Experience Terrace Treasures in British Columbia’s North

Let’s visit a place where you can enjoy the wilderness, hiking, cultural diversity, fishing, and great campgrounds plus convenient shopping. Welcome to Terrace, “A place to belong,” a city of about 12,000 on Highway 16/The Yellowhead. It sits at the junction of the Skeena and Kitsumkalum Rivers. Below the local bridges fly fisherman try their luck on the river hoping to beat the record for the largest spring salmon. Keep your eyes peeled for the creamy-coloured Kermode or Spirit bear, the symbol of Terrace.

One of the most outstanding places we visited was the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park, the first provincial park jointly managed by First Nations and BC Parks. Situated 100 km north of Terrace we found ourselves in an alien landscape of ancient lava. In 1750 a volcano erupted, killing thousands of Nisga’a and forcing survivors to relocate their villages. It’s an eerie feeling walking over the remnants of such a cataclysmic event. Take a guided tour to the volcanic crater or walk into Vetter Falls. Nisga’a Visitor’s Centre in a stunning glass longhouse-like building houses the Ancestors Collection with treasures returned to the people.

A suspension bridge over the Nass River at Gitwinksihlw was too much for my fear of heights but a hike to the river to see a traditional fish wheel in the river was intriguing. If it’s hot springs you’re wanting go to Aiyansh Hot Springs.

Kitselas Canyon National Historic Site, 20.8  km east of Terrace on the Skeena River is home to the Gitselasu/Kitselas people. They have lived in the area for over 5,000 years. At the head of the trail are longhouses. Farther on is the Clan Totem Pole Garden with the remains of totems from the 1800s. The viewpoint overlooks the raging rapids.

Friends took us up Trapline Mountain for a picnic at the top. What a panoramic view in the alpine at 1,448 meters, and above the tree line. Ask a local to take you around some of these out-of-the-way places.  It will enhance your experience of the area. There are many trails for all levels of hiking or strolling.

On the east side of Terrace is Thornhill Meat Market (2891 Clark St) with fresh meat, great bacon, groceries and deli selection. From May to October, the Skeena Valley Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9-1. What a deliciously diverse selection of food along with beautiful local crafts. Come for the food and stay for the entertainment. We found the biggest craft store in the north at Creative Zone/Crafts and Hobbies for All Ages (4818 Hwy 16 West). It has everything from beads to hides to paints to cloth. Terrace Inn Liquor store (3005 Kalum Rd) has discounted prices so we stocked up. Prevost RV Dealer, on the west end of town, goes the extra mile for RV repairs. When our furnace quit and they couldn’t get a new one for 2 weeks they put in a second-hand unit to keep us going until Prince George and never charged for it. That’s service! There are the usual box stores but also plenty of local businesses.

No trip would be complete without an ice cream cone so we went to Chill Soda Shop located at 4805 Highway 16 in an old Foreman’s Residence beside the railway tracks. I have never seen such a big selection of candy but the best part was their ice cream.

The tourism office on the eastern edge of town is a one-stop for RVers. The ample size lot accommodates bigger rigs and has a full-service dump station. Friendly tourism staff welcomed our furry friends out of the heat.

Terrace is big enough to have all the amenities but small enough to be easy to navigate. For a side trip take the scenic drive along the Skeena River to Prince Rupert for fish ‘n chips. Take a day trip to visit the Haisla village of Kitimat just north of the town of Kitimat.

The Terrace-Kitimat-Prince Rupert area is a wealth of wonderful things to see and experience.

Places to Camp in the Terrace Area

Nass Campground, open May-October has 16 sites. 

There are 2 provincial parks with campgrounds. Lakesle Lake Provincial Park is 20 km south of Terrace. Furlong Bay Campground sits beside Lakesle Lake.  It has 156 sites, some with power, a shower room and a dump station. In the summer it books up quickly. We got lucky. Fifty sites have power. Wood, dump-station and hydro are extra. Furlong Bay on the lake feels like a tropical rain forest with huge plants. Devil’s Club, a medicine plant Indigenous people taught us how to use, towered over my husband. The leaves were big enough to wrap him up in them if they weren’t so prickly.

Kleanza Creek Provincial Park, 15 km east of Terrace is beside the Skeena River and Kleanza Creek. There are 34 vehicle-accessible campsites suitable for RVs. For the adventurous, there is a trail to Kleanza Canyon.

There are 6 private campgrounds. We visited Ferry Island Campground and Park managed by the city and situated beside the Skeena River. 103 spacious sites sit among the trees. Meandering along the 2.8 km loop through the forest we looked for cottonwood tree carvings done by local Rick Goyelle. It was like a treasure hunt finding some of the 55 expressive faces carved into the bark.

Wild Duck Motel and RV Park on the west end of town are clean and friendly. We were surprised to meet up with a pair of older women from Powell River who were touring the north in their camper. One of them has mobility issues so showering at campgrounds can be a problem. They stayed at the Wild Duck because there is a shower room fully equipped for people with disabilities.

For campgrounds in this area and elsewhere in British Columbia check out the Camping Map.

Share your BC travel and camping photos using hashtag #campinbc #explorebc

Off the Beaten Track: Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park

For those who don’t mind a drive, Anhluut’ukwsim Laxmihl Angwinga’asanskwhl Nisga’a – a.k.a. Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park – 100 kilometres north of Terrace, in Northern British Columbia, offers a truly wonderful adventure.

