Lillooet > Pemberton via The Highline Road

BC | 2024 |

Some of the best riding and sights in BC (IMO) can be found in a triangular area around Pemberton and Lillooet, north to the isolated towns of Seton Portage and Gold Bridge,

Here you can put your intermediate-level adventure riding skills to the test on two of BC's most "infamous" roads: the Highline (Seton Portage to Pemberton), and the Hurley (Gold Bridge or Bralorne to Pemberton). While there is a slight risk of being eaten by a grizzly bear and/or encountering a random Sasquatch, these routes provide a world-class experience.

I first heard of the Highline Road in 2023 from a guy who lives in Gun Lake, who I met at McDonald's in Pemberton (ya I know I shouldn't disclose I sometimes eat breakfast at McDonald's...but Pemberton doesn't have a Tim Hortons... woe is me). After visiting Lillooet and Pemberton for the first time in a long time (and being incredibly impressed), I was intrigued by what lies north of this stunning area and was keen to explore further.

Salmon Arm to Lilloet

In 2024 I set out on the Highline route, starting in Salmon Arm, for a scintillating ride through Douglas Ranch, Nicola Valley and Spences Bridge on the way to Lillooet. I saw about 100 Big Horn Sheep along the way. After a 6-hour ride to Lillooet, I stayed at the BC Hydro Seton Lake campground. Amongst a number of positives, this campsite is free of charge, which is just astonishing in this day and age (unlike, say, the KOA at Missoula MT, which charges USD $59/night). The campground is 10 minutes from Lillooet, which itself is an awesome town set in a stunning setting with a rich history, including the fact that it was at one time the largest settlement west of Chicago and north of San Francisco.

Lillooet to Seton Portage

The next day, I set out for Seton Portage. Things started with a short ride along the mighty Fraser River, with views of fishing sites used by indigenous people for over 10,000 years. The road forks off at Bridge River for a 1-hour ride to Terzagi Dam and Carpenter Lake. This sector offers stunning scenes, with few vehicles on the road.

At the dam, the road forks to Seton Portage/Highline or Gold Bridge/Hurley. On this trip I took the Seton Portage route, crossed the dam, into a short tunnel, then followed a gravel Mission Mountain Road road with a long, steep climb up, over, and down to the Bridge River substation hydro site, one of the most unique in the province, where water runs through massive pipes from higher elevation Carpenter Lake down the side of the mountain to generate electricity.

After a long day of riding, I reached Seton Portage, a tiny town which also has a long history of indigenous settlement. At the Highline Pub I learned of a free campsite near town, headed there, and set up. This site is barebones, and the only other campers were some unsociable survivalist types.

The Highline

The next morning I rode up to the start of the Highline Road at Anderson Lake. Incredibly, there is a railroad line running along the lake past Seton Portage, not what I was expecting to see way out here (but it speaks volumes to BC's history and resource extraction demands). The Highline road starts with a long climb and then follows power lines for the length of the lake. You get some amazing views up here, including a large rock slide on the other side of the lake. There were only 2 sections of road that I found challenging: the first a steep twisty descent onto a wooden bridge; the second was the final steep hill into D'Arcy (my main concern was that my KLR's rear brakes would overheat and "fade"; they didn't...this time).  I encountered one other vehicle the whole 1-hour ride.

From D'Arcy, I rode on to Pemberton, Squamish, and Horsehoe Bay, where I caught the ferry to the Sunshine Coast.

Synopsis

Overall, this was a great ride. But the whole challenging/danger angle seems way overrated to me; it's just another good forestry service road in BC, one of thousands.

Lilooet > Pemberton Loop

A loop from Lillooet > Highline >Pemberton > Lillooet is one of the best rides I have done in BC, highly recommended. Likewise for the Lillooet > Hurley > Pemberton > Lillooet route (I did in 2025, will write up a post on it sometime soon).