9 Fraser Valley Small Towns Worth a Day Trip This Winter
Winter in the Fraser Valley is wet, early-dark and easy to write off. That’s a mistake. From November through February, bald eagles gather along the Harrison River to feed on salmon. A 2-km lakeside promenade in Harrison lights up nightly from dusk to 11 pm from Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027, and there’s no admission charge listed to walk it.
None of this is far. Fort Langley National Historic Site is a 48-km drive from downtown Vancouver. Harrison Hot Springs is about 90 minutes east, by Highway 1 or the slower, more scenic Highway 7.
Below are the towns that earn a winter Saturday, with what you’ll see, the story behind each place, the dates for this season and the closures worth knowing before you leave. Some of the best stops pair up, so you can stack two into one day.
9. Cultus Lake (near Chilliwack)
Where: Cultus Lake Provincial Park; Teapot Hill trailhead near Honeymoon Bay group site
When: Pick a dry day; BC Parks advises against crossing the Horse Trail landslide area in heavy rain
Cost: No admission fee confirmed; check bcparks.ca for parking
Getting there: About an hour and a half from Vancouver
BC Parks says Cultus Lake Park is about an hour and a half from Vancouver, with four campgrounds and a large day-use area. Most of that is summer business. In winter the reason to come is Teapot Hill Trail.
The trail starts near the Honeymoon Bay group site. BC Parks lists it as a 5-km round trip of about 2 hours, with views of Cultus Lake and the Columbia Valley and a viewing area at the top. It’s rated moderately difficult because of some steep sections.
One caution from the same page: the park’s 20-km Cultus Lake Horse Trail crosses an active landslide area. It closed in August 2013 and reopened with warning signs, and BC Parks strongly advises against crossing the slide during intense rain. Check the Cultus Lake Park page for advisories the morning you go, and bring proper footwear and a layer for the top.
If it’s been pouring, switch plans. The Maple Bay Interpretive Trail is a short self-guided walk from the day-use parking.
8. Yarrow (City of Chilliwack)
Where: Yarrow Community Hall and Library (km 12.9 on the loop)
When: Year-round
Cost: Free
Getting there: South side of Chilliwack, off Highway 1
Yarrow is a small village between Vedder Mountain and the Vedder River. Its farmland exists because Sumas Lake was drained in 1924. The City of Chilliwack’s heritage notes say Mennonite families uprooted from Russia began settling the new land in 1928. They first saw it from the BC Electric Railway, built in 1910.
Most winter visitors come for the Vedder Rotary Loop. It’s an easy gravel route of more than 20 km, nearly flat, made of four connected trails. Kilometre posts count from Vedder Park. Kilometre 12.9 is at the Yarrow Community Hall and Library, which makes Yarrow a natural place to join.
Tourism Chilliwack calls the loop dog-friendly. You can do the whole thing or walk a short piece from any access point. On a short winter day, start at the hall and walk an out-and-back along the river.
7. Agassiz (District of Kent)
Where: Agassiz-Harrison Museum, 7011 Pioneer Avenue
When: Winter Night Lights Dec 1 to 31; celebration nights Fri Dec 11, 4:30 to 8:30 pm and Sat Dec 12, 2:30 to 7:30 pm
Cost: No fee posted for the lights
Getting there: Highway 1 exit 135, north on Highway 9 through Agassiz
Agassiz is a small farm town on Highway 7. Its centrepiece is a Canadian Pacific Railway station built in 1893. Farmers once brought raw milk here to ship to Vancouver. The Agassiz-Harrison Historical Society bought the building in 1985 for $1.00. It opened as a museum in 1986.
Today it’s the Agassiz-Harrison Museum and Visitor Centre at 7011 Pioneer Avenue, with indoor and outdoor exhibits, including a rail car. Winter hours aren’t confirmed on the museum’s own site, so call ahead if the inside is your goal.
