has to be one of your best videos yet...look forward to many more..keep up the awesome work/drives...cheers!!

[@neilmoryson]

It's numbered BC 99 because the 99 Highway (U.S. 99) used to be the main north/south highway running from the Mexico/US border up to the US/Canada border. By the time B.C. got around to officially numbering their highway system in the 1940s, they decided to continue the number already assigned to the road that crossed into the United States as assigned by the U.S. system. This pattern is still seen along the B.C. border with Washington and Idaho. The current U.S. 97 becomes BC 97. U.S. 395 becomes B.C. 395. As you probably know, U.S. 99 no longer runs through Washington state, however Oregon and California still use the 99 designation on what later became State highways and these roads run parallel to the I-5 which replaced U.S. 99 as the main north/south highway. Growing up in B.C. I always wondered why our highway numbers seemed to be so random. Like 99?? Why 99 LOL

[@MisterWub]

Beautiful video! Thanks for posting!

[@19crash84]

While I enjoy all of your videos, this one is easily my favorite.

[@FreewayBrent]

I agree; some people like to take the turns a good 20 or even 30 kmph over the posted speed limit, as well as the posted advisory speed thru curves. I was one of the few who generally stuck to the speed limit; there were a few times where I was going close to 10 kmph over, but that was about it for me. Still, with the improvements, I do feel a lot safer driving this roadway today, vs pre-construction. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@xtremegamer2218]

This highway reminds me of highways that go through the mountains of Norway and Sweden, although I've never been there.

[@equanimity26]

Wow, I've lived in this country for 10 years so far yet, I've never been to BC (I'm in Toronto). I feel so ashamed. I'm going to have to visit for sure in the foreseeable future. Great video.

[@hhsoul35]

totally agree about the old layout being dangerous. omg, i would always be so tense driving up that!

[@MassTransit92]

Definitely my favourite video. I hope you'll re-film this place soon. ;)

[@Altaryte]

very nice video, wonderful scenery and nature. I'd like to see you make videos of the Montreal areas in Quebec, Canada.

[@aflutes1706]

Great Video, Wow those mountains sure are pretty

[@FreewayBrent]

@AcoGuitar000: Yeah, no kidding, and the fact that they were able to convert it to a 4 lane freeway (in sections) is truly an amazing engineering feat.

[@CptSchmidt]

The BC government hails the Sea-to-Sky Highway as the most beautiful in the world. I think this shows for that! Great one, Brent :D

[@SunilSharma-re1hq]

Dream world, beautiful, a great video, thumbs up

[@FreewayBrent]

No problem! I agree with you, there's few other roadways like it, not just in Canada, but pretty much anywhere, regarding both the scenery and high construction standards.

[@FreewayBrent]

Indeed, it is one of my favorite drives in North America.

[@adogg619]

Thanks for the recommendation. By the way your videos inspire me to do the same... if I only I had more vacation time from work.

[@japnikki]

I love BC! Much more scenic than Wa or Oregon

[@rally618]

I love the scenery.

[@amayasnep]

You should really come back and take some more scenic drives up here in BC.

[@FreewayBrent]

Would love to! I might actually be back up in Vancouver September for the first time since 2012. There's a few things I'd like to record in the immediate area (primarily the reconstructed TCH 1 through the eastern parts of the metropolitan area). Don't think I'll have time to get out into the BC interior, unfortunately.

[@FreewayBrent]

@bmx406: Going-To-The-Sun Road is perhaps my favorite road in the entire country! I drove it once with my father, some 10 years ago, and just reminiscing about it makes me wanna get my ass back on the road, and be there in 2 long days of driving.

[@beepbeepme50]

This was the first video of yours I ever watched.

[@FreewayBrent]

Oh wow. A lot of changes to my channel since I released this one. Thanks for being a loyal follower!

[@Heismorethanable]

I should clarify the previous post of a Timmy's stop which refers to the Tim Horton's Coffee Store chain across Canada and in the North Eastern USA. What's a drive along Canada's hiways without a Timmy's coffee at hand. Again thanks for posting. Freeway Brent- do Hwy 89 north of Toronto- heading west out of Cookstown and Alliston to Violet Hill or Hwy 118 along in Muskokas and Haliburton-east of Bracebridge, Ont- both are beautiful 2 lane hwy stretches.

[@Veroniafamily]

Wow !!!! Cant wait !!! I ll be there next week ...

[@FreewayBrent]

Yeah, if you can get out to Vancouver, and beyond, it'll be a never-ending experience of sensory overload. Amazing scenery, up in those parts. Glad you enjoyed the ride.

