The 100 Best Affordable Vacations (42 page)

For the subculture of people that collect waterfalls the way kids amass baseball cards, this place is legendary. For the rest of us, Tumbler Ridge, a mining town of 2,400, makes a worthwhile detour from the Alaska Highway, or a surprising North Country destination. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Fort St. John, which is served by Air Canada through Vancouver. You’ll come for the waterfalls and stay for the away-from-it-all atmosphere. The area is laced with hiking trails leading to mountains, lakes, and, of course, cascades. Thirteen trails lead to a total of 22 waterfalls.

The can’t-miss site is
Kinuseo Falls
in
Monkman Provincial Park
(www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/monkman). At 197 feet, it’s higher than Niagara Falls, and perhaps because it’s set in the wilderness, looks even grander. By road, it’s a 40-mile drive south from Tumbler Ridge on bumpy gravel roads. The route offers a chance to catch two other falls, warm-ups for the big show. The first stop,
Barbour Falls,
about 21.75 miles south of Tumbler, is reached by an easy 1.2-mile hike. Another half mile farther down the road, you’ll find the trailhead for
Nesbitt’s Knee,
reached on a 2-mile round-trip hike.

[$
PLURGE
: For a splurge, skip the driving and approach Kinuseo by jetboat via the Murray River. The aluminum boat stops on a sandy island and a trail leads to a gasp-worthy view of the falls from the base. The trip lasts about four hours and is smooth but noisy. Bring a sandwich and water to have on the way. The river level is at ideal height for excursions from mid-June through early September, and reservations are recommended; contact the Tumbler Ridge visitor center (250-242-3123). Trips run $125 Canadian per person, with a minimum of four participants.]

If you love a hike, you’ll want to catch
Bergeron Falls,
an astounding plunge over a sandstone lip into a horseshoe-shaped bowl 328 feet below. It’s the highest accessible waterfall in the region, reached by a circular hiking trail that opened in 2010. Get there by driving north of Tumbler for 3 miles, and then turning 5 miles down a gravel road, which ends at the trailhead. The moderate hike takes half a day and is 6.2 miles round-trip. Side trails offer views of four other falls.

After that adventure, you deserve a laid-back cascade. Reach
Flatbed Falls
from a trailhead off Highway 29 near town. It’s an easy hike through a spruce, aspen, and pine forest. A marsh area created by beaver dams attracts mallards and Canada geese. The falls themselves are a mere 13 feet, but they’re surrounded by rocks that are popular for sunbathing, and a pool at the bottom of the falls is perfect for swimming.

Adventurous travelers will be tempted by the
Cascades Trail,
a multiday 26-mile round-trip experience. Plan on three days of hiking or mountain biking to take in eight thundering falls separated by placid pools. Rent gear from
Monkman Expeditions
(780-518-9115,
www.monkmanexpeditions.com
).

Tumbler Ridge has another claim to fame. It’s dinosaur country. In 2000, two boys discovered footprints they were sure came from the distant past. Although their parents were skeptical, their find was confirmed and now the area has several documented trackways and bone beds, which can be seen by visitors. The
Dinosaur Discovery Gallery & Trackway Tours
(255 Murray Dr., Tumbler Ridge, 250-242-3466,
www.trmf.ca
) has Canada’s largest collection of dino footprints, all recent finds. The gallery also leads tours to see footprints in the wild. An evening lantern tour is not only atmospheric but also instructive as the shadows accentuate the rock depressions.

TEN FALLS IN A DAY

Oregon’s
Silver Falls State Park
is said to be home to the largest concentration of waterfalls in North America. The highest, South Falls, clocks in at 176 feet, which you’ll see on the park’s Trail of Ten Falls, a 8.7-mile circuit that links four of the park’s trails. Four other falls drop into an amphitheater-like setting, allowing you to walk behind the cascades. The trail cuts through old-growth Douglas-fir, cedar, and hemlock trees as it makes its way along the north and south forks of Silver Creek. The 8,800-acre park, Oregon’s largest, is located about 25 miles east of Salem in the Cascade Range.
Silver Falls State Park, 20024 Silver Falls Hwy. SE, Sublimity, OR 97385, 503-873-8681,
www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php
.

Lodging and dining is limited in Tumbler Ridge. The
Wilderness Lodge Tumbler Ridge
(360 Northgate Dr., 877-242-5405 or 250-242-5405,
www.wildernesslodgetumblerridge.com
) has rooms beginning at $129 Canadian.
Sheila’s Place
(340 Front St., 250-242-0090) is the place for soup and sandwiches, while the best bet for dinner is the
Tumbler Ridge Golf & Country Club
(103 Golf Course Rd., 250-242-3533).

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH

Tumbler Ridge Visitor Centre,
270 Southgate, Tumbler Ridge, BC V0C 2W0, Canada, 250-242-3123,
www.tumblerridge.ca/DiscoverTumblerRidge/VisitorInformation/tabid/92/Default.aspx
.

check out “unknown” parks

NATIONWIDE

National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.

—
AUTHOR WALLACE STEGNER, IN A 1983 ESSAY

53 |
Yellowstone and Yosemite. Everyone has heard of these blockbuster national parks. Visitors are drawn by wonders of nature, but they also get to see…other visitors.

Not all national parks come with crowds, though. In a National Park System of nearly 400 sites, a few national parks undeservedly get little notice…and that’s where you should consider going.

