Day trips from Prince George, BC

One of the best things about Prince George is how much lies within a few hours’ drive: ancient rainforest, a gold-rush town, a national historic fur-trade post, a world-famous canoe circuit and the Rocky Mountains. Here are the classic trips, roughly ordered by direction.

Before you go, check DriveBC for road conditions and the wildfire dashboard in summer. Cell coverage is patchy on rural highways.

East on Highway 16

Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut

Distance: about 115 km east (roughly 1.5 hours)

The Ancient Forest protects part of the inland temperate rainforest, a rare ecosystem of giant western redcedars and devil’s club far from the ocean. Some cedars are estimated at around 2,000 years old and up to 5 m across. The park was established in 2016 on Lheidli T’enneh territory; Chun T’oh Whudujut means “ancient forest” in their language.

• A 450 m universal-access boardwalk suits wheelchairs and strollers.
• A longer 2.3 km boardwalk leads to named giants and a waterfall.
• The strenuous Driscoll Ridge Trail climbs 15.5 km for alpine views.

Read our full visitor guide: Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut: what to know.

Purden Lake

Distance: 64 km east (about 45 minutes)

A big lake with a provincial campground, beaches, a boat launch and stocked kokanee and rainbow trout. Great for a summer swim on the way back from the Ancient Forest. See summer and lakes.

McBride and the Robson Valley

Distance: about 210 km southeast (about 2.5 hours)

The village of McBride sits in the broad Robson Valley between the Rocky Mountains and the Cariboo Mountains. Founded in 1913 during Grand Trunk Pacific construction and named after Premier Richard McBride, it has a heritage railway station on Main Street, a valley museum, and Horseshoe Lake, an oxbow with a birdwatching platform. The surrounding mountains are known for snowmobiling in winter and hiking in summer. Continue about another hour to reach Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, for an overnight trip.

South on Highway 97 and 26

Barkerville and Wells

Distance: about 200 km (roughly 2.5 hours) via Quesnel

Barkerville grew almost overnight after Billy Barker struck gold on Williams Creek in 1862, and it became the heart of the Cariboo Gold Rush. Today it is a National Historic Site and living museum with more than 125 heritage buildings, costumed interpreters, stagecoach rides, a theatre and gold panning. The main season runs through summer, and the townsite is open for walk-in visits in winter.

Just 8 km before Barkerville is Wells, a former gold-mining company town that once had more people than Prince George. Now a village of a couple of hundred residents, it is known for colourful heritage buildings, an arts scene and outdoor recreation. Consider staying overnight.

Bowron Lake Provincial Park

Distance: about 3 hours via Quesnel and Wells

The Bowron Lake canoe circuit is a roughly 116 km paddling loop of lakes, rivers and portages through the Cariboo Mountains, often ranked among the world’s great canoe trips. It usually takes 6 to 10 days, with a shorter west-side option. Numbers are limited, so reservations are required for the paddling season. For a day visit, you can paddle Bowron Lake itself or walk the trails near the park entrance.

West on Highway 16

Vanderhoof

Distance: about 100 km west (about 1 hour)

Vanderhoof, close to the geographic centre of BC, is a friendly farming town on the Nechako River. Its Nechako River Migratory Bird Sanctuary, about 180 hectares along the river, is a stopover for up to 20,000 migrating Canada geese along with swans, pelicans, terns and ducks. Spring and fall migration are the best times to visit. Stop at Bednesti or Cluculz lakes along the way.

Fort St. James

Distance: about 155 km northwest via Vanderhoof and Highway 27 (about 2 hours)

Founded by Simon Fraser in 1806, a year before Fort George, Fort St. James was the headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s New Caledonia district and operated as a trading post until 1952. The National Historic Site on Stuart Lake has Canada’s largest collection of restored wooden fur-trade buildings, with costumed interpreters in summer. The town on the lake’s shore has beaches, fishing and paddling. Pair it with Vanderhoof for a full day.

North on Highway 97

Huble Homestead and the Giscome Portage

Distance: about 40 km north (about 35 minutes)

At the south end of the historic Giscome Portage, the Lheidli T’enneh’s “shortcut” over the Arctic–Pacific divide, Huble Homestead is a restored farm and trading post from the early 1900s. Summer programs bring pioneer life to life, and you can walk part of the portage trail.

Quick planner

Trip	Direction	Drive one way	Best season
Huble Homestead	North	35 min	Summer
Purden Lake	East	45 min	Summer
Vanderhoof	West	1 hr	Spring and fall
Ancient Forest	East	1.5 hr	Late spring to fall
Fort St. James	Northwest	2 hr	Summer
Barkerville and Wells	South then east	2.5 hr	Summer; winter walk-in
McBride	Southeast	2.5 hr	Year-round
Bowron Lakes	South then east	3 hr	Summer

Related

• Things to do in Prince George
• Getting here and around
• Fort George and the railway boom