[@kerleymoh3339]

this drive is memorizing especially with that first song that I love now.... I'm not one to gripe but if only that song had repeated lol

[@Kot1234]

Excellent video!

[@Mcfinbar]

Nicely done.

[@Freewayjim]

WOW is right, incredible ride! 6* Thumbs Up on the music, that was the right "style" for the scenery.

[@jazu40]

I drove today to Whistler. I'm surprised you can't fill olypmpics are in few days. No welcome banners, no flags. Whistler itself looks like some kind of war policing zone. Nice vid. Great job

[@FreewayBrent]

Glad you enjoyed the ride! Sure, there should be several Montreal-area videos coming up online in the next several months. Stay tuned...

[@FreewayBrent]

@MingGuoLi: Along certain sections, the highway passes thru local communities. When the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation released their plans to upgrade the road from an undivided 2 lane highway to 4 lane freeway along some sections, locals voiced their concerns that allowing for higher speeds would increase noise levels, so the 60 km/h limits were a compromise to get the road built.

[@FreewayBrent]

Yeah, it's an awesome stretch of roadway! The reason for the 80 km/h limit is partially due to appease the concerns of local residents, who want to keep roadway noise down to a minimum...and some of the curves are not rated for anything higher than 60 km/h.

[@Heismorethanable]

It would be a truly amazing video if you had a Timmy's stop somewhere along the line. Also one suggestion....perhaps put the captions at the top of the screen....versus the bottom, which blocks the scenes. Just an idea. Great video none-the-less. Really enjoyed the ones on the 401 in Toronto and 400.

[@nightsenju9118]

I almost died driving all the way from Regina Saskatchewan to Vancouver

[@EuropeanRoads]

Amazing rollercoaster ride! I notice North American roads like these barely feature tunnels. In Europe, such roads are usually dotted with short tunnels.

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks! You have absolutely no idea how much I want to re-film this, with my newer camcorder. I should have just gotten it done, when I was in town for a week in April. The footage would turn out even better than this. Don't mind me, if I leave you a link to my 2nd newest video, on the comments section of your profile right now.

[@TransCanadaPhil]

I'm flying out to Vancouver in May (17th-20th) and will be renting a car there. I'll re-film this and take a day trip out to Whistler and back on the sea to sky. I figure I'll get a larger memory card because this one might justify shooting in 4k mode.

[@FreewayBrent]

...and thank you for watching!

[@aboutkorea]

wow! really beautiful drive Course with lover.

[@FreewayBrent]

@jfhiltonmd: I actually never did record the second half, considering that the scenery pales in comparison to what is showcased in this video, plus I wanted to get back to Vancouver in time for dinner, and then to record my night time video scenes. Plus, I tend to almost exclusively focus on filming 4 lane divided highways (or mainly freeways). I'll have some future videos, showcasing some of the very best 2 lane highways on the west coast, but thats a longer term project. Thanks 4 watching!

[@MassTransit92]

Yeah ! That's a very good news. You make my day.

[@FreewayBrent]

@dherrera96: Wow, you left me scratching my head on that fact. I honestly would have never known that, had you not mentioned it on here. Thanks for interesting trivia about MacGyver!

[@FreewayBrent]

@ALBGunner04: Hey there, thanks for the comment. Out of all my favorite roads in North America, the Sea to Sky Highway is probably at the top of my list (Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana's Glacier Nat'l Park makes a case, too). Not only is the scenery breathtaking, but with the recent improvements to the roadway itself, it's now also a super safe and convenient drive, too.

[@FreewayBrent]

@nicothefacker: Thanks! I noticed you found my video and page thru the Road Trips page.

[@jazu40]

Hi Brent. Nice video. I drove so many times this road. My favorite road trip. If you ever have chance do hwy 8 to Merrit, BC.

[@vanhoot2234]

The drive has changed since then but still gorgeous

[@FreewayBrent]

@MrZulu2065: I agree, it's not *the* most scenic ride (my personal favorite is the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier Nat'l Park), but you'll very hard pressed to find a freeway more scenic than this. Perhaps I-70 through Colorado, Trans-Canada 1 approaching the Canadian Rockies, or I-80 over the Sierra Nevada can definitely take the title of most scenic freeways, but I suppose it all comes down to personal preference. Thanks for watching!

[@necroslair]

Stunning! 5 Stars!

[@deangmoxon]

Its actually West van to squamish Great video

[@FreewayBrent]

@bmx406: It's definitely right up there amongst the very best. Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park is also a top contender.

[@HoltCalifornia]

@FreewayBrent I used to live there so it brought back nostalgic memories..

[@FreewayBrent]

@RenKinRaM: It really is beautiful. You'll have the time of your life, when you finally do make it up north. Thanks for watching.

