| This is a circle route car trip that
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| | accommodation and places to eat. You'll
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| takes you through the untamed wilderness
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| | want to take a look at the famous Sign
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| and geological wonders of BC's
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| | Post Forest here, with over 42,000
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| magnificent North Country. The distance
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| | license plates, road shields and homemade
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| is 2,632 kms or 1635 miles and you should
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| | signs that tell you how far it is to some
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| schedule from 7 to 14 days, depending on
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| | of the most far-flung points of the
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| how long you want to stop over in various
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| | world.You leave Hwy 97 and the Alaska
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| places en route.The Great Northern Circle
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| | Highway now and head south on Hwy 37,
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| Route starts in the north central British
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| | known as the Stewart Cassiar Highway.
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| Columbia city of Prince George. This is
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| | While the entire Great Northern Circle
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| a vibrant modern city and has a lot of
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| | route is easily traveled by RVs, some of
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| interesting sights for the visitor. The
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| | the side routes off the Stewart Cassiar
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| city has over 120 parks as well as plenty
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| | are not recommended, especially for large
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| of indoor attractions for the rainy days.
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| | RVs. If you're pulling a "dinghy" then
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| There is the Fraser-Fort George Regional
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| | you are in luck, it will come in handy
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| Museum, which offers hands-on experiences
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| | along this route. One such side itrip is
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| of cultural, scientific and natural
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| | from Dease Lake to Telegraph Lake. This
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| history. There is Aboriginal art at the
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| | road follows along the edge of the
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| Native Art Gallery, a vintage railway
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| | Stikine River and in places is steep and
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| collection at the Railway and Forestry
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| | narrow. The "Grand Canyon of the
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| Museum and the Huble Homestead, a fully
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| | Stikine" is an 80 km (50 miles) stretch
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| restored early 1900s homestead and
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| | of impassable waters charging through
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| trading post.Driving north on Hwy 97 out
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| | canyons 300 m (1000 ft) deep before
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| of Prince George you'll travel through
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| | flowing down to Telegraph Creek. There's
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| Pine Pass, where you can stop at Bijoux
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| | a guided riverboat tour from here through
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| Falls. You can take a detour in Chetwynd
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| | the Coast Mountains to the Pacific Ocean
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| onto Hwy 29 to stop at the visitor center
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| | at Wrangell, Alaska, then returning by
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| at the WAC Bennett Dam, one of the
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| | charter plane. Telegraph Creek was one
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| world's largest earth filled structures.
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| | of the access points to the Yukon gold
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| Here too is the town of Hudson Hope where
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| | fields. It also has the dubious claim of
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| the first dinosaur tracks were found in
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| | posting some of the province's coldest
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| North America. There's a local museum
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| | temperatures in winter, minus 72 degrees
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| with dinosaur fossils and a footprint
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| | F is one example.Back on Hwy 37 and south
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| collection.Follow Hwy 29 north to Fort
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| | to Meziadin Junction, where you can take
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| St. John to spend the night. This
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| | another short detour on 37A to the small
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| stretch of highway runs parallel to the
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| | town of Stewart on the BC/Alaska border,
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| spectacular Peace River for more than 70
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| | A few miles past Stewart is Hyder which
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| kms. The next morning head north on Hwy
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| | sits at the head of Portland Canal, one
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| 97 again on the famous Alaska Highway.
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| | of the longest natural canals in North
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| Pause for a look at 14 km long Charlie
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| | America. Here you can tour the Salmon
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| Lake, known throughout the area for its
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| | Glacier, or climb the viewing platform in
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| great fishing. Here you can catch trout,
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| | Hyder to watch black bears and grizzlies
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| Arctic grayling, walleye and northern
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| | fishing for salmon.Once back on Hwy 37,
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| pike. Farther on you'll pass Pink
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| | you will be heading south again and
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| Mountain and on to Fort Nelson.
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| | joining up with Hwy 16, then starting
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| Alongside the highway you may see the
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| | east toward Prince George. The first
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| occasional deer, moose and black
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| | stop of interest would be the 'Ksan
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| bear.Fort Nelson might be your overnight
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| | Historical Village, featuring native
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| stop. This is a friendly northern town
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| | totems, longhouses and a museum. Before
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| founded on the fur trade and it has a
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| | reaching the small city of Smithers,
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| museum showcasing the construction of the
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| | you'll be passing the raging rapids of
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| Alaska Highway during WWII. If you have
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| | Moricetown Canyon and listening to the
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| camping gear or if you are driving an RV,
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| | thunder of the cascading Twin Falls, fed
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| you might want to travel on a further 200
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| | by melting glacial waters from the Hudson
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| kms to Muncho Lake Provincial Park for a
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| | Bay Mountain glaciers.Smithers might make
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| couple of days stop.This is in a vast
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| | a good stopover for a few of days where
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| area of wilderness, known as the
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| | you could make side trips to Terrace,
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| "Serengeti of the North" so you want to
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| | Kitimat and Prince Rupert. Next town
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| top up your fuel tanks before leaving
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| | east on Hwy 16 is Burns Lake, which calls
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| Fort Nelson. There is a fair amount of
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| | itself the "Gateway to the Lakes
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| traffic on the road, even in the winter,
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| | District", with more than 300 lakes,
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| but not that many gas stations or
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| | nearly all with good fishing. Farther
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| restaurants. Muncho Lake is a beautiful
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| | along in Vanderhoof, you can take a
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| jade green lake hidden away in a valley
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| | detour north on Hwy 27 to Fort St. James
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| surrounded by mountains; some with layers
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| | on Stuart Lake. This Hudson Bay fur
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| of rock that look like a folded sandwich.
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| | trading post was established in 1806 by
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| North of Muncho Lake is Liard River, a
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| | Simon Fraser. Today the post has been
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| highway rest stop where you can soak in
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| | reconstructed to create a trading post
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| the refreshing pools of the Liard Hot
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| | circa 1896. Original log buildings have
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| Springs.The next stopover might be in
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| | been restored to exemplify a working
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| Watson Lake, where you have just crossed
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| | post.South to Vanderhoof and return to
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| into the fabled Yukon Territory of the
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| | Prince George, the original jumping off
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| turn of the last century Gold Rush fame.
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| | point of this tour.
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| There's not much here, but there is
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