McBride is a village of about 600 people (2016) in the Robson Valley of British Columbia, Canada.

Understand

View of McBride

McBride is rich in farmland in the valley bottom, with a mix of forest and alpine surrounding the valley. This unique mixture allows McBride to be a prime location for many industries. Current industries for McBride are railway, forestry, tourism, small businesses and agriculture. Barley, oats, forage crops and pasture are the main agricultural activities supported by dark gray Doré clay loam to clay and gray Rausch clay.

• 1 McBride Visitor Centre, 1000 1 Ave at Main St (in the old train station), ☏ +1 866-569-3366, come2mcbride@telus.net. 9AM-5PM. (updated Jun 2018)

History

McBride was founded in 1913 as Mile 90 of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The village was named after the serving premier, Sir Richard McBride. McBride's early industries were rail, shipping, forest harvesting and the agricultural development of the valley. In 1970 access to McBride changed with the opening of Highway 16 (Yellowhead), which enabled vehicles to travel through the valley.

Climate

McBride is relatively wet, especially in the summer. Precipitation occurs 21 days on average during the month of July. Only nearby Crescent Spur gets more rain days in July in all of Canada.

Get in

By car

Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) passes through McBride. It is 210 km (130 mi) southeast of Prince George, British Columbia, and 166 km (103 mi) west of Jasper, Alberta.

By bus

• BC Bus North, ☏ +1-844-564-7494. Twice per week bus service between Prince George and Valemount with stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache. (updated Mar 2022)

By train

See also: Rail travel in Canada

• 1 McBride station (Main St & 1st Ave). (updated Oct 2023)
  • VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. Operates a route between Jasper and Prince Rupert with stops in McBride, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, New Hazelton, Kitwanga, and Terrace. The train travels during the daytime, taking two days in each direction. There is an overnight stop in Prince George, where passengers will need to book sleeping accommodations. Jasper is also a stop for The Canadian, which travels between Vancouver and Toronto. McBride station is a "sign post" station, where the train only stops on request. (updated Apr 2022)

By plane

• 2 McBride/Charlie Leake Field Aerodrome, ☏ +1 250-569-2229. General aviation only (830m air strip); no scheduled service.  

See

• 1 Valley Museum and Archives, 521 Main St, ☏ +1 250-569-3000. Tu-Th 10AM-5PM, Tu also 7PM-9PM, F 2-9PM, Sa 2-5PM, closed on holidays. The museum presents a variety of touring exhibitions each year showcasing the unique history and culture of the Robson Valley. It shares a building on Main Street with the McBride and District Public Library. (updated Jun 2018)
• 2 McBride Railway Station. The focal point of Main Street is the train station at First St. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway built the train station in 1913. A fire burnt the building down in 1918. The station was quickly rebuilt and reopened in 1919 on the original site. The trains still ride through the station and pick up passengers on a daily basis. The station houses the Whistle Stop, a gallery of quality work done by local artists and crafters, as well as McBride's Visitor Information Centre and a locally owned coffee shop The Beanery. (updated Apr 2023)

Do

During the winter months, McBride has a variety of cross-country skiing trails and is world-famous snowmobiling trails and designated snowmobiling areas, as well as offering numerous locations for the ever-popular ice fishing.

The warmer months in McBride allow for hiking, camping, fishing and bird watching. The Robson Valley Mountain Bike Association maintains 6 trails in the area, and provides maps on its website.

• 1 Robson Valley Recreation Centre, 461 Columbia St, ☏ +1 250-569-3360. Equipped with gym, a regulation sized ice hockey arena, two curling sheets and a convertible court. (updated May 2023)
• 2 Horseshoe Lake (follow 2nd Ave south and turn on to Horseshoe Lake Rd). A naturally formed ox-bow lake that allows birdwatchers to observe waterfowl and other birds from an observation platform. Located just over a kilometre drive southeast from the centre of McBride. (updated May 2023)
• 3 Beaver Falls Recreation Trail (trailhead at the intersection of Highway 16 and the Beaver (Holmes) River). A 1 km relatively flat trail on the west side of the river to the Beaver Falls. (updated May 2023)
• 4 Beaver River Recreation Site. Located on the east side of the river. Has some camp site and visitors can watch spawning salmon in a side channel. (updated May 2023)
• 5 LaSalle Lake Recreation Site (40 km west of McBride, just off Highway 16). Has 20 camp sites and La Salle lake for swimming, diving, and fishing. (updated May 2023)
• 6 McBride Peak Half-Way Hut. Offers views of McBride and the mountains. Has picnic tables. (updated May 2023)
• Pioneer Days. The parade heads down Main Street at 10 am the first Saturday in June, followed by heavy horse demonstrations, logger sports, ball games and horseshoe tournaments–even sword fighting–and lots of things for kids to do all weekend. There is a century of vehicles and farm machinery at the show and shine, a quilt walk and lots of live music and food. (updated Jun 2018)

Eat and drink

• 1 The Beanery 2 Bistro, 1000 1st Avenue (beside the train station), ☏ +1 250-569-0133. M-F 6AM-5PM, Sa-Su 9AM-5PM. Home-cooked breakfasts, great coffee and pies. (updated May 2018)
• 2 Welcome Home Gifts, 289 Main St, ☏ +1 250-569-0215. Tu-Sa 8:30AM-5PM. Soup, salad, sandwiches, wraps, latte/latte frio, Italian soda and treats to eat in or take out, giftware for every occasion, eclectic home décor, fresh fudge, locally hand crafted bath & body luxuries. (updated Jun 2018)
• 3 Heartland Restaurant, 1051 SE Frontage, ☏ +1 250-569-0032. Daily 6AM-10PM. (updated Jun 2018)
• 4 Kilin Restaurant, 1117 SE Frontage Rd, ☏ +1 250-569-8820. M-F 11:30AM–10PM, Sa 4–10PM, Su 4–9PM. Chinese. (updated Jun 2018)

Sleep

• 1 North Country Lodge, 868 NW Frontage Road (on Highway 16), ☏ +1 250-569-0001, toll-free: +1-888-695-9322. Queen beds, air conditioning,refrigerator, radio alarm clock, hairdryer, TV and free wireless internet. Kitchenettes, suites, pet rooms and smoking rooms are available. From $95. (updated Jun 2018)
• 2 Bell Mountain Motel, 815 Bridge Rd, ☏ +1 250-569-0312. Free WiFi, satellite flat screen TVs, in-room coffee & tea. All rooms are at ground floor. From $85. (updated Jun 2018)
• 3 Beaver Creek Lodge & Cabins, 915 Bridge Road, toll-free: +1-888-642-2214. Cabins, loft chalet with kitchen & 2-bedroom cottages. Flat screen Television, in cabin coffee, tea & hot chocolate, fresh "Roasted Bean" coffee, micro-roasted on the premises, small refrigerator, microwave & toaster, barbecue available, smoke free, 1 pet cabin, WiFi internet access, fire pit. $129. (updated Jun 2018)

Cope

• 2 McBride and District Hospital, 1136 5th Avenue, ☏ +1 250-569-2251. Has an emergency department that operates 24/7. (updated Apr 2023)

Go next

Routes through McBride

Prince Rupert ← Prince George ←	W  E	→ Jasper
Prince Rupert ← Prince George ←	W  E	→ Tete Jaune Cache → Jasper