Bucket list hikes in The Great Wilderness

Tracing the backcountry streams and canyon walls of Northern Rocky Mountains Park, this 83.5-km (52-mi), week-long expedition takes you in view of interesting hoodoos, abundant wildlife, and rushing rivers. Most of the route comprises old mining roads, game trails, and dry creek beds, and though it’s 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. The route follows 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, 1-km (0.62-mi) strolls to 5-km (3-mi) loops. Keep watch for wildlife—this area is home to abundant populations of bears, moose, caribou, and more. And 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.

At first glance, it would be easy to mistake Blue Lake Trail in Hazelton for one of the glittering turquoise-hued lakes synonymous with the Rockies. The only difference? No crowds. If this alpine lake wasn’t tucked deep within The Great Wilderness, it would easily be one of the most popular hiking trails in the province. As such, your reward for venturing off the beaten path is a lonesome trek through the classically rugged Rouche de Boule Range and a photo-op that requires no clever editing. Sure, this nearly 6-km (3.7-mi) out-and-back trail requires a bit more effort than a roadside view—but aren’t all the best views earned? To get to the lake’s blue-tinged edge, you’ll first climb through a quiet forest over hills, creeks, and roots before cresting a narrow ridgeline marked by dense low-lying foliage and waterfalls. From here, you’ll get your first glimpse of the lake below—and the best opportunity to snap that coveted photo. The slow pitch down to its watery shores takes another hour, while a second, equally impressive lake lies another 45 minutes beyond.

When it comes to thru-hikes, Mount 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 75-km (46.6-mi) 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.

This moderately challenging trail may not require the same time or effort of others on this list, but it’s no less scenic. A quintessential backcountry hike, Grizzly Den Trail unfolds over 12 km (7.5 mi) through the charming meadows, serene lakes, and hemlock-and-cedar forests of Sugarbowl-Grizzly Den Park. Hikers can break up the route by staying overnight at one of two backcountry cabins: 8-Mile and Grizzly Den (note: Be sure to check with the Prince George Backcountry Recreation Society for availability). Timber clad and equipped with wood stoves, outhouses, drying racks, food caches, and sleeping bunks, these cabins are welcome rest stops—especially on a drizzly summer day. Another way to extend your hike? Connect to the Raven Lake Trail and Tumuch Trail systems and you’ll easily double your mileage. Hikers should be bear aware—the park is home to plenty of grizzly bears (hence the name), along with an important caribou corridor.

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-km (16-mi) thru-hike in Babine Mountains 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 m (3,280 ft) 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 wandering among the alpine flowers and gentle creeks—just make sure to leave enough daylight (if you’re not staying overnight) to tackle the trail’s remaining 8 km (5 mi).

At 6 km (3 mi) in length and just 30 minutes from downtown Terrace, Sleeping Beauty Mountain, located in Sleeping Beauty Mountain Park, is one of the region’s more accessible hikes. It’s ideal for not only the time-crunched, but for fans of big vistas, alpine meadows, and glassy lakes. Though short, the route is steep, passing first through second-growth forest, berry bushes, and small ponds before getting progressively more challenging over switchbacks that climb to alpine meadows. Once you’ve topped out at the last switchback, the route eases, levelling out through an open field with viewpoints that overlook Terrace, Kitsumkalum Lake, and the snow-ringed peaks of the Coast Mountain Range.

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-km (6-mi), 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 farther into the alpine and onto higher peaks, or take the circular route back, which takes you through unique karst topography.