Great Northern Circle Route

Start your journey in the vibrant, modern city of Prince George. This basecamp to The Great Wilderness has more than 120 parks and plenty of indoor attractions.

Visit the Central BC Railway & Forestry Museum, a fun industrial heritage attraction in a spacious park-like setting on the shores of the Nechako River. An hour east, on Highway 16, you’ll find Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park, the only inland temperate rainforest in the world and home to western redcedars over 1,000 years old.

Forty kilometres north is the historic Huble Homestead, where you can travel back in time to the 1900s and learn about early prospectors, as well as the traditional practices of the Lheidli T’enneh people at the First Nations Fish Camp exhibit.

PG is home to BC’s northernmost winery, Northern Lights Estate Winery, which offers tours and tastings with river views. Beer drinkers will want to check out CrossRoads Brewing & Distillery, Trench Brewing, and Deadfall Brewing right in town.

If you love mountain biking, be sure to ride the trails at Pidherny Recreation Site. Prefer horses to bikes? Book a trail ride with El Shaddai Ranch and explore the Fraser River canyon.

Drive north on Highway 97 to scenic Pine Pass. Stop at breathtaking Bijoux Falls before heading to Chetwynd.

In Chetwynd, stop and admire the famous chainsaw carvings lining the streets, the product of the community’s annual International Chainsaw Carving Championship.

Nearby, book lakeside cabins at Azouzetta Lake Lodge and Moberly Lake Marina & Resort, which also offers boat rentals. Moberly Lake is home to northern pike, lake trout, and ling cod. Azouzetta, Gwillim, Jackfish, and Moose lakes are also popular fishing spots. If fly-fishing is your thing, wet a line on any of the nearby rivers, like the Burnt or Sukunka.

For those travelling by RV, Caron Creek RV Park and Riverview B&B are 10 minutes south of town.

In Hudson’s Hope, explore one or more of the 14 mapped trails in the community

From Chetwynd, take a side trip to Tumbler Ridge, home to the only UNESCO Global Geopark in western Canada. Book a a “Dinosaur Trackway Tour” to hike to dinosaur footprints at the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark or check the exhibits at the Tumbler Ridge Museum.

There is no shortage of outdoor adventure in Tumbler Ridge. Spend the day hiking some of the area’s spectacular trails, or charter a boat to see towering Kinuseo Falls with Wild River Adventure Tours. Want to get above it all? Ridge Heli Adventures takes adventurers to some of the most stunning, remote scenery The Great Wilderness has to offer.

Overnight in Dawson Creek—”Mile 0″ of the historic Alaska Highway—and visit the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, housed in a renovated grain elevator annex. History buffs must check out the Walter Wright Pioneer Village, conveniently located next to the Mile 0 RV Park.

Continue north on Highway 97 to Fort St. John.

Just outside Fort St. John, stop at picturesque,13 kilometre-long Charlie Lake, known for its excellent  fishing opportunities. Angle for trout, Arctic grayling, walleye, and northern pike. Farther north, photograph the rich hues of Pink Mountain at sunrise.

Visit Mighty Peace Brewing or Beard’s Brewing to stock up for the journey ahead, and be sure to grab a bite from Whole Wheat and Honey.

Check out the North Peace Cultural Centre Gallery before continuing north past Sikanni Chief Falls, located in an ecological reserve. View the 30-metre falls from a scenic vantage point and hike through the park.

Next stop, Fort Nelson. Known as the gateway to the Northern Rockies, this friendly town was initially founded during the fur trade. Don’t miss the superb Fort Nelson Heritage Museum, which showcases the construction of the Alaska Highway. Travelling by RV? Head to Triple G Hideaway for full-service hook-ups, a gift shop, and a cafe. Another great place for lunch is Down to Earth café, which has become a hot spot for visitors and locals alike.

As you head north, look for Stone’s sheep, bison, and other wildlife. Camp at Stone Mountain Provincial Park or Muncho Lake Provincial Park; these beautiful jade green lakes are nestled in a valley surrounded by folded mountains and brilliant wildflowers. For the full lodge experience, with float plane tours, canoe and boat rentals, full service RV hook-ups, and exquisite dining, don’t miss Northern Rockies Lodge.

As you head north toward the BC/Yukon border, a soak in the renowned Liard River Hot Springs is a must. At any time of year, this popular natural hot spring pool is an unforgettable experience.

Stop to see the unique sign post forest in Watson Lake, Yukon, where more than 67,900 license plates, road shields, and homemade signs are mounted. Next head south on the scenic Stewart-Cassiar (Highway 37) and take a refreshing dip in Tā Ch’ilā Park’s (Boya Lake Provincial Park) crystal clear waters.

