British Columbia - The Great Northern Circle Route

This is a circle route car trip that takes youaccommodation and places to eat. You'll want to
through the untamed wilderness and geologicaltake a look at the famous Sign Post Forest here,
wonders of BC's magnificent North Country. Thewith over 42,000 license plates, road shields and
distance is 2,632 kms or 1635 miles and youhomemade signs that tell you how far it is to
should schedule from 7 to 14 days, depending onsome of the most far-flung points of the
how long you want to stop over in various placesworld.You leave Hwy 97 and the Alaska Highway
en route.The Great Northern Circle Route starts innow and head south on Hwy 37, known as the
the north central British Columbia city of PrinceStewart Cassiar Highway. While the entire Great
George. This is a vibrant modern city and has aNorthern Circle route is easily traveled by RVs,
lot of interesting sights for the visitor. The citysome of the side routes off the Stewart Cassiar
has over 120 parks as well as plenty of indoorare not recommended, especially for large RVs. If
attractions for the rainy days. There is theyou're pulling a "dinghy" then you are in luck, it will
Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum, whichcome in handy along this route. One such side itrip
offers hands-on experiences of cultural, scientificis from Dease Lake to Telegraph Lake. This road
and natural history. There is Aboriginal art at thefollows along the edge of the Stikine River and in
Native Art Gallery, a vintage railway collection atplaces is steep and narrow. The "Grand Canyon
the Railway and Forestry Museum and the Hubleof the Stikine" is an 80 km (50 miles) stretch of
Homestead, a fully restored early 1900simpassable waters charging through canyons 300
homestead and trading post.Driving north on Hwym (1000 ft) deep before flowing down to
97 out of Prince George you'll travel through PineTelegraph Creek. There's a guided riverboat tour
Pass, where you can stop at Bijoux Falls. You canfrom here through the Coast Mountains to the
take a detour in Chetwynd onto Hwy 29 to stopPacific Ocean at Wrangell, Alaska, then returning
at the visitor center at the WAC Bennett Dam,by charter plane. Telegraph Creek was one of the
one of the world's largest earth filled structures.access points to the Yukon gold fields. It also has
Here too is the town of Hudson Hope where thethe dubious claim of posting some of the
first dinosaur tracks were found in North America.province's coldest temperatures in winter, minus
There's a local museum with dinosaur fossils and a72 degrees F is one example.Back on Hwy 37 and
footprint collection.Follow Hwy 29 north to Fort St.south to Meziadin Junction, where you can take
John to spend the night. This stretch of highwayanother short detour on 37A to the small town of
runs parallel to the spectacular Peace River forStewart on the BC/Alaska border, A few miles
more than 70 kms. The next morning head northpast Stewart is Hyder which sits at the head of
on Hwy 97 again on the famous Alaska Highway.Portland Canal, one of the longest natural canals in
Pause for a look at 14 km long Charlie Lake,North America. Here you can tour the Salmon
known throughout the area for its great fishing.Glacier, or climb the viewing platform in Hyder to
Here you can catch trout, Arctic grayling, walleyewatch black bears and grizzlies fishing for
and northern pike. Farther on you'll pass Pinksalmon.Once back on Hwy 37, you will be heading
Mountain and on to Fort Nelson. Alongside thesouth again and joining up with Hwy 16, then
highway you may see the occasional deer, moosestarting east toward Prince George. The first stop
and black bear.Fort Nelson might be yourof interest would be the 'Ksan Historical Village,
overnight stop. This is a friendly northern townfeaturing native totems, longhouses and a
founded on the fur trade and it has a museummuseum. Before reaching the small city of
showcasing the construction of the AlaskaSmithers, you'll be passing the raging rapids of
Highway during WWII. If you have camping gearMoricetown Canyon and listening to the thunder of
or if you are driving an RV, you might want tothe cascading Twin Falls, fed by melting glacial
travel on a further 200 kms to Muncho Lakewaters from the Hudson Bay Mountain
Provincial Park for a couple of days stop.This is inglaciers.Smithers might make a good stopover for
a vast area of wilderness, known as thea few of days where you could make side trips
"Serengeti of the North" so you want to top upto Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. Next town
your fuel tanks before leaving Fort Nelson. Thereeast on Hwy 16 is Burns Lake, which calls itself
is a fair amount of traffic on the road, even inthe "Gateway to the Lakes District", with more
the winter, but not that many gas stations orthan 300 lakes, nearly all with good fishing. Farther
restaurants. Muncho Lake is a beautiful jade greenalong in Vanderhoof, you can take a detour north
lake hidden away in a valley surrounded byon Hwy 27 to Fort St. James on Stuart Lake.
mountains; some with layers of rock that look likeThis Hudson Bay fur trading post was established
a folded sandwich. North of Muncho Lake is Liardin 1806 by Simon Fraser. Today the post has
River, a highway rest stop where you can soak inbeen reconstructed to create a trading post circa
the refreshing pools of the Liard Hot Springs.The1896. Original log buildings have been restored to
next stopover might be in Watson Lake, whereexemplify a working post.South to Vanderhoof
you have just crossed into the fabled Yukonand return to Prince George, the original jumping
Territory of the turn of the last century Goldoff point of this tour.
Rush fame. There's not much here, but there is