Northern BC Travel Guide
British Columbia’s north is a vast wilderness full of wildlife, pristine glaciers, ancient totem poles and raw rugged splendour.
Epic Highways In Northern BC
Road-tripping in Northern BC is like being in another world. The population decreases and wild animal sightings increase the further north you travel. It gets quieter and more adventurous as the roads get rougher.
Alaska Highway
Top Posts BC
Featured Towns In Northern BC
Stewart BC / Hyder Alaska
Atlin BC
The Hazeltons
25 Best Small BC Towns
Northern British Columbia Travel Guide
Northern BC Facts
Table of Contents
- Epic Highways In Northern BC
- Stewart-Cassiar #37
- Alaska Highway
- Top Posts BC
- Featured Towns In Northern BC
- Stewart BC / Hyder Alaska
- Atlin BC
- The Hazeltons
- 25 Best Small BC Towns
- Northern British Columbia Travel Guide
- Northern BC – Why You Should Go
- Getting There and Around
- Top Activities and Adventure Destinations
- Communities In Northern BC
Northern BC is roughly the top half of British Columbia. It has a size of 500,000 square km and is home to fewer than 500,000 residents. This makes Northern BC one of the least densely populated places in North America. Prince George is northern BC’s largest city.
People who live in northern BC are passionate about their large outdoor playground, its culture and colourful past and are eager to share it with you.
Northern BC has lots of open spaces, long stretches of lonely roads and plenty of hidden treasures for you to discover. You will come across an abundance of Canadian wildlife. What an amazing sight to see a herd of buffalo on the side of the road or a female moose with her baby or stone sheep making their way across cliffs.
My Insight
It happens to many of us. We travel to far-away places and we don’t know our own country, (or province in my case). I spent many years in the Okanagan Valley and didn’t have a clue what Northern BC was like. For me, northern BC was a place where people went to find work and made a big buck, just like in northern Alberta.
Little did I know until I travelled through the northern part of the province on my way to the Yukon for the first time. I soon realized that this was unspoiled land and as beautiful as it can get. It’s a land made for wilderness adventures of any kind, just the way I like it.
Northern BC – Why You Should Go
If you’re looking for fast wilderness and raw rugged beauty, rich history, interesting aboriginal culture and authentic people, you’ve come to the right place. Follow the historic trails of the First Nation people, explorers, fur traders, gold seekers, pioneers, railroaders, and lumberjacks. This region of British Columbia has it all.
Once you escape to Northern BC, you might find yourself coming back again and again.
Getting There and Around
By Road
Four main highways give access to Northern BC:
- Yellowhead Highway 16 from the Alberta border in the east to Prince Rupert on the Pacific coast. At Kitwanga you can head north on Highway 37 to Stewart, Yukon and Alaska.
- Alaska Highway 97 north from Prince George to Dawson Creek and to the Peace River Country. From there Highway 97 continues north to the Yukon and Alaska.
- Steward Cassiar Highway 37 originates in Kitimat. This north/south route follows Highway 16 for a small stretch before turning north at Kitwanga. From here it continues to its terminus near Watson Lake in the Yukon. Highway 37 A leads to Stewart BC and Hyder Alaska.
- Atlin Highway 7
By Air
Prince George is northern BC’s busiest airport and offers frequent scheduled flights to major cities. Smaller regional airports are in Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Smithers, Terrance/Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Sandspit, and Masset. Services are provided by Air Canada, WestJet, Central Mountain Air, Hawkair, Northern Thunderbird Air, Pacific Coastal Airlines, Harbour Air and many charter companies.
By Rail
Via Rail’s Skeena line roughly parallels Highway 16 and connects Prince Rupert to Jasper, Alberta. If you decide to take this scenic route you will have to stay over in Prince George. The train stops here overnight and re-board the next morning.
By Bus
BC Bus North is a new long-haul coach service offering connections between Prince Rupert, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson and Valemount. This service has a fixed route and schedule.
Greyhound is not operating in Canada anymore.
By Sea
Prince Rupert is the southern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway System and a frequent stop for Vancouver and Alaska-bound cruise ships. It’s also the terminus of BC Ferries routes up the Inside Passage from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and across the Hecate Strait from Haida Gwaii. For BC Ferries information visit www.bcferries.com
Top Activities and Adventure Destinations
Northern BC offers limitless outdoor adventure recreation. The countless lakes, rivers, and streams are ideal for water sports like canoeing, kayaking, sailing, and fishing. Other popular activities during the summer month are horseback riding, golfing hiking, birding, and wildlife viewing.
- Venture out on an ocean kayaking tour along Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), known for its rainforests and First Nations history.
- Join a whale-watching trip from Prince Rupert
- Go grizzly bear viewing at Belarko on the road to Bella Coola.
- Visit Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park for an unforgettable soak in the natural hot pools.
- Find history at Fort St. James National Historic Site
- Kinuseo Falls at Tumbler Ridge
- For the adventure seeker, there is the gravel road to Telegraph Creek.
- Don’t miss a visit to the border towns of Stewart Canada and Hyder (the friendliest little ghost town in Alaska), and take a self-guided tour up to the Salmon Glacier, Canada’s largest glacier accessible by road.
- The Hazeltons and the Kasan First Nation Village
- 25 Best BC Towns to visit
Communities In Northern BC
The main communities to visit in northern BC include Prince Rupert, Terrace, Smithers, The Hazeltons, Stewart, Houston, Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Prince George, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, and Fort Nelson. Read more: Alaska Highway.
Read more: 25 Best Towns in British Columbia to visit
