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geographic region in Alberta and British Columbia
North America > Canada > British Columbia > Northern British Columbia > Peace Country and Northern Rockies

The Peace Country and Northern Rockies is the part of Northern British Columbia that lies east of the Rocky Mountains.

Cities edit

 
Map of Peace Country and Northern Rockies
  • 1 Chetwynd — Gateway to four provincial parks, two lakes, and several recreational trails, the downtown is adorned by dozens of chainsaw carvings
  • 2 Dawson Creek — Mile zero on the Alaska Highway, it has a number of murals spread through the town representing various aspects of building the Alaska Highway
  • 3 Hudson's Hope   — A support town for the two nearby hydroelectric dams. Check out the visitor centers at the dams to learn more about the area and the local museum has exhibits on the dinosaur tracks discovered in the area
  • 4 Fort St. John — Established in 1794, it's the oldest European-established settlement in present-day British Columbia and the largest town in the region
  • 5 Fort Nelson — A resources town (forestry, oil and gas), but tourism is becoming more important
  • 6 Tumbler Ridge — Dinosaur tracks, waterfalls, rock formations, hiking and other year-round outdoor activities

Other destinations edit

  • 1 Alaska Highway — The nearly 2,400 km journey through the forests and mountains of Northern British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. "Mile 0" is in Dawson Creek.
  • 2 Muncho Lake Provincial Park — Hiking, fishing, camping and some pretty scenery in the Northern Rockies, and close to Laird River Hot Springs.
  • 3 Williston Lake   — The largest man-made lake in British Columbia.

Understand edit

 
Canola growing in the Peace Country

The southern part of the region — the Peace Country — is flatter and an the upstream extension of the Peace River in neighbouring Alberta. Despite its northerly latitude, it's an important agricultural area. The northern parts are largely undeveloped and much of the land is forested. The western edge of the region is an extension of the Rocky Mountains.

Get in edit

By car edit

 
The start of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek

The main highways into the Peace Country and Northern Rockies are Highways 97 and 2.

  • Highway 97   connects the region with Prince George and the rest of British Columbia to the south. North of Dawson Creek, the highway is known as the Alaska Highway, connecting from Alaska via the Yukon. The drive north from Prince George to Dawson Creek is about 4½ hours, and it's about 14 hours from Vancouver to Dawson Creek. The drive southeast from Whitehorse in the Yukon is about 16-17 hours.
  • Highway 43 (in Alberta) / Highway 2   (in British Columbia) heads northwest from Alberta Peace Country, where it becomes Alberta Highway 43. The drive to Dawson Creek from Grande Prairie is about 1½ hours and it's about 6 hours from Edmonton.

By plane edit

Airports within this region with scheduled commercial flights edit

By bus edit

Get around edit

Car is the principal way to get around. Driving will demand many hours at the wheel. In the summer months, expect at least 14 hours of driving from the border. In the winter months, you will need to bring chains and at be prepared for at least 16 hours of driving.

By public transit edit

BC Transit operates bus routes within Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.

See edit

 
Muncho Lake, part of Muncho Lake Provincial Park
  • Dinosaur Discovery Gallery in Tumbler Ridge has dinosaur exhibits and over 200 million years of biodiversity featuring marine life, plant life, dinosaurs.
  • The Fort Nelson Heritage Museum in Fort Nelson has a sprawling collection of antique cars and trucks, and exhibits about the building of the Alaska Highway.
  • Fort St. John's Centennial Park is filled with sculpture by festivals twice a year: the Great Canadian Welding Competition in August, and the High on Ice Winter Carnival's ice sculptures in January.
  • Learn about hydroelectricity and tour one of the largest earth-fill structures in the world at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Visitor Center in Hudson's Hope, reached from Highway 29, along the way between Chetwynd and Fort St. John. See listing under Chetwynd.
  • Sikanni Chief waterfall, reached from Highway 97, along the way between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson. See listing under Fort Nelson.

Do edit

 
Kinuseo Falls south of Tumbler Ridge

There at least half a dozen provincial parks scattered through the region that offer opportunities for camping, fishing, more hiking, canoeing, wildlife and bird watching, and being along in the wilderness. Some notable ones are:

Stay safe edit

The Peace Country and Northern Rockies is sparsely populated. If you are driving, ensure that you have enough fuel in your car for your journey, a spare tire, and emergency equipment as it assistance may be far away and take a long time to get to you.

See dangerous animals for information on safety in bear country.

Go next edit

This region travel guide to Peace Country and Northern Rockies is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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