In December the District of Kent runs Winter Night Lights, with displays along Pioneer Avenue from Dec 1 to 31. There are two free celebration nights: Friday, Dec 11, 4:30 to 8:30 pm, and Saturday, Dec 12, 2:30 to 7:30 pm. The park lights stretch from the museum toward the downtown shops, so you can walk the lights and shop in one visit.
Agassiz pairs easily with Harrison. See the Agassiz lights from dusk, then drive a few minutes up Highway 9 to the lakeside promenade.
6. Clayburn Village (City of Abbotsford)
Where: 34810 Clayburn Road, Abbotsford
When: Store Tue to Sat (listed 10 am to 5 pm; confirm on the store’s site); closed Sun, Mon, all of January, mid-May to mid-June and September
Cost: Free to walk the village
Getting there: Clayburn Road, at the foot of Sumas Mountain
Clayburn sits at the foot of Sumas Mountain. Charles Maclure founded the village and its brick plant in 1905, after high-quality clay was found nearby. The bricks are still the story here.
Heritage Abbotsford points to the red-brick Clayburn Church, lined inside with buff brick, a Clayburn Company specialty. The Clayburn School went up in 1907 and 1908. It’s one of the oldest buildings in the village. You can walk past both for free.
The Clayburn Village Store is a restored 1912 country store and tea shop. Tourism Abbotsford says it stocks traditional British goods and candy and serves lunch in its tea room. The village’s business page lists it as open Tuesday to Saturday; check the store’s own site for hours. It’s closed Sundays, Mondays and all of January.
That makes December the month for Clayburn. Walk the church and schoolhouse first, then go in for tea before 4. These hours come from an older page, so confirm before you drive out.
5. Mission (City of Mission)
Where: Downtown Mission; Fraser River Heritage Park, 7494 Mary Street
When: Candlelight Parade Sat Dec 5, 6 pm; abbey gardens Mon to Sat 1:30 to 4:30 pm, Sun 2 to 4 pm
Cost: No admission fee listed for the parade, abbey or park
Getting there: Highway 7 (Lougheed) on the north bank of the Fraser
Mission’s big winter night is the Candlelight Parade, put on by the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce with the City of Mission. This year it’s Saturday, Dec 5 at 6 pm downtown. The chamber says it draws over 12,000 spectators. In 2025 the route was closed to traffic from 3 to 10 pm. Park away from First Avenue and the Lougheed route and walk in.
By day, head up the hill to Westminster Abbey, a Benedictine monastery. Its church is open Monday to Saturday 5:30 am to noon and 1:30 to 6 pm, and Sundays 5:30 am to noon and 2 to 6 pm. The gardens and paths are open Monday to Saturday 1:30 to 4:30 pm and Sundays 2 to 4 pm. The monks ask for absolute silence in the church and no photos during services. Holiday hours can change, so check the abbey’s visiting hours before you go.
Fraser River Heritage Park at 7494 Mary Street has a wide view over the Fraser Valley to Mount Baker, and a reconstructed Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. The park is associated with the former St. Mary’s residential school. The St. Mary’s Memorial, erected in 2001 by the Mission Indian Friendship Centre Society, stands in the park. Visit with that history in mind.
4. Hope (District of Hope)
Where: Town centre; Visitor Centre at 919 Water Avenue
When: Carvings outdoors year-round; Visitor Centre daily 10 am to 4 pm, closed Nov 11, Dec 25, Dec 26 and Jan 1 (one listing shows Sunday 10 am to noon, so call ahead)
Cost: Carving walk is free
Getting there: East end of the Fraser Valley on Highway 1
Hope calls itself the Chainsaw Carving Capital. Tourism Hope, Cascades & Canyons counts more than 80 chainsaw carvings around the town centre. Many are eagles, mountain sheep, bears and cougars, and many were made at past carving competitions. Pick up the self-guided walking-tour map at the Visitor Centre at 919 Water Avenue. It’s open daily 10 am to 4 pm, except Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day (Sunday hours may be shorter, so call ahead).
