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Horseback Riding at Bracewell's Alpine Wilderness Adventures above Tatlayoko Lake
Tatlayoko Lake | Destination BC/Kari Medig

A textured and soul-stirring landscape, where layers of nature and living history meet hands-on adventure.

Welcome to Nature’s Heartland

Experience British Columbia from sea to sky through dramatic, diverse and ever-changing landscapes.

Begin your journey in Vancouver—a vibrant city perched on the edge of nature—and make your way by road, rail, or trail.

Wind through rainforests, grasslands, deserts, past rivers, and lakes towards tall peaks — each natural backdrop reflecting a deep connection between Peoples and place.

A map of British Columbia highlighting Nature's Heartland
Hikers overlooking the Fraser River, near Jesmond.

Layers of the Land

From the icefields of the Chilcotin Ark to the grasslands near Kamloops, this area moves through a range of striking terrain. Plateaus edge into forests alive with caribou, bears, eagles, and wild horses and pass through diverse ecosystems created by time and elemental forces.

An indigenous guide perfoms a song for visitors at the Nu Chugh Beniz campground in Ts'il?os Park, next to Chilko Lake, BC.
Ts'il?os Provincial Park | Kari Medig

Craft and Community

In small towns and open fields, communities come together to celebrate this legacy, whether through rodeos, powwows, or daily acts of making and sharing. Season by season, life here reflects the knowledge passed down through generations.

River Rafting on Nahatlatch River with REO Rafting, Glamping & Yoga Resort
Nahatlatch Provincial Park | Destination BC/Michael Bednar

Trails Through Time

Weave your adventure through historic First Nations and Indigenous trade routes—rivers, valleys, and trails still travelled today. Ride the rapids, hike through canyons, or fish for trout and salmon in lakes and streams. Whichever path you take, the landscape shapes the journey.

Hikers at Tweedsmuir Glacier via Lakes District Air floatplane
Tweedsmuir Provincial Park | Destination BC/Taylor Burk
A senior wrangler bringing a horse into the barn at Flying U Ranch, Canada's oldest guest ranch, in 70 Mile House.
Flying U Ranch | Destination BC/Kari Medig
Moose in a lake in Bowron Lakes Provincial Park
Bowron Lakes Provincial Park | Destination BC/Robin O'Neill
Nature's Heartland
4 min

Experience Nature's Heartland

Trace lines that follow rivers, where wildlife moves freely, and travel invites you to slow down. Move by trail, water, or sky—how you journey through this place matters as much as what you find when you get there.

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Biking in Nature's Heartland in BC, Canada

Travel Through Time

Follow trails where water, earth, memory, and movement converge.

Nature's Heartland
Aerial view of the Painted Hills outside Cache Creek.
Cache Creek | Destination BC/Hubert Kang

Places to go

From the sweeping plateaus of the Chilcotin to the storied routes of the Cariboo, explore an area defined by timeworn trails, big skies, and enduring connections.

  • Kamloops

    A rugged city along the North and South Thompson rivers marked by dramatic desert landscapes and rugged adventure.

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Practical Tips

  • Nature’s Heartland is for travellers drawn to sweeping landscapes and the stories rooted within them. It’s for those who find meaning in meeting people with deep connections to their home and in exploring cultures shaped by ranching, resourcefulness, and lives lived close to the land.
  • Mighty rivers carve dramatic canyons, offering routes for paddling, rafting, and fishing year-round. Wide plateaus open to trails with sweeping views, while golden grasslands shelter wildlife from wild horses to rare birds. Whether on foot, horseback, or water, these landscapes invite exploration on a grand scale.
  • Nature’s Heartland is a year-round destination. Spring brings warmer days and open roads, with rivers and trails alive in the season’s changes. It’s a time to join local gatherings and events that share the area’s living culture. Wildflowers brighten the grasslands, summer invites paddling and horseback adventures, and autumn brings harvests. Every season offers space to slow down, explore, and experience the area’s living history.
  • Driving gives you the most freedom to roam, but the real magic comes when you mix in other ways to see the land. Ride horseback through open country, paddle quiet rivers, raft rushing rapids, bike trails that wind through grasslands and forests, or ride high in an Airtram for a river view you’ll never forget.
Canoer paddling along the Bowron Lake Provincial Park
Bowron Lake Provincial Park | Destination BC/Adam Wells