Great Northern Circle Route

Begin your trip to western Canada by leaving the city of Edmonton via the Yellowhead Highway to the town of Jasper. Nestled among the Canadian Rocky Mountains and within the Athabasca River Valley, Jasper is a playground for the adventurous and a sanctuary for those seeking relaxation and beauty.

A must-visit is the breathtaking Athabasca Falls, located just south of Jasper on the infamous Icefields Parkway. Keep your eyes peeled for moose, elk, deer, caribou, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and bears.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Hinton / Jasper KOA 
• Canadian Rockies Hot Springs 
• Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit 
• Sun Dog Tours 
• Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge 
• The Jasper Planetarium 
• Jasper Theatre Productions 
• Journey Bike Guides
• Jasper SkyTram 

Arrive this afternoon in the vibrant, modern city of Prince George. More than 120 parks and a variety of indoor attractions may be found in this outdoor playground. Visit the Central BC Railway & Forestry Museum, a fascinating industrial heritage site located on the banks of the Nechako River in a spacious park-like environment. The Ancient Forest/Chun T'oh Whudujut Provincial Park, the only inland temperate rainforest in the world and home to western redcedars that are more than 1,000 years old, can be found an hour east on Highway 16.

At the historic Huble Homestead, located forty kilometers to the north, you may travel back in time to the early 1900s and discover what early prospectors did as well as the customs of the Lheidli T'enneh people at the First Nations Fish Camp display.

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.

Prince George 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.

If you love mountain biking, visit the Pidherny Mountain Bike trails. Prefer horses to bikes? Book a trail ride with El Shaddai Ranch and explore the Fraser River canyon.

Drive north on Highway 97 to scenic Pine Pass. Stop at breathtaking Bijoux Falls before heading to Chetwynd.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• MamaYeh RV Park & Campground

Travel to Chetwynd to take in the well-known chainsaw carvings that line the streets. Visit Memory Lane Greenhouse & Tea Gardens Bed & Breakfast if you enjoy plants.A 460 square meter (nearly 5,000 square foot) greenhouse containing rare heirloom tomatoes, some of which date back hundreds of years, perennials, shrubs, trees, and veggies may be found in this attractive garden setting. A two-hectare (five-acre) International Friendship Garden with hundreds of indigenous plant and flower species from 19 different nations is also present.

There are other lakefront accommodations at Moberly Lake Marina and Resort (which also rents boats) and Azouzetta Lake Lodge. Northern pike, lake trout, and ling cod can be found in Moberly Lake. Additionally well-liked fishing locations are Azouzetta, Gwillim, Jackfish, and Moose lakes. Wet a line on any of the neighboring rivers, including the Burnt or Sukunka, if fly-fishing is your thing.

Caron Creek RV Park and Riverview B&B are 10 minutes south of town, while Wild Mare RV Park is only five kilometers (three miles) west of the city for RV travelers.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Northern Lights RV Park 

Start your day off with a side trip to Hudson's Hope, also referred to as the "Land of the Dinosaurs", and peruse the dinosaur footprint and fossil collection at the Hudson's Hope Museum. Drive down Highway 29 from Hudson's Hope to Tumbler Ridge, passing via Gwillim Lake Provincial Park.The Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark is one of only five in the world. Hike to dinosaur footprints there on a "Dinosaur Trackway Tour" or spend the day exploring the area's breathtaking trails.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Northern Lights RV Park 

It's a short drive today so take your time and enjoy stopping at anything that piques your interest along the way. Your overnight stop tonight is in Dawson Creek and there's a lot to explore. It's Mile 0 of the historic Alaska Highway so be sure to stop to photograph both the Alaska Highway sign and the Mile 0 marker.

Visit the Dawson Creek Visitor Centre, Art Gallery and Railway Station Museum housed in a renovated grain elevator annex. Next to Mile 0 RV Park, you'll find the Walter Wright Pioneer Village - a must- visit for dedicated history buffs.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Northern Lights RV Park 

Today you begin your trek up the Alaska Highway en route to Fort St John.  

Just outside of Fort St. John, stop at the picturesque 13-km/8-mi long Charlie Lake, known for its fishing opportunities. Angle for trout, Arctic grayling, walleye and northern pike. Further north, stop to photograph the rich hues of Pink Mountain at sunrise.

