BC and Alberta Road Trip - Chapter 2 - Clinton to Valemount
Fall colors along Highway 24 in British Columbia
This is the Second Chapter from our BC and Alberta Road Trip in the fall of 2025. In late September, early October we set out on a 2,250 km (1,400 Miles) road trip with a main objective to experience the fall colours in BCs Coastal Mountains, interior, and the Alberta Rockies.
In an unconvential way for us, we will index this post by our mileage markers and share with you anything that comes to mind, from the mundane to the extraordinary.
BC and Alberta Fall Road Trip Map
Our trip was 2250 km (1400 miles) long, to and from Vancouver, via Whistler, Clinton, Valemount, Mt. Robson, Jasper, Banff, and Radium Hot Srpings
A Day of Rain
It was one of those dreary road trip days that inevitably come along when you try your luck as a landscape photographer. The forecast looked grim, and it basically rained all day, but we still managed to have an enjoyable day on the road, taking in the scenery as the landscape changed from Clinton to Valemount in British Columbia.
457 km
We stopped in the small town of Lone Butte for a coffee en route at High Ground Coffee. We’ve booked a place in Valemont at the Best Western and splurged on one with a pool, since it looks like a lot of rain is in the forecast, which also means we won't hike in Wells Gray Provincial Park as we initially planned.
490 km
A quick stop at Bridge Lake Provincial Park, warmed up some soup, and had a nice little picnic. The fish were jumping, and it was a pretty cozy spot.
Bridge Lake Provincial Park
518 km
Nap stop at Emar Lakes Provincial Park. Underwhelming. Steep road access to the lake, which wasn’t really suitable for our VW Golf. There was an RV parked there as the only other vehicle. It appeared they were doing the same as us, having a rest stop.
572 km
Coffee stop in Clearwater at Back Country Bowls. There were lots of people hanging around, making it a cozy spot. It appeared the coffee shop was run by two enthusiastic entrepreneurs, setting up shop where all the tour buses come through, headed north towards Mt. Robson and Jasper.
770 km
We arrived at Best Western in Valemount and had a great stay, which included relaxing and planning our next move. We booked hotels in Jasper and in Banff. In the morning, we went for a nice swim and had breakfast, which offered good value for money at 50% off.
Stay tuned for the next chapter from Mt. Robson.
The photos in this article are made using a Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2, Voigtänder Nokton 28mm f/1.5, and Panasonic Lumix S PRO 70-200mm f/4 OIS lenses. (links to my camera and lens reviews).
