Guide to Prince George, Your Gateway to the North

Learn about the area's past

Explore the history of Prince George and the surrounding area, and follow in the footsteps of those who came before and those who have been here for millennia.

Right in the city, visit the Central BC Railway & Forestry Museum, a fun industrial heritage attraction in a spacious park-like setting on the shores of the Nechako River.

Forty kilometres north is the historic Huble Homestead where you can travel back in time to the 1900s and learn about early prospectors, as well as the traditional practices of the Lheidli T’enneh people at the First Nations fish camp exhibit. Tackle the 8.5-kilometre (5-mile) Giscome Portage Heritage Trail to experience what was once considered “the shortcut” (Lhdesti), the shortest route between the waterways flowing to the Pacific and those flowing into the Arctic Ocean.

Continue to explore farther up Highway 97 at old settlements like Chetwynd and Fort St. John, or head east on Route 16 toward New Hazelton.

Stop for a wood-fired pizza at Betulla Burning, have a pad thai at Mai Thai, a roll from Sushi97, or opt for a classic like Cimo Mediterranean Grill. The Oakroom Grill offers a fusion menu with a side of live music. Cool off midday and sample small-batch, local ice cream from the Frozen Paddle.

PG is also home to BC’s northernmost winery, Northern Lights Estate Winery, which offers tours and tastings with views of the river. Beer lovers will want to check out the aptly named CrossRoads Brewing as well as the popular Trench Brewing right in town.

Find some of the best local grab ‘n go grub in Northern BC. Order takeout from food trucks like Smokey J’s, and peruse local vendors at the farmers market downtown on Saturdays (open year-round). 

There’s no shortage of places to stay in Prince George, from no-frills motels and RV parks to higher-end hotels, as well as nearby campgrounds for those looking for a night under the stars.

Stay downtown at hotels like the Coast Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, or the Ramada Plaza. Lower-cost options include North Star Inn and Suites and the Carmel Inn.

For cabin rentals try Woodhouse Cottages and Ranch, and if you’re travelling in an RV check out Sintich, Hartway, and Northland RV parks. Closer to the city, BlueCedars campground is your best option for bookings after Labour Day. Other options before then include MamaYeh and West Lake as well as the full-service Salmon Valley Campground, which has all the amenities (for RVs as well)—including an espresso machine for fresh coffee in the morning.

1- TO 3-DAY TRIPS FROM PRINCE GEORGE

Make Prince George your home base for adventure and keep the adrenaline running with one or more short getaways.

Rent wheels in town if you don’t have them already and take a few days to visit old settlements along the Alaska Highway. Camp lakeside at Crooked River Provincial Park (74 kilometres north), then continue on to Chetwynd (+2.5 hours’ drive), Dawson Creek (+1 hour), and Fort St. John (+1 hour). Also nearby is Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark (4.5 hours from Prince George) where you can see dinosaur trackways and fossils in BC’s only vertebrate research center.

Five hours east along Route 16, visit New Hazelton and ‘Ksan Historical Village, Campground and Museum and immerse yourself in 8000-year-old Indigenous history. Honour the generations, past and present, who have stewarded this land.

Stay a night in Burns Lake for a nature pit stop and explore the lush surrounding area. Fishing is a must here.

Whichever road and destination you choose, your journey will be set against a backdrop of big, beautiful nature.