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Highway 3: Hope to Princeton, Cascade Mountains, British Columbia
Photo: Akos Kokai · CC BY 2.0

Drives British Columbia The Okanagan, the Kootenays and the BC Interior

Highway 3: Hope to Princeton

CN 3 · Hope → Princeton

Leisurely78 mi1 hr 35 min7,300 ft climbHigh point ≈ 4,400 ftOne way
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The drive

The Crowsnest Highway climbs east from Hope into the Cascades, passes through E.C. Manning Provincial Park, and drops to the Similkameen River at Princeton. Allison Pass, the high point at 1,342 meters, is the highest point on the Hope to Princeton section.

Early on, the road climbs steep grades past the Hope Slide. On January 9, 1965 a slide in the Nicolum Valley killed four people, and Highway 3 was rerouted south around the edge of the debris. A pullout with a plaque lets you stop and look. Past the pass the road goes through Manning Park, where Manning Park Resort is the main stop, then follows the river down toward Princeton.

Services are few between Manning Park Resort and Princeton.

Along the way

  1. Hope
  2. Allison Pass
  3. Manning Park Resort
  4. Princeton
Elevation
7,300 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 4,400 ft
HopePrinceton
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
HopePrinceton
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Allison Pass gets heavy snow; winter tires or chains are required on most BC highways from October 1 to April 30.
  • The climb from Hope has grades around 7%.
  • Fuel and food are limited between Manning Park Resort and Princeton.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check DriveBC.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton take?

Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton is 78 miles and takes about 1 hr 35 min.

Is Highway 3 over Allison Pass open in winter?

Yes, it is open year-round, but Allison Pass gets heavy snow and winter tires or chains are required on most BC highways from October 1 to April 30.

What is the Hope Slide?

It was a 1965 landslide in the Nicolum Valley east of Hope that killed four people; Highway 3 was rerouted around the debris, and a pullout has a plaque.

How high is Allison Pass?

Allison Pass on Highway 3 is 1,342 meters, the highest point between Hope and Princeton.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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More drives near here

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

Map of Highway 3: Hope to Princeton, from Hope to Princeton