Great Basin National Park.
A wonder on the Utah-Nevada border, Great Basin has 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines and a mountain peak topping 13,000 feet, but attracts few people. The park’s isolation might be a factor, but that isolation also means that the night skies are stunning: On clear, new-moon nights, you can see up to five planets, meteors, satellites, and the Milky Way, all with the naked eye. The park offers stargazing programs throughout the summer. You’ll find hiking options galore, from short nature strolls to longer loops leading to natural arches over mountain ridges and through forests. You can also see wonders by driving the 12-mile
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive,
a winding road that climbs to the heavens with grades as steep as 8 percent. The park appeals to all senses—and in the fall, that includes your taste buds. Visitors are allowed to gather nuts from the park’s piñon pine forests for personal use—up to 25 pounds per household. Winter visitors can enjoy snowshoeing and skiing; the weather and roads are generally clear late June to October.

Camping options abound within and near the park, but nearby Baker, Nevada, has a few lodging options. Try the
Border Inn
(U.S. 6/50, 775-234-7300) for basic motel rooms, friendly service, and a restaurant with homemade soups and chicken-fried steaks.

Great Basin National Park,
100 Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV 89311, 775-234-7331,
www.nps.gov/grba
.

Isle Royale National Park.
If Great Basin is often overlooked, Isle Royale isn’t even on the radar. Only about 25,000 people visit the park annually, which is how many visitors some parks can get in an afternoon. The secret is location. Isle Royale lies in Lake Superior and is accessible only by boat and seaplane. From fall through spring, ferries run regularly from Houghton and Copper Harbor, Michigan, and Grand Portage, Minnesota. But don’t try coming during winter. The weather’s so tough that Isle Royale is one of the few national parks that closes completely for the season, from November 1 through mid-April.

Visitors to Isle Royale are drawn by the boating and hiking. Nearly 150 miles of trails lace the park, including the Greenstone Ridge Trail, which stretches 40 miles across the island. There are also canoe trails, complete with portages connecting island lakes. The park also has 36 campgrounds for hikers, backpackers, and boaters.
[$
PLURGE
: If you want a comfy bed, you’ll have to splurge on
Rock Harbor Lodge
(summer 906-337-4993, winter 866-644-2003,
www.rockharborlodge.com
). Cabins start at $216 for two adults during low season, and include an unexpected amenity: use of a canoe.]

The cheapest way to reach the island is on the Park Service’s
Ranger III
. The 128-passenger ferry leaves from Houghton, Michigan, and the trip takes six hours. Bring camping equipment or make lodge reservations because even during high season, the ferry doesn’t return until the next day, and doesn’t run at all on Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday. Fares are $60 per adult during high season, but are discounted 15 to 25 percent if you buy a package with lodging at Rock Harbor Lodge.

Isle Royale National Park,
800 E. Lakeshore Dr., Houghton, MI 49931, 906-482-0984,
www.nps.gov/isro
.

North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
It’s possible to hike into North Cascades National Park Complex in Washington State, but like Isle Royale, most visitors arrive by boat or floatplane. The park contains three sections: North Cascades, Ross Lake, and most notably Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, which is reached via a memorable ride up a glacier-carved lake taking at least 2.5 hours. The boat docks in the tiny town of Stehekin, which is surrounded by the park. You’ll find all the Pacific Northwest necessities here: bakery, massage service, and bike rental. But you’ll want to get out into the wilderness, among the most rugged in the lower 48 states. Here you’ll find old-growth forests, alpine meadows, and gleaming glaciers.

Stay a few days.
Stehekin Landing Resort
(800-536-0745 or 509-682-4494,
www.stehekinlanding.com
) has rooms from $112, and camping is free. Many visitors base in Stehekin and take day hikes.

North Cascades National Park Service Complex,
810 Rte. 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, 360-854-7200,
www.nps.gov/noca
.

$PLURGE

DISCOVERY BIKES BREAKFAST RIDE

For a fun morning splurge, sign up for the Discovery Bikes Breakfast Ride (www.stehekindiscoverybikes.com), which starts at 8 a.m. with a 9-mile van ride up the Stehekin Valley, where you’ll be served a hearty breakfast. Afterward you’re free to explore the area, and eventually bike back to town by early afternoon. The fee is $30 per person.

head for the hills

CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO

Most people come for the winters, but all of us stay for the summers.

—
SHERI COVEY, LONGTIME RESIDENT OF CRESTED BUTTE

54 |
A ski resort town in winter can be intimidating. Men, women, and children, bundled in colorful high-tech jackets, swoosh past the rest of us who are delicately trying to extricate ourselves out of a snowbank where we just crashed. But come summer, it’s a different story. Those slick slopes now welcome hikers. Jagged peaks are softened by fields of wildflowers. And outdoor concerts give a reason to stay out and soak in the alpine glow.

Truth is that winter mountain resorts are just as lovely—some would say even more appealing—during the summer. Plus, without the cost of expensive ski equipment and lift passes, a ski resort town can be a bargain. Top-end resorts can be pricey all year-round. So look for ones a little off the beaten path.

Crested Butte, Colorado, is a favorite. And under a cloudless deep-blue sky, with an evergreen-scented breeze blowing down the mountain, you’ll understand why.

Any summer weekend is a perfect time to visit this west-central Colorado town, but Fourth of July is particularly memorable. The action starts at 7 a.m. with the Crested Butte Fire & EMS Department Pancake Breakfast, a hearty $7 meal that supports a good cause. By late morning, half the town of 1,500 seems to be waving American flags along Elk Avenue, or perched atop storefronts awaiting the start of the parade. The other half is marching. This is the town’s chance to finally shake off winter, so expect wacky costumes and floats, including one equipped with a waterslide. Watch out for the mayor, though. He’s been known to toss water balloons at the crowd. At night, there’s a choice of fireworks displays, including one over Mount Crested Butte.

But you don’t have to come on a holiday. The town calls itself the wildflower capital of Colorado, and mid-July’s
Crested Butte Wildlife Flower Festival
(970-349-2571,
www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com
) shows why. You can sign up for guided hikes, 4x4 adventures, and even yoga in an alpine meadow. Most events carry a charge.