Bucket List Hikes in The Great Wilderness

Wokkpash Canyon, Northern Rockies

Territory of the Treaty 8 First Nations

Tracing the backcountry streams and canyon walls of the Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park, this 65-kilometre (40-mile), week-long expedition takes you in view of interesting hoodoos, abundant wildlife, and rushing rivers. Most of the route is comprised of old mining roads, game trails, and dry creek beds, and though well-defined, the trail’s remote location and limited signage will test even the most experienced backpackers. 

Hikers can access two different trailheads from the Alaska Highway, but most start at Wokkpash Creek, following the east side of Wokkpash Lake south in a U-shaped curve before pointing north along MacDonald Creek and ending among the rock columns of Baba Canyon. Here, your efforts are rewarded with the sight of hundreds of hoodoos—tall, thin granite spires caused by glacial erosion—that line the canyon walls. Along the way, hikers can access backcountry campsites and lakes. Day hikes are also available in the canyon, ranging from short one-kilometre (.62-mile) strolls to five-kilometre (three-mile) loops. Keep watch for wildlife—this area is home to abundant populations of bears, moose, caribou, and more. A word of caution: This hike is not for the inexperienced. It is remote and there are unpredictable river crossings. For this reason, travelling with an experienced local guide is recommended, as well as carrying satellite communications as there is no cell service in these parts. 

Mount Edziza Provincial Park, Dease Lake

Territory of the Tahltan

When it comes to thru-hikes, Mt. Edziza Park remains somewhat of a hidden gem—a quiet whisper among more well-known routes. But that’s half of its allure. Set amid a barren, volcanic-ringed landscape in the remote Tahltan Highlands, this 70-kilometre (43-mile) gritty slog offers an adventure like no other. 

Despite the park’s sheer size—230,000 hectares (568,000 acres)—the Buckley Lake to Mowdade Lake thru-hike is only one of a handful of marked trails and your best bet for taking in the area’s diverse terrain. Spanning a week, it runs from the park’s northwestern tip to its southeastern edge across windswept craters, fields of cinder cone, gentle creeks, soft peat meadows, and river valleys. But its most famous landmark is the striking Spectrum Range, a multi-hued composite volcano whose colourful slopes are painted in brilliant streaks of rust, tan, orange, and purple. Access to the park is by air only, and while you can hike the route in either direction, going north to south helps you avoid a difficult climb up Chakima Valley.

Cronin Pass, Smithers

Territory of the Wet’suwet’en 

This backcountry route stitches together three different trail segments—Cronin Trail, Hyland Pass Trail, and the Silver King Basin Trail—to form one long 26-kilometre (16-mile) thru-hike in Babine Mountains Provincial Park near Smithers. What starts as a demanding march along an old mining road eventually transitions into a technical single-track trail through the alpine. From the 312 Road trailhead, you’ll hike southwest climbing over 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) in elevation before cresting Hyland Pass, a narrow goat path that links the craggy faces of Mount Cronin and Mount Hyland. Next, you’ll scramble over boulders and scree as you begin a steep technical descent into the picturesque Silver King Basin where the Joe L’orsa cabin waits. You can easily pass a few hours at the cabin, resting your sore feet or gently wandering among the alpine flowers and soft creeks—just make sure to leave enough daylight (if you’re not staying overnight) to tackle the trail’s remaining eight kilometres (five miles). 

Windfall Lake, Tumbler Ridge

Territory of the Treaty 8 First Nations

The ancient glacial activity in Tumbler Ridge left its scar on the surrounding landscape, forming bleak mountains, preserving fossils and dinosaur trackways, and—in the case of Windfall Lake—carving a bowl-shaped depression in a mountain valley. Nestled in a cirque below the treeline, this lake may be the trail’s star attraction, though hikers are treated to more than just its nice views. The first part of this 10-kilometre (six-mile), out-and-back hike is an easy walk over boardwalk and forest floor. Quickly, it begins a sharp ascent over challenging terrain that includes creek crossings, loose shale slopes, and tangled underbrush. As you reach the ridge, you’ll look down over a sweeping valley encircled by mountains. Here, if you’re lucky, you can even find marine fossils (fish and sea shells) at elevation. You can choose to hike out the same way, venture further into the alpine and onto higher peaks, or take the circular route back, which takes you through unique karst topography.