Hope is also where the 1982 film First Blood was shot. A chainsaw carving of Stallone as Rambo stands downtown, and the District has a self-guided tour of the filming locations. Both walks are outdoors and free, which makes Hope one of the few stops here that works in any month.
Plan around one closure. Coquihalla Canyon Park, home of the Othello Tunnels, operates April 1 to October 31. The tunnels are not a winter option.
3. Fort Langley (Township of Langley)
Where: 23433 Mavis Avenue (end of Mavis Avenue, off Glover Road), Fort Langley
When: Fort open daily 10 am to 4:30 pm; closed Dec 24, 25, 26, 31 and Jan 1
Cost: Adult $10.00, youth 17 and under free; paid parking; check market pages for any admission charge
Getting there: Highway 1 exit 66 (232nd Street north), right on Glover Road; bus 562 to 96th Avenue at Glover Road
The palisaded fort at the end of Mavis Avenue, just off Glover Road, is a Hudson’s Bay Company post. It was first built in 1827 about 4 km downstream. It was moved and rebuilt in 1839, then rebuilt again after a fire in 1840. It became a National Historic Site in 1923, and an original log warehouse still stands alongside the reconstructed buildings.
Parks Canada says you can see it in a day. There’s an audio tour of the fur-trade buildings, plus heritage gardens and a farm. Kids get blacksmith and Xplorers activities. The bastions and upper gallery are currently closed for conservation work. Adult daily admission is $10.00 and youth 17 and under get in free. Regular fees have applied since Sept 8, 2026, and no free-admission period has been announced for this winter. Check the fort’s hours and fees before you go.
In winter the village around the fort does a lot of the work. The Fort Langley Village Farmers’ Market runs Saturdays 9 am to 3 pm through Dec 5, near historic St. Andrew’s Chapel. The iMADE pop-up market takes over the Fort Langley Community Hall on Dec 5 and 6, 11 am to 4 pm. Then the market organizers move indoors to the same hall for Christmas in the Village, Dec 18 to 20, 10 am to 6 pm.
Parking at the fort has been paid since Nov 1, 2025. If you’d rather stretch your legs, Parks Canada suggests the 6-km Fort-to-Fort Trail along the Fraser River. One planning note: the fort is closed Dec 24, 25, 26, 31 and Jan 1. A Saturday before Dec 5 gets you the fort, the market and lunch in the village in one trip.
2. Harrison Hot Springs (Village of Harrison Hot Springs)
Where: Promenade along the south end of Harrison Lake
When: Lights daily, dusk to 11 pm, Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027; opening ceremony Nov 21, 5 to 8 pm
Cost: Lights by the Lake is free
Getting there: About 90 minutes east of Vancouver via Highway 1 (exit 135) or the slower Highway 7
Every winter, Tourism Harrison River Valley lines the 2-km paved promenade at the south end of Harrison Lake with custom-built light displays. The subjects are local: area wildlife, and the Sasquatch. Lights by the Lake runs daily from dusk to 11 pm, Saturday, Nov 21, 2026 to Sunday, Jan 10, 2027. It’s free.
Opening night on Nov 21 runs 5 to 8 pm. There are photos with Santa and the Sasquatch, carols, the Jingle Paws Pet Parade and fireworks. Free hot chocolate goes to the first 1,000 people. The festival also has the Starlight Skating Rink, a synthetic outdoor rink under the lights. Check Tourism Harrison’s rink listing for hours. Tourism Harrison lists a Festive Night on Dec 5 (5 to 6:30 pm at Memorial Hall) and a Festive Afternoon on Dec 19 (2 to 4 pm at the Harrison Visitor Centre). BC Magazine also reports the Harrison Festival Society’s Winter Craft market at Harrison Memorial Hall on Nov 21 and Dec 5.
Tourism Harrison says dusk at that time of year usually falls between 5 and 5:30 pm. The beach walkway is paved and flat, with five wheelchair ramps (the return path behind the displays is gravel).
