Why You Should Get Into Something Greater: The Great Wilderness

What you need to know about The Great Wilderness, a vast area that sprawls over 60 percent of BC:

• Stretches across the northernmost part of the province – from the Coast Mountains in the west to the Alberta border in the east, and from Highway 16 to the Yukon border.
• Connect with nature on a deeper level and ignite your sense of adventure among glaciated valleys, commanding mountains, slumbering volcanoes, and diverse wildlife.
• Take a roadtrip or pursue an adrenaline-inducing adventure in some of the most protected wilderness in the world.

The Great Wilderness is nature on an epic scale, a place where you can disconnect from the ordinary and be moved by the extraordinary. Here, you follow your curiosity – not a schedule or routine. Your spirit of adventure can lead to many routes, whether learning the traditional stories of Indigenous cultures, plugging into the power of the wilderness, or meeting the resilient people who have helped to weave the fabric of the north. 

With ribbons of highway unfurling across shifting landscapes, roadtrips in this region swiftly become meditations in motion. Point your vehicle towards these three towns, whose welcoming people and historic attractions embody the heart and soul of The Great Wilderness:

Smithers: It’s Wild and Mighty

With a population of just 6,000 people, the town of Smithers, located in Wet’suwet’enTerritory – stands tall with wild spaces and cultural places that inspire visitors to explore outside their comfort zone:

• Smithers is marked by hundreds of lakes and hundreds of miles of river that beckon adventure-seekers with some of the best salmon and steelhead fishing in North America. Bring your rod to Babine Lake, the longest natural lake in BC (180 kilometres / 112 miles from end-to-end), where you’ll find rainbow, cutthroat and char trout. If you prefer the thrill of catch-and-release, visit the rivers in the Bulkley Valley – the region surrounding Smithers – which teem with such a thriving population of wild steelhead that the area is known as “Steelhead Paradise”. At Widzin Kwah Canyon in the ancient community of Witset (Moricetown), Wet’suwet’en fishers brave the rocky areas near powerful whitewater to catch salmon using poles. Just above the canyon is Widzin Kwah Diyik Be Yikh (Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum), which shares the traditional life and fishing methods of the Wet’sewet’en People through artifacts, local arts and crafts, and books. 
• Mountain biking in Smithers is revered by outdoor enthusiasts, with commanding mountains and dense forests housing legendary downhill and cross-country routes. The town’s 43 trails offer something for everyone – technical singletracks for aficionados and cruisey flow trails for beginners and families. 
• From bears to mountain goats, wildlife thrives in Smithers. Several tour operators lead wildlife viewing excursions, including Frontier Experience. The family-owned business – which also owns a resort lodge – offers naturalist-led mountain goat viewing; explorations of Morice Lake to see fox, moose, black bears and lynx; and bear tours paired with a visit to Brim River Hot Springs, one of the most remote hot springs in BC. 

How to get there: A 1 hour and 35 minute flight from Vancouver, fly aboard Air Canada (or Central Mountain Air) into Smithers Regional Airport, a five-minute drive from downtown. Alternatively, take VIA Rail’s scenic Jasper to Prince Rupert run, which has a stop in Smithers. By road, Smithers can be reached along Yellowhead Highway (#16).   

Tumbler Ridge: It’s The Waterfall Capital of the North

Nature on a massive scale, Tumbler Ridge – territory of the Siccanie (Sikanni), Slavey, Beaver (Dane-Zaa), Cree, and Saulteau Peoples – is a waterfall wonderland, the dinosaur capital of BC, and mecca for backcountry explorers:

• Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark – the only global geopark in Western North America – is a gateway to the area’s geological marvels. Here, visitors can roam the only known Tyrannosaur trackways in the world or hike or helicopter to 10 powerful waterfalls that make up the Monkman Cascades.
• Driving 60 kilometres south of Tumbler -Ridge will take you to Monkman Provincial Park, whose 62,867 hectares encompass alpine meadows, forested valleys, mystical pools, and Kinuseo Falls – one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Adventurers can roam easy trails, tackle challenging backcountry routes, or fish for trout, char, grayling and whitefish. Explore the area with Ridge Heli Adventures, which leads flightseeing tours throughout the park. 
• There’s a reason Tumbler Ridge is known as the “Waterfall Capital of the North”. From the horseshoe-shaped bowl of Bergeron Falls, which towers over 100 metres tall, to the subalpine setting of Babcock Falls, where wooden boardwalks invite visitors to refresh in its cooling mists, the region offers a waterfall for every personality. Access ranges from short trails that everyone can attempt to challenging routes that require multiday backcountry camping. 

How to get there: Fly into the nearby community of Fort St. John, which is a two-hour drive from Tumbler Ridge (414 miles or 666 km from Vancouver). Road access is via Highway #52 from Dawson Creek, and Alaska Highway (#97) and Highway #29 from Fort St. John.

Dawson Creek: You Travel through History 

Located at Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway (Highway #97), Dawson Creek is the perfect place to start a perspective-shifting roadtrip. Bordering Alberta, the Dawson Creek area was once the territory of the nomadic tribes of Sicannie (Sikanni) and Beaver (Dane-Zaa) Peoples, and later, Cree. Today, the area is home to groups of the Dene Nation:

• The City of Dawson Creek recently proclaimed May 16 Moose Hide Campaign Day, in honour of the Moose Hide Campaign, an Indigenous-led grassroots movement to end violence against women and children, particularly those who are Indigenous.
• Set the scene at the “Mile 0” post in downtown Dawson Creek, then continue to the Visitor Centre to learn about the highway’s fascinating history – including the harrowing conditions in which it was built during World War II to connect Alaska to the US. Walter Wright Pioneer Village shares stories of early pioneers who settled in the area, complete with themed gardens and a mist park for families and children.  
• The wetlands around Dawson Creek teem with birdlife. Bring your binoculars to the waterfowl refuge at McQueen’s Slough, where you can roam the marsh on boardwalks while keeping an eye peeled for trumpeter swans, barrow’s goldeneye, raptors, and other avians. 
• Nawican Friendship Centre was founded in 1971 with a goal of bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the Dawson Creek community. Today, the centre welcomes locals and visitors to participate in cultural activities, including crafting workshops where participants learn how to make moccasins, dreamcatchers and talking sticks. There’s also an onsite gift shop.
• The self-guided Dawson Creek Historic Walking Tour explores the city’s pioneer and WWII history, complete with original photographs and murals of city buidings. Guests can pick up a walking tour brochure from the Visitor Centre or the art gallery. 

How to get there: To drive to Dawson Creek through BC, take the Alaska Highway (#97) from Fort St. John, or the Hart Highway (#97) via Prince George. You can also fly into North Peace Regional Airport in Fort St. John, which is a 50-minute drive from Dawson Creek (or a 1 hour 45 minute flight from Vancouver) ; or fly into Alberta’s Grande Prairie Airport, which is an hour and 20 minutes’ drive.