Sea to Sky Highway: a Smartphone Audio Driving Tour

The following are highlights from the Sea to Sky Highway Driving Tour. In total, you’ll enjoy 28 audio points of interest in this immersive, self-guided experience, featuring the breathtaking Shannon Falls & scenic Sea to Sky Gondola, the towering granite cliffs of Stawamus Chief, the world-famous alpine slopes of Whistler Mountain, and much more.

To start the tour from Vancouver, simply head north on Highway 1 over the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. The route will merge into Highway 99, which takes you all the way to Whistler.

You'll be driving through an area known as the Northshore, which refers to the districts of West & North Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains.

The two hundred and forty kilometer long body of water is an arm of the Salish Sea that separates Vancouver Island from where we are now, the mainland. The Georgia Strait is also known as... we'll tell you.

You'll hear why, though neither of those two mountains are named Cypress, the name 'Cypress Mountain' comes from.

Cypress Provincial Park has some incredible trails if you have the time. The Trail System includes parts of the Baden Powell Trail in the North and the Howe Sound Crest Trail in the south. On a nice clear day, the views are magnificent.

So as we will be driving Highway 99 for a while, it's the perfect time to tell you a bit about it.....

You'll hear about the Lions Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue Team which was established following a series of landslides in the early 1980s.

We highly recommend a quick stop at the Porteau Cove Road Lookout, just off the highway, to get a bird’s eye view of our next point of interest.

You can hear how the name Anvil Island came about, on June 14th, 1792, when Captain George Vancouver picked up his feather pen and wrote in his journal….

'Howe Sound', a roughly triangular sound that joins a network of fjords boasts of being North America's southernmost fjord. We'll tell you the difference between a Fjord, Sound & Bight!

Just look for a huge white building on the side of the mountain with a Britannia Mine Museum sign! We'll tell you some of it's history. It also makes a great stop if you have time.

Murrin Provincial Park, the perfect pit stop! There is lots of parking and public washrooms on site. The Murrin Park Loop Trail is also known for a pictograph which is a.... we'll tell you.

Alright, so this point of interest is kind of like one of those Russian dolls. You open up the big one, and there's... hear about it!

Hear what Shannon Falls claim to fame is. If you are a fan of waterfalls we highly recommend you check this one out.

Now, if you want to get your heart pumping and the adrenaline going....this Point of Interest should do it!

We'll tell you what Stawamus Chief Mountain is and how it got its name.

Billed as the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada,” it is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. We’ll tell you a bit about its past.

Hear the interesting history behind the berm and rail spur line, built on the western and eastern sides of the central estuary, and how it has been changed.

Hear why this park is one of the most significant areas of wintering bald eagles in North America.

We'll take you to another amazing viewpoint called Tantalus Lookout where you can check out the “tantalizing” mountains.

They played an important role in the oral history passed down amongst the Squamish First-Nations. Hear one of those stories.

We'll tell you about this spectacular natural feature. Or better yet, a short 15 minute walk will lead you to a viewing platform perched high on the edge of a volcanic escarpment.

Hear what "Whistler Mountain" used to be called and why the name was changed. Guess what it's named after now? Don't worry we will tell you.

We'll tell you how the effort of the games organizing committee to ensure snow for the opening day could have qualified as an Olympic event in its own right!

Technically it's called 'Alta Creek', but everyone knows it by it's much more idyllic and fun to "sing" name!

Whistler's roots can be traced back to a British Royal Navy survey in the 1860s. You'll hear some of its history and how its faring today.