Know this before you pack a swimsuit. The village’s public mineral pool, owned and run by Harrison Hot Springs Resort, was still “temporarily closed for renovations until further notice” as of late April 2026. Don’t build the day around a public soak unless you’ve confirmed it has reopened.
1. Harrison Mills (District of Kent)
Where: Kilby Historic Site, 215 Kilby Road, Harrison Mills
When: Eagles November through February, peak mid-November; Embrace the Wild Sundays Nov 8 to 29, 11 am to 3 pm; Kilby museum open Sat and Sun only, 10 am to 4 pm
Cost: Eagle viewing from public spots is free; Kilby admission $16 adult, $13 senior, $11 youth, $42 family, kids 5 and under free
Getting there: Highway 7 between Mission and Agassiz
CBC reports that bald eagles come down to the lower Fraser Valley each winter. They come because lakes and rivers up north freeze over. From November through February, the banks around Harrison Mills become a feeding ground for eagles chasing salmon. The Agassiz-Harrison Observer says numbers usually peak in mid-November.
The Observer names three hotspots. One is the beach at Kilby. Another is the Nicomen Slough in Deroche. The third is the Sandpiper Golf Course, which has a marked eagle walking trail leading to a viewing gazebo. The Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival ran for 25 years and ended in 2020 over concerns that the crowds were hurting the environment and the eagles. Today it’s a self-guided outing, and that history should shape how you behave on the riverbank.
Kilby Historic Site sits beside the eagle beach, with a 1906 General Store Museum, the Manchester House Hotel and Post Office, and farm animals. On Sundays from Nov 8 to 29, 11 am to 3 pm, it runs Embrace the Wild days about early life on the Harrison. The site is open from Easter to Christmas, and right now the museum, café and gift shop open Saturdays and Sundays only, 10 am to 4 pm. Regular admission applies on Embrace the Wild days: $16 adults, $13 seniors, $11 youth, $42 families, and kids 5 and under free. Kilby Park campground is a designated B.C. Wildlife Watch area for wintering eagles, snow geese and trumpeter swans.
Bring binoculars. Stay on the trails and at the viewpoints, and give the birds room.
| Place | Official statement |
|---|---|
| Fort Langley NHS | 48-km drive from downtown Vancouver |
| Harrison Hot Springs | 90-minute drive east from Vancouver |
| Cultus Lake Park | an hour and a half drive away from Vancouver |
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult daily | $10.00 |
| Adult annual (site) | $24.50 |
| Parks Canada Discovery Pass, adult | $83.50 |
| Youth 17 and under | Free |
When to go
- Mid-November is the typical eagle peak near Harrison Mills. Kilby’s Embrace the Wild Sundays run Nov 8 to 29, so a Sunday that month covers both.
- Lights by the Lake opens Nov 21 and runs nightly to Jan 10, 2027. Plan to reach the promenade around 5 pm.
- Saturdays up to Dec 5 suit Fort Langley, when the farmers’ market is still on.
- Dec 5 is crowded with options: the Mission Candlelight Parade at 6 pm, the iMADE market in Fort Langley, and the Lights by the Lake Festive Night in Harrison (5 to 6:30 pm, Memorial Hall).
- December is your window for Clayburn, since the store closes for all of January.
- Agassiz’s lights run Dec 1 to 31, with free celebration nights Dec 11 (4:30 to 8:30 pm) and Dec 12 (2:30 to 7:30 pm).
- Hope’s carvings, Yarrow’s loop and Cultus Lake’s trails work all winter, weather permitting.
Getting there
- Fort Langley: 48 km from downtown Vancouver. Highway 1 exit 66, 232nd Street north, then Glover Road through the village and right on Mavis Avenue to the end. Transit riders can take bus 562 to 96th Avenue at Glover Road.
- Harrison Hot Springs: about 90 minutes. Highway 1 to exit 135, or the slower, more scenic Highway 7.
- Agassiz: from exit 135, Highway 9 runs north through Agassiz toward Harrison.
- Harrison Mills and Mission: both sit on Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser. Kilby is between Mission and Agassiz.