[@FreewayBrent]

@ScenicMirages: Hey, thanks for the feedback! I'm hoping to get back up there again, later this year, to record the same stretch of roadway with my new camcorder, as well as implementing my much improved editing skills. Feel feel to watch my most recent videos, to get an idea of what this particular video may look like in the future.

[@FreewayBrent]

@LorenzoMoore1000: And thank you for watching. I will be releasing an edited version of this video in the coming months. To get an idea of what it may look like, see the featured video on my homepage (US 101 thru Hollywood).

[@kubek555]

nice music and video ;)

[@FreewayBrent]

Thanks! I'm actually planning on re-recording this with a better camcorder and much improved editing, pretty soon. Stay tuned..

[@FreewayBrent]

@1982FMJ: I could see a 100 kmph speed limit on this stretch of roadway, although a lot of those curves probably aren't designed for such speeds. But yes, I agree, the 80 kmph speed limit, at least along the 4 divided sections, is a bit too low for what would count as reasonably safe speeds.

[@HoltCalifornia]

Nanaimo!!!!!! I love that place.

[@amayasnep]

Come back to BC!

[@FreewayBrent]

I keep having friends up there asking when I'm coming back, lol. I've been back to Seattle numerous times, but not Vancouver since 2012. Probably next year.

[@FreewayBrent]

Definitely!

[@Northisbest]

Much better than on Train :/ Recently I was on Train round trip from North Vancouver to Whistler...too much close tree to the window most of the time...

[@FreewayBrent]

@HoltCalifornia: Never been, before. What are the main attractions there?

[@FreewayBrent]

@1337gam3r07: Yeah, I feel you on that. I wouldn't mind it too much, though, just because there's always something fun to do within Vancouver.

[@FreewayBrent]

Oh, and I also have an entire set of Toronto-area videos up on KZbin already, including the Gardiner Expressway, which cuts right thru the southern edge of Downtown. I'll also eventually have a bunch of videos up from Montreal & Quebec City, in case you're interested. -Cheers, Brent

[@FreewayBrent]

Yup! 10 minutes is quite a long video to annotate, and I wanted to wait for a day, in which I had a lot of mental patience and concentration to insert the annotations.

[@takingthescenicroute1610]

Would be neat to see this going to Whistler or even further north to Pemberton or even further to see the nifty Fraser canyon walls between Lilloet and Pavillion which you will never see on the hwy 1 Fraser canyon route.

[@takingthescenicroute1610]

you don't exactly see "road washout conditions ahead when lights flashing" signs every day...

[@RichieNick100]

Great Job! I live in Vancouver and it's really nice to look at a video of the suburbs. Awesome job you did there! You should really make a video of the town Squamish instead of ending the video right before you make a left turn. When are you going to re-film this? When you re-film, may you please make a video of the town Squamish? Thank you :)

[@FreewayBrent]

I guess the scenery made you too speechless to say anything else, lol.

[@ChrisK529]

Do you use special software to speed up the video or does your camera have this feature?

[@FreewayBrent]

@MzYeLloWbUsRyDa: How the heck do you even have the ballz to attempt such speeds? I think you are pretty gutsy for doing that, but I've gotta give kudos to you for being able to pull it off. For me, even 100 kmph seems a bit too fast on this particular roadway, lol.

[@FreewayBrent]

I'm actually from the United States, but I'm no more than a 16 hour drive from Canada. Filmed this in my own car. :-)

[@backroadsgalleries]

Brent - may I suggest you head south of the border and do the Rumarosa Highway between Tecate and Mexicali.

[@kristywarner8325]

Canada looks great :) was that snow on top of the mountains? Looks cold despite that anyway what with the clouds hanging low :) great video

[@njam1016]

Kristy Warner Most of Canada does not look like that. Much flatter.

[@678banky]

NJam101 all of western bc looks like that though

[@njam1016]

Tony Chopper yes, true.

[@ivonerodrigues628]

really marvelous road !!!

[@FreewayBrent]

@jfhiltonmd: Thank you very much!

[@FreewayBrent]

Well hey, you're not *too* far away; only about 1,400 miles separates you from this spectacular roadway. I highly recommend it, for reasons that I don't have to explain!

[@FreewayBrent]

Maybe in July! Going to try and take a road trip up to the Pacific Northwest. That reminds me; it's time to purchase a 2nd battery for my camcorder.

[@davidlevine7596]

I last rode this in 1992 after riding the steam train w hat experience it was worth the trip from Maryland I Have not looked at the tapes for some times I had to drive and my friend was getting a little grumpy for we were coming back from Haiwi and it was really sort of just to much vication