On arrival in Fort St John, you'll find both the Mighty Peace and the Beard's Brewing breweries.  Stop in at either of them to stock up for the journey ahead. 

Check out the North Peace Cultural Centre Gallery and the ndigenous Artist Market before finding a campground to settle down in for the night.

Next stop, Fort Nelson. Today is a longer drive - if you feel like breaking it into two, choose your own mid-point. .

214km north of Fort St John you'll reach Sikanni Chief Falls, located in an ecological reserve. Take a hike through the park if you feel the need to burn some energy or, if you prefer a more sedentary experience, view the 30-metre falls from a scenic vantage point.

The Alaska Highway then continues on through mainly wooded terrain to Fort Nelson, the gateway to the Northern Rockies. Initially founded during the fur trade, Fort Nelson is home to the largest gas processing plant and the largest deposit of shale gas in North America.

Don't miss the outstanding Fort Nelson Heritage Museum, which highlights the Alaska Highway's construction period. Visit Triple G Hideaway for full-service hookups, a gift shop, and a cafe if you're traveling by RV. Down to Earth café is another excellent option for lunch and is a popular venue for both totourists and locals.

If you enjoy soaking in hot pools, today's the day!  Towns are few along the route but the scenery is amazing.  

Watch out for wildlife, particularly bears and bison, but enjoy from a safe distance.
Take a rest stop at beautiful Muncho Lake.  Surrounded by trees and mountains, this jade green lake acts like a mirror on a calm day.  There's a campground here if you'd like to break your journey.

For a full lodge experience, with float plane tours, canoe and boat rentals, full service RV hook-ups, and exquisite dining, don’t miss Northern Rockies Lodge.

As you get closer to Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, you'll cross the Liard River on a 307m long suspension bridge, built in 1943.  The campground in the Provincial Park fills up early in Summer so reservations are recommended.  From here you'll take the boardwalk over swampy marshland to the hot pools.  An entrance fee is charged.

We hope you packed your sign to add to the 100,000 others left by tourists as they strolled through the Signpost Forest. If you didn't remember to bring one, you can make your own at the Visitor's Interpretive Centre.  They'll even lend you a hammer and nails if you forgot yours.

Make an overnight stop in Watson Lake and visit the Northern Lights Space & Science Centre which features shows and interactive displays explaining the science and folklore of the Northern Lights and also the latest information about the Canadian space program.  You may even catch a glimpse of the actual northern lights if you keep your eyes peeled on a clear night after dark.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Baby Nugget RV Park

Time to move on  to your next experience.  Leaving Watson Lake you'll join the Stewart-Cassiar Highway south, destined to your overnight stop in Dease Lake.  Stop at Tā Ch'ilā Park (Boya Lake Park) to swim in its crystal clear waters. From Jade City, take a side trip to the ghost town of Cassiar. The town was established in 1952 as a company town, based around the mining of asbestos.  In its heyday, 1500 people lived here but today the streets are bare and the buildings gone, yet there are still signs of what once was.

The road continues south from Jade City, skirting rivers, small lakes and the Chickens Neck Mountain Ecological Reserve before reaching Dease Lake.   The lake itself is 30km long and less than a kilometre wide and offers excellent fishing opportunities.  It's the perfect reason for an overnight stop here.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Waters Edge Campground

Drive along Highway 37 to the south from Dease Lake and consider kayaking the Iskut Lake Chain. Make sure you travel to Cascade Falls. You can hire a canoe and stay in charming cottages at Red Goat Lodge, which is located on the beaches of Eddontenajon Lake. Fly with Alpine Lakes Air into the Spatsizi Wilderness Plateau from Tattoga Lake or visit the geologically distinctive Mount Edziza.

More lakes greet you as you continue south to your overnight stop at Mexiadin Junction.  There's a charming provincial campground here featuring many lakeside sites.  Book in her for two nights as you'll return after you day trip tomorrow to Stewart.

Take a day trip today to Stewart.  Stewart is a unique border town located at the head of the historic 90-mile-long Portland Canal. Along the 65km drive on Highway 37A from Meziadin Junction, there are more than 20 glacier formations overlooking the highway including Bear Glacier.   

