If you want to get your Elphaba and Glinda vibes going on a road trip adventure before the second "Wicked" movie, then you might want to look toward the (north) western sky at The Enchanted Forest in British Columbia. You'll find the park right on the Trans-Canada Highway, between the towns of Revelstoke and Sicamous. Your adventure will take you along winding paths through an old-growth forest. The area has giant cedar trees, some hundreds of years old, and a thick, mossy carpet of ferns inside
the Monashee Mountains. This beautiful, magical forest is blended with handcrafted figurines and art, which gives the park its special feel. Be sure to plan ahead, as The Enchanted Forest is only open from May to October.
The main draw for many people to this enchanting and quiet Canadian forest is British Columbia's tallest treehouse, which is right in the park. The rustic, wooden building is about 47 feet tall and is built right within the trees. It is a three-story tree house that you can check out by using a spiral staircase inside. The treehouse gets its support from a mix of wooden beams and the trunks of the old trees around it.
The inside has different rooms and levels, each with a view of the forest's canopy. Though it would be a fun stay, the building is made for public, day adventures, so you cannot rent it for overnight stays. Its rustic look has made it a trending spot on social media, and when you climb through its rooms, it connects you to the childhood idea of a secret hideout in the trees.
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What You'll See And More To Do In The Enchanted Forest
On your walk along the main trail, you'll see that The Enchanted Forest is filled with over 350 handcrafted cement figures from classic tales. You might start singing "Heigh-Ho," as you'll see characters like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Three Little Pigs, Captain Hook,and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You'll also come across Humpty Dumpty, Captain Hook, and Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz." Many of the small cottages are interactive too, letting you step inside the story. You can go into the houses of the Three Little Pigs or climb the stairs in the Old Woman's shoe-house and exit by a slide.
Other things you'll see in the park are a medieval-style castle, a house made from a giant cedar stump, and a pirate ship. For other activities, there is a self-guided nature walk that goes through the forest and over marshy areas on a boardwalk, and it includes a grove of beautiful, old cedars. You can take a self-guided rowboat tour on a pond to see beaver dams and floating gardens.
Right near the Enchanted Forest is the SkyTrek Adventure Park, which has high-ropes courses and zip lines for another family-friendly outing. Driving 25 minutes outside of the forest, you can visit the Revelstoke Railway Museum to learn about the area's transportation and locomotive history. The Three Valley Gap Ghost Town is another fascinating ghost town in British Columbia that's a historical hotspot you can check out nearby. During the summer and early fall, you'll find that Shuswap Lake is a major water spot for locals to cool down.
Where To Stay And Eat When Visiting The Enchanted Forest
When you're planning your trip, you'll most likely fly into Kelowna International Airport (YLW). From there, it's about a 116-mile drive to the Revelstoke area. Once you're there, both Revelstoke and Sicamous have a bunch of places for you to stay and eat. If you're looking for a luxury stay, you can book a room at the Sutton Place Hotel at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. It's a skiing spot with condo-style suites and an outdoor pool (perfect for the cooler, fall months when you visit the Enchanted Forest). For something in downtown Revelstoke, you can stay at the Regent Hotel, which is a historic boutique that's been in the same family since 1945. Basecamp Resorts Revelstoke is another option with modern decor, suites, and shared rooftop hot tubs. If you're looking for a different kind of stay, Boulder Mountain Resort has cabins with kitchenettes and fireplaces, along with amazing glamping domes for you to see the sky.
Revelstoke's food scene has the 112 Restaurant & Lounge at the Regent Hotel that serves up steaks and seafood. The Quartermaster Eatery uses local farm-to-table ingredients for fresh dishes. For more casual meals, you can try the Village Idiot for its burgers and pizza. Cafes like La Baguette and Dose Coffee are good spots for your breakfast, snacks, and coffee. When you're in Sicamous, you'll find that Moose Mulligan's Public Eatery has one of Canada's epic waterfront patios. You can also visit the Shark Shack, which is a floating restaurant on Shuswap Lake that you can only get to by boat. Narrows Smokehouse is a good place for barbecue, and after a day of hiking in the Enchanted Forest, D Dutchmen Dairy serves handmade ice cream.
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