Peace Country and Northern Rockies
The Peace Country and Northern Rockies is the part of Northern British Columbia that lies east of the Rocky Mountains.
Cities
- 1 Chetwynd — Gateway to four provincial parks, two lakes, and several recreational trails, the downtown is adorned by dozens of chainsaw carvings
- 2 Dawson Creek — Mile zero on the Alaska Highway, it has a number of murals spread through the town representing various aspects of building the Alaska Highway
- 3 Hudson's Hope
— A support town for the two nearby hydroelectric dams. Check out the visitor centers at the dams to learn more about the area and the local museum has exhibits on the dinosaur tracks discovered in the area - 4 Fort St. John — Established in 1794, it's the oldest European-established settlement in present-day British Columbia and the largest town in the region
- 5 Fort Nelson — A resources town (forestry, oil and gas), but tourism is becoming more important
- 6 Tumbler Ridge — Dinosaur tracks, waterfalls, rock formations, hiking and other year-round outdoor activities
Other destinations
- 1 Alaska Highway — The nearly 2,400 km journey through the forests and mountains of Northern British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. "Mile 0" is in Dawson Creek.
- 2 Muncho Lake Provincial Park — Hiking, fishing, camping and some pretty scenery in the Northern Rockies, and close to Laird River Hot Springs.
- 3 Williston Lake — The largest man-made lake in British Columbia.
Understand
The southern part of the region — the Peace Country — is flatter and an the upstream extension of the Peace River in neighbouring Alberta. Despite its northerly latitude, it's an important agricultural area. The northern parts are largely undeveloped and much of the land is forested. The western edge of the region is an extension of the Rocky Mountains.
Get in
By car
The main highways into the Peace Country and Northern Rockies are Highways 97 and 2.
- Highway 97
connects the region with Prince George and the rest of British Columbia to the south. North of Dawson Creek, the highway is known as the Alaska Highway, connecting from Alaska via the Yukon. The drive north from Prince George to Dawson Creek is about 4½ hours, and it's about 14 hours from Vancouver to Dawson Creek. The drive southeast from Whitehorse in the Yukon is about 16-17 hours. - Highway 43 (in Alberta) / Highway 2
(in British Columbia) heads northwest from Alberta Peace Country, where it becomes Alberta Highway 43. The drive to Dawson Creek from Grande Prairie is about 1½ hours and it's about 6 hours from Edmonton.
By plane
Airports within this region with scheduled commercial flights
- Dawson Creek (YDQ IATA) - flights from Calgary
- Fort St. John (North Peace Regional Airport - YXJ IATA) - flights from Calgary and Vancouver. The busiest airport in the region.
- Fort Nelson (Northern Rockies Regional Airport - YYE IATA) - flights from Prince George
By bus
- BC Bus North, ☏ +1-844-564-7494. Operates twice per week between Prince George and Fort St. John with stops in Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Taylor. There is also a weekly trip between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson including a stop in Fort St. John, allowing passengers to travel between Prince George and Fort Nelson over two consecutive days.
- Cold Shot, ☏ +1 587-557-7719, support@coldshot.ca. Bus service from Monday to Friday between Fort St. John and Grande Prairie with stops in Dawson Creek, Hythe, and Beaverlodge. Also offers bus service between Grande Prairie and Edmonton.
Get around
Car is the principal way to get around. Driving will demand many hours at the wheel. In the summer months, expect at least 14 hours of driving from the border. In the winter months, you will need to bring chains and at be prepared for at least 16 hours of driving.
By public transit
BC Transit operates bus routes within Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.
See
- Dinosaur Discovery Gallery in Tumbler Ridge has dinosaur exhibits and over 200 million years of biodiversity featuring marine life, plant life, dinosaurs.
- The Fort Nelson Heritage Museum in Fort Nelson has a sprawling collection of antique cars and trucks, and exhibits about the building of the Alaska Highway.
- Fort St. John's Centennial Park is filled with sculpture by festivals twice a year: the Great Canadian Welding Competition in August, and the High on Ice Winter Carnival's ice sculptures in January.
- Learn about hydroelectricity and tour one of the largest earth-fill structures in the world at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Visitor Center in Hudson's Hope, reached from Highway 29, along the way between Chetwynd and Fort St. John. See listing under Chetwynd.
- Sikanni Chief waterfall, reached from Highway 97, along the way between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson. See listing under Fort Nelson.
Do
There at least half a dozen provincial parks scattered through the region that offer opportunities for camping, fishing, more hiking, canoeing, wildlife and bird watching, and being along in the wilderness. Some notable ones are:
- Monkman Provincial Park, south of Tumbler Ridge, has hiking and waterfalls, including Kinuseo Falls
- Take a dip in the natural hot springs at Liard River Hot Springs, near Muncho Lake Provincial Park
Stay safe
The Peace Country and Northern Rockies is sparsely populated. If you are driving, ensure that you have enough fuel in your car for your journey, a spare tire, and emergency equipment as it assistance may be far away and take a long time to get to you.
See dangerous animals for information on safety in bear country.
Go next
- Yukon — Head north on the Alaska Highway to discover gold rush history in Dawson City and the mountainous splendour of Kluane National Park. Whitehorse, the capital, provides a good central hub.
- Peace Country — East of Dawson Creek on highways 2 and 49 is the Alberta part of the Peace Country. It's a mix of sparsely-populated boreal forest and the northernmost agricultural region of any size in North America. The main city is Grande Prairie.