The Peace River country surrounding Hudson's Hope has great parks and some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in British Columbia.
Look for mule deer, whitetail deer, moose, elk, black bears, coyotes, beavers, foxes, lynx and more. Wolves are a more rare sight, but are sometimes spotted in the forest shadows.
Nearby provincial parks, such as Moberly Lake Provincial Park and Butler Ridge Provincial Park, are good spots to seek out local wildlife. The Peace River valley and the W.A.C. Bennett Dam also offer wildlife viewing opportunities.
Moberly Lake and Butler Ridge Provincial Parks
Moberly Lake Provincial Park is an excellent home base for a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, windsurfing, boating and waterskiing. The park is also home to a large number of songbirds, as well as a host of small furry critters. The park's campground lies along the shores of Moberly Lake and includes a double-wide boat launch, a day use picnic area and an adventure playground for kids.
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Butler Ridge Provincial Park, with boat access to Williston Lake (BC’s largest man-made lake) offers excellent fishing, spectacular hiking along Butler Ridge, and prolific wildlife viewing. Commonly seen animals include Stone’s sheep, deer, elk and golden eagles, as well as numerous birds.
Peace River Valley
Gaze across the terraced Peace River valley; its banks, dotted with shrubs like willows, chokecherries, pin cherries and Saskatoon berries, offer shelter and food for a variety of wildlife. Windswept fields and deep snow in the winter and lush greenery in the spring attract seasonal grazers.
Deer are the most commonly animals sited both in and around Hudson's Hope and along Highway 29 in all seasons. Spring is a great time for view bears along the Peace River's banks and roadways. Torwood Resort has excellent opportunities to view elk that tend to gather nearby in relatively large numbers.
W.A.C. Bennett Dam
The W.A.C. Bennett Dam viewpoint, on the opposite side of the dam, is an excellent place to observe bald eagles. Fish swim through the turbines and jet out into the swirling waters below the dam. As they come through, the fish tend to be rattled and disoriented – the perfect opportunity for bald eagles to swoop down for a meal. Because of the dam, the river does not freeze in winter, and resident eagles can be found along the Peace unlike other areas in the frozen north.
Note: Be especially cautious driving, especially at night, as deer and other animals are often near to the roadsides and their reactions to vehicles can be unpredictable.
Contact the Hudson's Hope Visitor Centre for more information about parks and wildlife viewing in the area.
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