Detour to the ghost town of Cassiar, then head south to Jade City before making your way to Dease Lake.

From the town of Dease Lake, known for its exceptional fishing opportunities, book a flightseeing tour with BC Yukon Air and get a bird’s-eye view of some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country. You’ll see the volcanic plateau of Mount Edziza littered with craters and lava fields, and the rugged, snow-capped mountains of the Coast Range.

From Dease Lake, head south down Highway 37 and paddle the Iskut Lake Chain, making sure to see Cascade Falls. Stay at Red Goat Lodge on the shores of Eddontenajon Lake, where you’ll find cozy cabins and canoe rentals. From Tattoga Lake, fly with Alpine Lakes Air into Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park, or tour the geologically unique Mount Edziza.

Detour an hour west at Meziadin Junction on Highway 37A to the rustic town of Stewart on the BC/Alaska border. Along the way, you’ll pass Bear Glacier—one of the world’s few roadside blue glaciers.

Visit the Stewart Historical Museum, housed in a 1910 fire hall, to learn about the town’s colourful mining past. Stroll along the boardwalk for spectacular views of the Portland Canal, and stay at Ripley Creek Inn, where you can borrow free cruiser bikes to explore town. Grab your passport and head through the border to Alaska and the Salmon Glacier, the largest vehicle-accessible glacier in the world.

A visit Toastworks, a museum dedicated to—you guessed it—toasters, is a must. They also happen to serve some of the best coffee and breakfast in town. Before continuing on, be sure to pick up a gooey cinnamon bun at Trudy’s Temptations Bakery and Deli.

From Stewart, travel south and relive history on an interpretive walking trail at Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic Site, located at the junction to the Stewart-Cassiar Highway and Highway 16.

Drive an hour east on Highway 16 to the Hazeltons and visit the renowned ‘Ksan Historical Village. Learn about Gitxsan history and culture, see traditional totem carvers at work, and stroll the shore where the Bulkley and Skeena rivers meet.

Visit the village of Witset where, in summer, you can watch skilled Witsuwit’en fishers catch salmon using traditional gaff poles and dip nets. The Widzin Kwah Diyik Be Yikh (Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum) offers cultural tours and houses artifacts dating back up to 6,000 years.

Continue south to Smithers.

Near Smithers, stop alongside Highway 16 to view the raging rapids of Moricetown Canyon. Farther along the highway, venture near the thunder of cascading Twin Falls, fed by the Hudson Bay Mountain glaciers.

Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park features one of the world’s most significant fossil beds. Explore the plant, animal, and insect species that inhabited the area 50 million years ago and remain preserved in the shale formations.

Northeast of Smithers are the rugged peaks and abundant wildlife of Babine Mountains Provincial Park. To the south, in the community of Houston, see the world’s largest fly-fishing rod and then try your hand in local lakes and rivers for trout, salmon, and steelhead. Houston is also a growing hub for mountain bikers.

Explore over 300 lakes and almost 5,000 kilometers of shoreline from Houston to Fraser Lake. While a road trip through the region offers scenic views at every turn, the area is best seen from the air on a flightseeing tour with Lakes District Air. Back on terra firma, enjoy a quiet night in tranquil surroundings at Nechako Lodge.

Burns Lake, known for its mountain bike trails, also lays claim to the smallest provincial park in BC. At just one hectare, Dead Man’s Island can only be visited via canoe or kayak (you can rent both in town). Burns Lake is also the gateway to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park North, with its remarkable fishing and wilderness lodges like Tesla Lake Lodge and Pondosy Bay Wilderness Resort.

Need to restock camping and outdoor supplies? You’ll find what you’re looking for at Woods N’ Water. Overnight options include lakeside resorts with full-service RV sites, and local campgrounds with well-maintained and serviced sites.

Further east, in Vanderhoof, visit the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre to learn about local efforts toward white sturgeon recovery.

Detour north to Fort St. James National Historic Site to learn more about the history of Canada’s fur trade.

Fort St. James was established by explorer Simon Fraser in 1806 for the North West Company, and the site was dubbed the “Siberia of the Fur Trade” because of its harsh winters. Today, Fort St. James National Historic Site has been reconstructed to replicate the year 1896, and it includes a recreated Hudson’s Bay trading post. Original log buildings have been restored, forming the largest grouping of wooden buildings representing the fur trade in Canada.

Fort St. James is also a gateway to excellent fishing on numerous lakes, including Stuart Lake. An hour’s drive along a gravel road, you’ll find exceptional canoeing on the Nation Lakes Chain, a 5- to-10 day, 120-kilometre route on four wilderness lakes.

To complete the circle route, return to Prince George via Highway 16 east.

Last updated: January 2, 2025