Visit the Stewart Historical Museum, which is housed in a 1910 fire hall, to learn about the town’s colourful mining past. Stroll along the boardwalk for spectacular views of the Portland Canal, or visit Toastworks, a museum dedicated to—you guessed it—toasters. (It also happens to serve some of the best coffee and breakfast in town.) Before heading out, be sure to pick up a gooey cinnamon bun at Temptations Bakery and Deli.

While still located in Canada, the Salmon Glacier (the world's largest road accessible glacier) requires a cross-border trip into neighbouring Hyder to get there.  If you're travelling in a CanaDream RV, be aware that a US surcharge is applicable for any travel onto US soil.  The border crossing is manned only by the Canadian Border Service Agency who will require you to present a passport when returning to Stewart.  Spend another night at Meziadin Junction.

After a day of glacier viewing yesterday, it's time to head south to Smithers.

At Kitwanga the Battle Hill National Historic Site offers an interpretative walking circuit where visitors can relive history. Visit the well-known "Ksan Historical Village" in the Hazeltons by taking a short diversion off Highway 16 at New Hazelton. Take a walk along the shore where the Bulkley and Skeena rivers converge, learn about the history and culture of the Gitxsan people.

Witness expert Witsuwit'en fishermen utilizing traditional gaff poles and dip nets to capture salmon during the summer when you visit the village of Witset. In addition to providing cultural excursions, the Widzin Kwah Diyik Be Yikh (Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum) is home to relics that have been around for up to 6,000 years.

Before arriving in Smithers, stop alongside the highway to view the raging rapids of Witset Canyon. Further along the highway, venture near the thunder of cascading Twin Falls, which are fed by the Hudson Bay Mountain glaciers.  Overnight in Smithers.

If you'd like to view one of the world's most significant fossil beds, take a side trip this morning to Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park. Explore the plant, animal and inspect species that inhabited the area 50 million years ago and remain preserved in the shale formations.

Further south on the Yellowhead Highway, in the community of Houston, see the world’s largest fly-fishing rod and then try your hand in local lakes and rivers for trout, salmon, and steelhead. Houston is also a great place to mountain bike.

Follow Highway 16 further south to Burns Lake, the entrance to the Lakes District, which has over 300 lakes for wilderness fishing and top-notch mountain bike routes.You can fly into some incredible and secluded fishing adventures with Lake District Air. Discover more about the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre's attempts to aid in the recovery of white sturgeons by going there in Vanderhoof, further east.

Overnight in Vanderhoof.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• Pipers Glen Resort 

Today's overnight destination is Mount Robson Provincial Park but first we're taking a short side trip to Fort St James National Historic Site to learn more about the history of Canada's fur trade.

Because of its severe winters, the location of Fort St. James—built by explorer Simon Fraser in 1806 for the North West Company—was known as "the Siberia of the Fur Trade." At the Fort St. James National Historic Site, a replica of the Hudson's Bay trading station dates back to 1896. Restored original log structures make comprise Canada's greatest collection of wooden buildings depicting the fur trade.

Additionally, Fort St. James serves as the starting point for fantastic lake fishing, which includes Stuart Lake. Return to Vanderhoof then continue east on Highway 16 through Prince George to Mount Robson.  If you've spent all day exploring Fort St James, you may like to spend another night in Vanderhoof before continuing on to Mount Robson.

Overnight in Mount Robson Provincial Park.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• iRVins's RV Park and Campground

Mount Robson is British Columbia's second-oldest provincial park. Everything from vehicle-accessible camping to secluded, infrequently frequented valleys is available in this well-known park.

The park's western entrance is guarded by Mount Robson itself. Standing tall at 3,954 meters, it is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, dominating the peaks around it. Here you can view one of the most beautiful vistas in the Rocky Mountains, winter or summer.

Mount Robson Park and seven other connected parks make up one of the world’s largest protected areas. Part of the Canadian Rocky Mountains World Heritage Site, Mount Robson Park protects the headwaters of the Fraser River.

You could spend another day in Mount Robson if time permits.  It's a five hour drive back to Edmonton where you'll overnight before dropping off your RV in Leduc the following morning.
 

CanaDream Club Partners

• TELUS World of Science 
• Fort Edmonton Park 
• Food Bike Tour LTD. 
• Sandman Signature Edmonton Downtown Hotel 
• Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Edmonton