Terrace sits on the banks of the Skeena River, surrounded by mountains, lakes and streams - all the makings of memorable camping, hiking, mountain biking and golfing experiences. Lakelse Lake Provincial Park, south of town, is popular with campers for its massive, old-growth trees, salmon-rich streams, sandy beaches, water sports and wildlife viewing opportunities. Kleanza Creek Provincial Park, east of town, offers vehicle-accessible campsites, fishing and a walking trail to a viewpoint overlooking Kleanza Canyon. There are many more walking and hiking trails in the area, including stroller and wheelchair-accessible trails on Ferry Island, Terrace Mountain hiking trail, Sleeping Beauty Mountain Trail, Exstew Valley Falls Trail and the urban Grand Trunk Pathway.
Other popular outdoor activities include mountain biking and golf. You'll find that most local hiking trails are open to mountain bikers, who are required to give hikers the right of way. The Onion Lake Ski Trails are particularly good for mountain biking in summer. Golfers will love the drama of the landscape around Skeena Valley Golf & Country Club, an 18-hole, 6,436-yard course that is laid out along the base of Thornhill Mountain.
There are several pioneer-era buildings of note in Terrace. Among the eight authentic log buildings in Heritage Park are a miner's cabin, hotel and dance hall. George Little House, which now serves as a train station and community gathering place, is the former home of Terrace's founding father, George Little. The most notable modern structure in the area is the Alcan Kitimat Works Aluminum Smelter, which is an hour's drive south of Terrace and is open to the public from early June through August. At the time of its completion in 1954 it was the largest privately funded construction project in Canada.
The first people to live in the Terrace area were the Tsimshian, Nisga'a, Haisla, Gitxsan and Gitanyow. You can see a number of authentic totem poles in the villages of Kitwanga and Kitwancool. Emily Carr, one of Canada's most revered artists, painted some of these totem poles.
Kitwanga is also home to the Kitwanga Fort National Historic Site, a fortified, 18th-century Gitwangak First Nation village. The 'Ksan Historical Village, a replica First Nations village built on the site of the original Gitxsan village of Gitanmaax, has won the Attractions Canada Award twice. There are also Nisga'a cultural sites to be explored in Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park.
Terrace's pioneering history can be explored in detail at the Heritage Park Museum, which houses more than 4,000 artifacts in eight historic log buildings. Guided tours are available during the summer months. George Little House, the former home of Terrace's founding father, is located next to the C.N. Railway tracks and now serves as a train station and community gathering place. Local artists and crafters sell their work here. Another place to learn about local history is the Grand Trunk Pathway, which is an urban, multi-use trail dotted with storyboards that briefly outline the history of the valley.
Terrace has a number of interesting attractions that are fun for the whole family. To get better acquainted with the history of the area, head to Heritage Park Museum with its fascinating exhibits housed in original log buildings. The museum is open from May to September and offers informative, guided tours. You can also learn about local history by reading the storyboards set up along the Grand Trunk Pathway.
At Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park, 1.5 hours north of Terrace, you can see one of Canada's youngest lava flows, as well as Nisga'a cultural sites. Guided hikes to the crater viewpoint are available. If you have children, you'll want to set aside some time to visit Mount Layton Hot Springs Resort, which pipes hot water from natural, mineral hot springs to its pool, waterpark and waterslides.
Terrace has a volunteer theatre company that has been active longer than any other in BC. The Terrace Little Theatre stages four to five productions each year in the R.E.M. Lee Theatre. You can also attend concerts by award-winning local musical groups through winter as well as attend a variety of music festivals in the area in summer. Nightlife in Terrace consists of pubs and night clubs that play country, pop, karaoke and more.
The best shopping in Terrace is to be found in the dozens of boutiques that sell unique, locally produced arts and crafts such as First Nations art and carvings, paintings, jewellery, pottery and BC jade items. The local Farmers' Market, which features fresh produce, ethnic food, picnic fare and arts and crafts, is the largest in Northern BC. It runs every Saturday from May through October. During August, it runs on Wednesdays as well.
You can enjoy the beauty of nature both inside and outside the Terrace city limits. In town, you can walk, hike, camp and picnic on Ferry Island, which is sometimes referred to as the "Enchanted Forest" because a local artist has carved faces and figures into many of the trees here. The Terrace Mountain Hiking Trail, also in town, winds upward toward a viewpoint that overlooks the city, valley and surrounding mountains.
Just south of Terrace, you can hike through old-growth forest and along salmon streams on the one-km (0.6-mi) Gruchy's Beach Trail in Lakelse Lake Provincial Park. At Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park, north of Terrace, you can take a guided hike into a volcanic crater and see one of Canada's youngest lava flows.
Another good way to enjoy the scenery around Terrace is to take a scenic drive along Highway 16 toward Prince Rupert. The roadway has many rest stops for enjoying views that include mountain, river and lake scenery. In springtime, bald eagles and seals can be seen in and around the Skeena River fishing for Eulachons. You can also see mountain goats on the cliffs south of the Skeena in spring and early summer.
Canoeing and boating, especially during the late summer salmon-spawning season, are great ways to catch sight of deer, moose, eagles and grizzly bears on the shoreline. Guided single or multi-day jet boat tours are available.
Several public beaches in the Terrace area are suitable for swimming, sunning and picnicking. The most popular is in Lakelse Lake Provincial Park. If you don't mind the hike beforehand, there are also a number of quiet, mountain lakes that warm up enough for swimming in summer. Some have beautiful, top-of-the-world views. The streets of Terrace are quiet and safe enough for peaceful strolls, even at night. And whenever you're in the mood for a little head-to-toe pampering, drop in at the local day spa.
Popular water-oriented activities around Terrace include fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. The area - which offers freshwater fishing for salmon, steelhead and trout on the Skeena River, and saltwater fishing for halibut and salmon on the Douglas Channel- is considered one of Canada's premier angling destinations. The Skeena River tributaries together produce more large steelhead than any other watershed in the world. The salmon are sizable too: one angler reeled in a world-record 45-kg (99-lb) chinook! Canoeing on Redsand and Lakelse Lakes plus boating on Lakelse Lake are two of the best ways to view wildlife, such as eagles, moose, spawning salmon, grizzly bears and the elusive, white, Kermode bear. Lakelse Lake is suitable for swimming in summer. At its south end is the Mount Layton Hot Springs Resort, which pipes mineral water from a natural hot spring into its pool, waterpark and waterslides.
Terrace is a place where you can be active out of doors year round. The local ski hill, Shames Mountain, has one of the deepest snow bases of any lift-accessible mountain in North America and the views are terrific. Many mountain trails in the area are suitable for cross-country skiing (Onion Lake Ski Trails) and snowmobiling (Sterling Mountain). Winter steelhead fishing is popular. When temperatures dip low enough, local anglers happily carry their drills to nearby lakes and set themselves up for a day of ice fishing.