The main outdoor activities around Dawson Creek are camping, mountain biking, hiking and golf. Swan Lake Provincial Park, a 30-minute drive from town, offers boating, swimming and a grassy campground near the lake. One Island Lake Provincial Park, just over an hour away, is a good place for swimming, birding and fishing. Kiskatinaw Provincial Park is a good place for camping. It also features a curved, wooden trestle bridge that was part of the original Alaska Highway. The bridge is the only one of its kind in western Canada and you can still drive across it. There are popular walking and hiking trails around Radar Lake. Two challenging golf courses, Dawson Creek Golf & Country Club and Farmington Fairways, are a 10-minute drive away. In summer, the Bear Mountain cross-country ski area offers ripping mountain biking trails.
Both the Dawson Creek Station Museum and the Dawson Creek Art Gallery are located in Northern Alberta Railways Park. The museum, which is housed in a 1931 Northern Alberta Railway Station, contains railroading memorabilia, pioneer artifacts, wildlife displays and a Visitor Info Centre. The art gallery mounts more than a dozen exhibitions a year, featuring work by local, national and international artists. Among its permanent displays is a pictorial history of the construction of the Alaska Highway. The Walter Wright Pioneer Village is located in Mile Zero Park, at the junction of the Alaska Highway and Highway 97 South. It contains both replicated and restored pioneer buildings.
You can take an historic walking tour of Dawson Creek using a brochure available from the Visitor Info Centre. Be sure to notice the many, large, heritage-themed murals around town; as they've been popular with locals and visitors alike, the town has decided to commission new murals each summer. Pouce Coupe's museum features exhibits on pioneering in Peace River Country and on the two World Wars.
Dawson Creek's number one claim to fame is its designation as "Mile Zero" of the Alaska Highway. The Mile Zero Cairn (which marks the official beginning of the highway) in Northern Alberta Railways Park should be at the top of your must-see list. Other attractions in the park include the Dawson Creek Station Museum, housed in a 1931 Northern Alberta Railway Station, and the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, housed in a renovated grain elevator annex. The museum contains railroading memorabilia, pioneer artifacts and wildlife displays. It is also home to the town's Visitor Info Centre. The art gallery features exhibits by local, national and international artists year-round. Among its permanent displays is a pictorial history of the construction of the Alaska Highway.
Mile Zero Park, located at the junction of the Alaska Highway and Highway 97 South, contains three interesting attractions: the Walter Wright Pioneer Village, Gardens North and Rotary Lake. Dawson Creek before the Alaska Highway was built is the theme of the Walter Wright Pioneer Village, which features both replicated and restored pioneer buildings that you can tour. Eleven themed gardens make up Gardens North, while Rotary Lake, a man-made lake used for summer swimming, is the only one of its kind in Peace River Country.
Most visitors make a point of photographing the Mile Zero Post in downtown Dawson Creek - yet another symbol of the town's identity as the Alaska Highway's starting point.
Dawson Creek has more entertainment venues than its small size would suggest. They include the Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre, Sudeten Hall and the 600-seat Unchagah Hall. The outdoor stage at the Walter Wright Pioneer Village is used for the three-day Blue Grass Festival in July. Junior and Senior amateur hockey games are played in Memorial Arena. For five days each August there are also many temporary entertainment venues at the Fall Fair Exhibition and Pro Rodeo. One of the most lauded agricultural fairs in BC, the Fall Fair features exciting events such as bareback & saddle broncos, bull-riding, team roping and calf wrestling, in addition to livestock shows, horticultural displays, and carnival rides.
More than highways come together in Dawson Creek: the area hosts over 240 species of birds. including hawks, eagles, owls and hummingbirds. Swan Lake is a great place to spot muskrats and beavers. You can enjoy a peaceful, forest walk and learn about the region's flora and fauna along Radar Lake Community Forest's well-marked interpretive trails.
On hot summer days, locals head either to man-made Rotary Lake or to Swan Lake to do a little sunning and swimming. Swan Lake is also a good place for canoeing. Other lakes and rivers in the area offer terrific fishing opportunities. Trout, walleye, Arctic grayling and northern pike are some of the most sought-after catches.
Just a short drive southwest of Dawson Creek, the Bear Mountain Nordic Ski Association operates a network of groomed and track-set trails for both classic and skate skiing. It also has a small downhill ski area. The most accessible large ski hill is Powder King, a 2.5-hour drive west of town. It gets an average of 12.6 m (41 ft) of snow each season and offers both tree skiing and cruising runs.