Visit Our Neighbours
The dramatic landscape fused with the rich Nisga’a culture makes the Nass Valley a very unique experience. Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park offers visitors a chance to explore a volcanic landscape and learn about the culture and legends of the Nisga’a people. You can follow a self-drive auto tour that highlights the epic scenery, notable features and stories to educate visitors of the Nisga’a heritage. Just outside the park there are four Nisga’a communities: Gitlakdamix, Gitwinksihlkw, Laxgalts’ap, Gingolx. All communities are road accessible from the park. You will find amenities such as grocery stores, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, gift shops, gas stations and health services.
Kitimat sits at the mouth of the Kitimat River at the head of the Douglas Channel, an arm of the Pacific Ocean that reaches 140 km (88 miles) inland, cutting deep into the Coastal Mountains. It draws its name from the nearby Haisla community of Kitamaat (meaning “people of the snow”), who have inhabited this coast for as long as 8,000 to 12,000 years. The town of Kitimat is a 60 km (38 mile) drive from Terrace via Highway 37. Built in the 1950s for the world’s largest aluminum smelter, the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcan), the town of Kitimat is a pre-planned community, with defined residential areas and a centralized urban core.
Prince Rupert is a port city on British Columbia’s northwest coast, and is a 153 km (96 mile) drive from Terrace. It’s a gateway to wilderness areas like the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary bear habitat. Shops and cafes dot the waterfront Cow Bay area, most of which feature local, fresh seafood. The Museum of Northern B.C. showcases the region’s natural and cultural heritage. South, the North Pacific Cannery traces the city’s salmon-canning history. Humpback whales swim in the fish-filled waters offshore.
Now a National Historic Site, the pretty little village of Kitwanga is located near where the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) meets the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37), about 80 km (50 miles) east of Terrace.
The grass-covered hill at Kitwanga was the scene of fierce First Nation tribal battles two centuries ago, which resulted in the destruction of the Gitwangak fort and cedar dwellings that once stood to protect the Gitksan people, their fishing sites and the active trade routes in the region.
Located 203 km (127 miles) east of Terrace, you can round out your northwest experience with a visit to the picturesque town of Smithers, located in the Bulkley Valley. Known as “Little Switzerland”, having adopted an alpine theme for its downtown core, the area’s panoramic scenery is matched only by the genuine warmth of its community. From unique retail shops to cozy eateries, and two local breweries, Smithers is a travellers’ delight! A thriving local arts and music community rounds out this mountain town, where in the winter, skiiers and boarders enjoy incredible snow experiences on Hudson Bay Mountain, and mountain bikers challenge themselves on some seriously incredible trails.
Meziadin Junction is located 156 km (97 miles) north of Kitwanga (Gitwangak) on the Stewart-Cassiary Hwy 37, and 65 km (40 miles) east of Stewart. There is a small grocery store, a gas station, a restaurant and some RV hook-ups. Meziadin Lake Provincial Park, located just 3 km (1.9 miles) from Meziadin Junction, has a very nice campground which features salmon spawning creeks near the lake.
The Glacier Highway links Stewart with Highway 37, winding past the spectacular mountains and hanging glaciers of Bear Pass. Easily viewed off the highway, and 38 km (24 miles) before Stewart, the beautiful Bear Glacier beckons with ancient blue ice that sparkles like a jewel, with its melt water forming the headwaters of Bear River. Located 311 km (193 miles) from Terrace, this world-famous bear watching, glacier tours and breathtaking scenery make this trip a must!
Breathtakingly placed between Mount Edziza Park and Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park, about 500 km (310 miles) north of Terrace on the Stewart/Cassiar Highway 37, is the small Tahltan Indian community of Iskut. Iskut’s location along the Iskut Lakes provides superb outdoor recreation opportunities in the surrounding mountains, forests, parks, lakes and rivers that abound in the area. South of Iskut, Kluachon Lake forms the headwaters of the Iskut River and is the first lake in the Iskut Lake chain, with Eddontenajon, Tatogga, Kinaskan and Natadesleen Lakes all lying beside the highway. The town has a gas station, grocery store, and a post office, and is the primary base for adventures into Mount Edziza and Spatsizi Plateau Parks, with local guide services providing the experience required to venture into these wilderness areas.
Dease Lake is located on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway 37, about 582 km north of Terrace (362 miles). It is a popular place for travelers to stop and stock up on supplies en route to the breathtaking landscapes and scenery of the Yukon and Alaska. It offers a range of amenities, including a store, gas station, restaurants, hotels, RV parks and a post office. The Dease Lake area has an abundance of lakes and rivers which paddling enthusiasts flock to. Enjoy a challenging paddle down the Stikine River along the border with Alaska – paddlers embark on this journey in Telegraph Creek (100 km west of Dease Lake) and continue down the Stikine River to Wrangell, Alaska. The Spatsizi Plateau Creek Provincial Park also boasts a number of lakes that are excellent for both canoeing and kayaking. The Stikine region of Northern British Columbia is the traditional territory of the Tahltan people, going back as far as 10,000 years.
Telegraph Creek is located off the Stewart-Cassiar Hwy 37, travelling 100 km west from Dease Lake. Probably the most remote town in BC that is accessible by road, Telegraph Creek is reached via a gravel road that passes through Stikine River Provincial Park and provides the traveller with an incredible view of “Canada’s Grand Canyon” – the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River. The road to Telegraph Creek is beautiful but rough, with 112 km (69 miles) of gravel, steep gradients (up to 20%), narrow passages along canyon walls with no guardrails, and sharp-angled switchbacks. Telegraph Creek is the only permanent settlement on the Stikine River and is home to members of the Tahltan First Nation and non-native residents.
