August 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park (otherwise known as the fossil beds) are a great local attraction to the Smithers area. Located right before Babine Mountain Provincial Park, it is a good place to bring a picnic and sit by the creek, and go enjoy some archeological history.
Fossils were found in this area approximately 50 years ago, and ever since have been excavated by professionals from museums and universities from all over the country. Their are a few species are indigenous to the Bulkley Valley of plants, fish and bugs from 50 million years ago. Note: no fossils are allowed to leave the park.
Recently, BC Parks upgraded the park with $200,000, with now a new bridge, information signs, new benches and upgrading to the trail among most of the improvements.
Definitely a good place to go with your family on a nice day.
August 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Historic & Heritage Sites
View a larger image on flickr.com
If you’re interested in beautiful art work, native history, and a great drive, then Kitwancool is the place to stop.
From Kitwanga, it is about a 30 minute drive to this small community, where some of the best (and oldest) totem poles you can find anywhere stand. I’ve seen quite a few totem poles in my day, and these ones take the cake. Beautifully carved, and in such a breath-taking area, this is definitely worth a stop off of your trip to go see.
August 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Historic & Heritage Sites
View a larger image on flickr.com
If you are travelling on highway 16 west of Smithers, you can stop 5 minutes off onto highway 16 where you can see some of the most beautiful totem poles (and greatest assortment) in the west. I quote the old adage, “the best things in life are free”, because it is truly a wonderful place that you can stop, admire spectacular history and art, all for the price of willing to stop.
August 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Historic & Heritage Sites
View a larger image on flickr.com
Recently, I heard that there was a national historic site an hour down the road from Smithers that I has never known about before, called Battle Hill. Not wanting to be in the dark, I ventured down to Kitwanga and took a turn up highway 37. About 15 minutes off of highway 16 is a place called Battle Hill, a historic site where epic battles between first nation groups took place.
Essentially, it’s a grassy hill where archeologists excavated and found remains of human habitation, and through history knew that people as far away as Haida Gwaii would come to join in battle. There’s a trail you can walk from the parking lot all the way up to the top of the hill, where the people who lived there had an advantage against their enemies.
You can feel a sense of long-ago history, and actually see where they built these people lived. This is an important sight that shouldn’t be missed if you are travelling up highway 37.
Editor's note: Learn more about driving routes in the Smithers area here.