 Historic Hat Creek Ranch, BC Heritage photo Originally a small log building, the original ranch house was a popular stop for tired travellers, offering good meals and a place to sleep. In 1863 the building momentum of the Gold Rush brought the Royal Engineers and the Cariboo Wagon Road. The ranch provided food and drink, rooms, and stables to thousands of miners and settlers heading north. Interpretive Tours Today's Hat Creek Ranch is a showcase of what life was like back then. Interpreters in period clothing take visitors on guided tours of the 1860s Roadhouse that catered to miners, pack-train operators, stagecoaches, and wagon trains. Much of the antique agricultural equipment, ranch barns and outbuildings have recently been restored to their original condition.
Stuctwesemc First Nation A brief walk along Hat Creek, on the edge of the ranch, leads to the Native Interpretation Centre, where members of the local Stuctwesemc First Nation share their history and culture, and provide information on the many original displays that are shown on the site. Interpretive panels in the area describe how the Stuctwesemc community made the transition from their traditional uses of the land to becoming expert ranch hands throughout the region.
Hat Creek Ranch Amenities On-site facilities include a restaurant, canvas "Miners Tents", a teepee, newly constructed cabins, and numerous RV sites (8 with electrical hook-ups). For non-RV travelers tenting sites are available. All camping locations are situated an easy walk from washrooms, showers, fire pits, and the Roadhouse Restaurant.
Ashcroft Manor & Teahouse Situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, between Cache Creek and Ashcroft, the Ashcroft Manor & Teahouse is more than just a place for a light lunch. Built in 1862, it is one of the oldest roadhouses in British Columbia, originally intended to accommodate fortune seekers on their way to the northern gold fields. It also served as the first courthouse in the area. Today, the original buildings still dot the property and the original house, next to the teahouse, is now a free-of-charge museum housing hundreds of period items. For more information about Hat Creek Ranch historic site and Ashcroft Manor & Teahouse, stop by the Cache Creek Visitor Centre.
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