This was one of those unplanned adventures…
I left the house planning to take my dog down to the river, but ended up texting my husband that I was heading down Chilliwack Lake Road to do some exploring for my Blog Series instead.
It was overcast, the cloud cover was low and it was raining a little bit when we turned off of Chilliwack Lake Road onto Bench FSR.
Our first stop was Camp Foley Recreation Site, which you can read about Here.
After exploring the site and a quick pit stop at the outhouse, we were back on the dirt road and I was thankful for the pit stop after the first few dozen pot holes!
This drive is gorgeous and I love the scenery along the way, but there are so many pot holes in some areas, trying to dodge them is pointless! Just slow down and take your time, enjoy the beautiful yet bumpy scenery.
Next on my list were Chipmunk Peninsula and Rapids Recreation sites, just a few kilometres up the road, which you can read about Here.
Both are beautiful camping areas, and the Rapids Staging area is something I did not even know existed!
I had the whole place to myself on this December weekday, but I imagine it is packed full on Summer weekends.
Once I finished taking photos and checked all the sites off of my list, I stopped and pondered whether it would take longer to go back the way I came, or instead continue on and go up past the Elk Mountain trailhead and come out through Ryder Lake….
It didn’t take long to decide as I have done this drive before and know it’s a pretty well maintained FSR. Other than taking it slow for all of the pot holes and not having cell service, it was a low risk adventure.
The views on this drive are gorgeous and I like to turn off my music and listen to the river sounds getting farther away as I drive up and gain elevation with every hill and corner.
I passed countless waterfalls, crossed a couple of single lane bridges over the gorgeous river and got to truly enjoy nature in my own backyard.
Once I passed the Elk Mountain trailhead, I wondered if I had really saved any time going this route and wondered how annoyed my husband would be that I took this long….
I turned the next corner and wow! I was rewarded with the most glorious view I have ever seen! I snapped some photos and just sat to enjoy this view.
I was officially back in cell service and I felt a little bit sad about that. A good reminder to #unplug more often and to #explore outside as often as possible!
The views along the way were amazing and after being rewarded with that last view coming around the corner after Elk, I knew I had made the right decision. This drive soothed my soul and was exactly what I needed!
I hope this post has inspired you to explore in your own community and maybe even find some unexpected beauty in your own backyard.
As always, thank you for reading! I appreciate every single person that takes the time to read each post that I write.
Please Click that Like button if you enjoyed this one, or drop a Comment and let me know what you think!
You always do great during your explorations. Excellent photos, text, and sound! Thank you!
Thank you so much!! I truly appreciate the positive feedback!
My pleasure! Thanks so much for sharing an exuberant green, water, and ample skies from your beautiful Province! All the best, my friend!