- Cultus Lake: about an hour and a half from Vancouver.
- Hope: east end of the valley on Highway 1.
Official drive times aren’t published for every stop, so check your own route before you set out.
Closures and advisories
- Harrison’s public mineral pool was “temporarily closed for renovations until further notice” as of April 27, 2026. Confirm before you count on a soak.
- The Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Park operate April 1 to October 31 and are closed in winter. The tunnels typically don’t fully open until the ice thaws in early to mid-May.
- One Cultus Lake Park trail crosses an active landslide area (BC Parks’ page lists the warning under the Cultus Lake Horse Trail entry). BC Parks advises against crossing it during intense rain.
- The Clayburn Village Store is closed all of January.
- Fort Langley NHS is closed Dec 24, 25, 26, 31 and Jan 1.
Etiquette
- At Westminster Abbey, keep absolute silence in the church and take no photos during services. Stay on the garden paths.
- With the eagles, watch from trails and viewpoints and keep your distance. The old festival ended because crowds were affecting the birds.
- Fraser River Heritage Park is a former residential school site with a memorial. Treat it that way.
What to bring
- A rain shell and waterproof footwear. Fraser Valley winters are mostly wet rather than snowy.
- Binoculars for the eagles.
- A headlamp for evening light walks. Dark comes early.
- Cash or a card for market stalls.
- A thermos.
Go prepared on the trails. Days are short, and a 2-hour hike that starts late can end in the dark.
| Stop | Best part of the day | Main winter draw | Winter catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Langley | Daytime, 10 am to 4:30 pm | Fort and village markets | Closed Dec 24, 25, 26, 31 and Jan 1 |
| Harrison Hot Springs | Dusk to 11 pm | Lights by the Lake | Public mineral pool closed for renovations as of April 2026 |
| Harrison Mills | Daytime | Wintering bald eagles | Kilby museum currently open Sat and Sun only, 10 am to 4 pm; season runs Easter to Christmas |
| Agassiz | Evening in December | Winter Night Lights | Museum winter hours not confirmed |
| Hope | Daytime, Visitor Centre 10 am to 4 pm | Chainsaw carvings and Rambo tour | Othello Tunnels closed for winter (park reopens April 1; tunnels typically fully open early to mid-May) |
| Mission | Afternoon (abbey), 6 pm Dec 5 (parade) | Candlelight Parade, abbey, heritage park | Parade route closed to traffic (3 to 10 pm in 2025) |
| Clayburn Village | Daytime, tea shop to 4 pm | Brick heritage village and tea room | Store closed Sun, Mon and all of January |
| Cultus Lake | Daytime, about 2 hours for Teapot Hill | Teapot Hill viewpoint | Avoid the slide area in intense rain |
| Yarrow | Daytime | Vedder Rotary Loop | Full loop is 20-plus km |
The Fraser Valley doesn’t put on much of a show in winter, and that’s the appeal. You get eagles on a gravel bar, a fur-trade fort with the village market next door, a brick company town with a tea room, and a lake lined with lights after 5 pm. Most of it is free. Pair a daytime stop with an evening one, check the closures before you leave, and you’ll be home on the same tank of gas with a better Saturday than the forecast promised.
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Photo credits
- Trip to Campbell River for the BC Msters Badminton – near Hope in the Fraser Valley – (18921554133).jpg by Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Fort Langley.jpg by User:Themightyquill, CC BY-SA 2.5 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Harrisons Hot Springs Mountain by ajithrajeswari.jpg by Ajith Rajeswari, Public domain (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Kilby Historic Site entrance.jpg by Shaundd, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Agassiz, BC – Agassiz-Harrison Museum.jpg by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Hope, BC (28113043123).jpg by Mike from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Westminster Abbey, Mission, BC 01.jpg by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Clayburn Church-5881-0019.jpg by ClaudeFiset, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Cultus lake.JPG by The High Fin Sperm Whale, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Yarrow BC.jpg by Lexorandi81, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
