 Hat Creek House
BC Heritage photo For a more strenuous adventure, walk in the footsteps of explorer Alexander Mackenzie -the first European to cross the continent north of Mexico- along the legendary Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail/ Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail.
Barkerville Historic Town
Fortune seekers once travelled the Cariboo Waggon Road to the Cariboo goldfields and the bustling boomtown of Barkerville. Settled in 1862, Barkerville Historic Town today features over 125 restored heritage buildings along a Victorian-era streetscape. Highlights include a re-enactment of the courtroom once ruled by Judge Begbie, the famous "Hanging Judge." You can also watch sparks fly when iron strikes anvil at the blacksmith shop or take a stagecoach ride through town. Drop by the schoolhouse for an unforgettable lesson in pioneer learning and life.
Don't miss the roving street theatre and live Theatre Royal shows, either, which are presented in the same style enjoyed by miners over 100 years ago.
Barkerville is a one-hour drive east from Quesnel, on Highway 26.
A word or two on your visit:
- Admission fee in effect
- Approximate time required: 1-2 days
> Barkerville website
Gold Rush Trail
Gold was discovered in the Cariboo in 1859. Three years later, Britain's Royal Engineers began construction of a historic road to riches. Called "the eighth wonder of the world," the 642-km (400-mi) Cariboo Waggon Road was built by blasting through the Fraser Canyon to the goldfields at Barkerville. After completion in 1865, the road -now part of the famous Gold Rush Trail- allowed mule trains, freight wagons and stage coaches to serve central BC.
Today you can still travel the legendary Gold Rush Trail. The area has over 1,200 km (745 mi) of roadways with colourful heritage towns, community museums, attractions, archives, galleries and other exciting discoveries en route.
The Gold Rush Trail extends from Fort Langley to Cache Creek via Highway 1 and from Cache Creek to Quesnel via Highway 97. From there, Barkerville is a one-hour drive via Highway 26.
> Gold Rush Trail website
108 Heritage Site
A visit to 108 Heritage Site takes you back to the famous Mile Houses on the Gold Rush Trail, so named because of their distance (e.g. 108 miles) along the road from Lillooet, the official starting point of the first road to the Cariboo goldfields. Here you can visit several heritage buildings, including 105 Mile Roadhouse, moved to its present location when a new highway threatened its demolition. Visit a one-room schoolhouse, trapper's cabin, the 1908 Watson Barn, BX stagecoach barn, a blacksmith shop, post house and telegraph building.
108 Heritage Site is located in the community of 108 Mile House, along Highway 97.
A word or two on your visit:
- Admission by donation
- Approximate time required: 1-2 hours
> 108 Heritage Site website
Cottonwood House
Completed in 1865, Cottonwood House was once a haven where weary miners, stagecoach drivers and travellers heading to Barkerville and the goldmines could count on a hearty meal and a good night's rest. Visitors to the house today can examine the Double Barn that once sheltered stagecoaches. The General Store now houses an interpretive/information centre and restaurant.
You musn't miss panning for gold in the Cottonwood River. A charming riverside trail winds along its banks. The wonderfully preserved and restored pioneer farm is another ideal stop on your Gold Rush Trail adventure.
Cottonwood House is situated between the Cottonwood River and Highway 26, a 20-minute drive east of Quesnel.
A word or two on your visit:
- Admission fee in effect
- Approximate time required: 1 hour
> Cottonwood House website
Historic Hat Creek Ranch
During the gold rush boom, Hat Creek Ranch offered rooms, food and stables to miners and settlers heading north. Today you can tour the restored roadhouse, General Store, blacksmith's shop, wash house, draft-horse stables as well as view a fully restored B.C. Express stagecoach. The ranch also exhibits one of the most extensive collections of pioneer farming machinery in western Canada, from a mechanical hair picker to farm field equipment.
The area honours the legacy of the indigenous Shuswap Nation and their contributions to the ranching industry. Visit the nearby Shuswap Nation village display site to get a rare look at a circular pit house known as a "kekuli."
Historic Hat Creek Ranch is located at the junction of Highways 99 and 97.
A word or two on your visit:
- Admission fee in effect
- Approximate time required: 2 hours
> Hat Creek website
Quesnel Forks
At the end of a winding dirt and gravel road stands the site of the earliest mining camp in the Cariboo. When gold fever struck in the early 1860s, Quesnel Forks -thanks to its key location at the junction of the Quesnel and Cariboo Rivers- became a rowdy centre for the Cariboo Gold Rush. "The Forks" camp attracted thousands until the completion of the Cariboo Waggon Road changed the route to the goldfields. While many prospectors had left the area by 1875, a thriving Chinese community of over 200 merchants and miners still inhabited the village. However, most mines closed in the 1920s and by 1956 the town was abandoned.
Today, Quesnel Forks is a fascinating ghost town. Visit the area's restored buildings or stroll through the hillside cemetery. Quesnel Forks was named one of the "10 Best Picnic Areas In British Columbia" by Westworld Magazine in 2000.
Quesnel Forks is just over a one-hour drive northeast from Williams Lake, via Likely Road.
A word or two on your visit:
- No admission fee in effect
- Approximate time required: 2-3 hours
Alexander Mackenzie/Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail
In 1793, Alexander Mackenzie was the first European to complete an overland journey across North America north of Mexico. The Nuxalk and Carrier peoples, long-time inhabitants of the present-day Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, helped to guide him through the region. Today, you can explore this legendary trail by land and water.
Day trips along the historic route are accessible by gravel road from both Quesnel and Prince George, near Highway 97. Or, at Burnt Bridge Creek near Bella Coola, take the scenic two-hour loop trail at the western border of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, which traces Mackenzie's path along the base of 1,000-m (3,280-ft) cliffs and glaciers.
Experienced backpackers can plan ahead and hike the 350-km (217-mi) outback portion of the trail in three weeks. A food supply drop at the halfway mark is essential. Shorter hiking segments are also possible.
A large section of the trail takes hikers through the scenic Rainbow Range, a vibrantly coloured volcanic mountain range in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.
To reach Sir Alexander Mackenzie Provincial Park - the westernmost point of Mackenzie's journey and where the explorer inscribed his famous words: "Alex Mackenzie from Canada by land 22nd July 1793" - you must travel by boat, just as Mackenzie did.
The main trailhead begins next to a parking lot on Blackwater Road, off Highway 97 near Quesnel and Prince George.
A word or two on your excursion:
- Rated: difficult
- Approximate time required: varies by route
- Best time: August - September
- Be aware that portions of this trail are on or near private property
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