Not many places can lay claim to being the home of the most recent and most easily accessible volcanic landscape in British Columbia, being the first provincial park to share management between BC Parks and a First Nation, and being home to the first “modern day” treaty in British Columbia – the “Nisga’a Final Agreement” of 2000. Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park is a fantastic destination for those looking to combine history, culture, geology, and outdoor recreation.

Our adventure began at the Terrace Visitor Centre where we picked up a copy of the Nisga’a Auto Tour, a map detailing points of cultural and geological importance. One hour later, we arrived at Lava Lake – the southernmost end of the park. The lake offers a nice day-use area with a boat launch, possibilities for swimming, and a fascinating geological history.

Lava Lake was formed approximately 250 years ago when the Tseax River was dammed by a basalt lava flow. Today the river remains, the milky green water flowing underneath the blanket of lava covering the landscape and creating a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t effect in places where the lava rock has collapsed and the river is again visible.

There are several places along the Auto Tour where you can take short walks to scenic spots on the water. The Beaupre Falls trail is only one kilometre return, and offers beautiful views of a cascading waterfall. A little further up the road, the Vetter Creek trail provides a short walk and a fascinating story about “Phantom Fish” – spawning steelhead that have been swept over a waterfall on the Tseax River only to be trapped when the river disappears underneath the lava rock. These “Phantom Fish,” sometimes visible below the falls, reportedly have large heads and elongated, snake-like bodies. Unfortunately, the “Phantom Fish” were all in hiding the day we were there!

Moving away from the water, the Auto Tour highlights some really interesting volcanic landscapes. The Crater Creek trail travels across “A-A” lava, a type of chunky and sharp lava that covers smoother lava called “Pahoehoe” found below. From the pictures, you might be wondering how the Crater Creek trail got its name since there is no water in sight. As it turns out, the original creek is up to 30 meters below your feet, an underground river flowing through passageways in the lava except during extreme floods, when the water comes bubbling to the surface and pushes the jagged “A-A” lava aside creating the gullies through which the trail now meanders.

As you walk the trails in Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park one of the most striking things is the almost moon-like landscape. Nowhere is this more evident than Auto Tour stop number eleven – the Tree Mould trail. If you are anything like me, the concept of a “Tree Mould” is completely foreign. Thanks to the interpretive signage provided by BC Parks, I learned how during a volcanic eruption molten lava often surrounds trees and lights them on fire. In cases where the lava hardens quickly, the tree burns away leaving a hollow tube where the tree used to be. In some cases, an imprint of the tree bark is even left behind as a reminder of what used to be there!

Following our Auto Tour, we set up camp for the night at the 16-site Vetter Creek campsite. The site is really nice and surrounded by forest, a different landscape than much of the park visited during the Auto Tour. Right next to the campground is the park’s Visitor Centre, a beautiful building where you can learn more about Nisga’a culture and history, get maps of the area, and purchase souvenirs.

Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park offers a huge range of cultural, geological, and outdoor recreation opportunities and unfortunately we only had a limited time to explore the area. I definitely feel like I “missed out” on some of the park’s unique features and am hoping to get back there sooner rather than later. Next time, I will make a point of signing up for the three kilometre guided hike to the rim of the Tseax crater. I will also spend more time exploring the four Nisga’a communities located near the park boundaries: Gitlakdamix (New Aiyansh), Gitwinksihlkw (Canyon City), Laxalts’ap (Greenville) and the Nisga’a Museum, and Gingolx (Kincolith).

Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park may be off the beaten path, but in my opinion it can’t be beat when it comes to combining culture, history, and geology. You will not be disappointed!

For places to camp in British Columbia go to the Camping Map

Share your BC camping photos using hashtag #campinbc

Terrace and the Nass Valley in Northern British Columbia are worth a Visit

I remember visiting Terrace, New Aiyansh and Greenville, in Northern BC years ago.  A long drive of about 15 hours from Vancouver, just under 1,400 km and multiple stops I will never forget.  My father did his residency program in the smaller towns of both New Aiyansh and Greenville, small towns of no more than 2,000 residents each.  Located right on the Skeena River with an abundance of nature, it makes for a great way to escape the city life and find solace in the most remote corners of beautiful British Columbia.

Terrace and the surrounding areas are especially known for spawning grounds for Coho and other varieties of Salmon. The fishery industry here is huge and relies on fresh waters for year-round fly fishing. I remember trying homemade canned, as well as smoked, Coho Salmon, that my father got for us, and it was the most delicious Salmon I’ve ever tasted, mouth-watering and seasoned to perfection.

North of Terrace is the Nass Valley, home to the Nisga’a First Nation. According to the Nisga’a government, the Nisga’a Treaty sets out, “the right of the Nisga’a people to fish throughout 26,838 square kilometers of territory known as the Nass Area. The Nass River is being managed as part of a modern, scientific fishery to provide a sustainable resource for the Nisga’a people today — and for generations to come.”  Camping, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking are also some of the other outdoor adventures that can be enjoyed in the area. Plus a visit to the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park and Museum in Greenville is well worth exploring.

Many hiking opportunities abound in the area with trails ranging from 2 km to 10 km depending on your fitness level and time.  Some of the trails are Howe Creek Trailhead, Grand Trunk Pathway and Terrace Mountain Trailhead that offers a spectacular view once you reach the top. Exstew Falls, just west of Terrace, is a short hike with a stunning waterfall.

There are various camping opportunities in and around Terrace and Camping and RVing BC is a good place to start.  Kleanza Creek Provincial Park is located in the valleys of the Coast Mountains overlooking the Skeena River, and based on historical facts was one of the first sites where mining for gold began in the late 1890s.

I have visited Terrace and the surrounding areas a few times and I always like to explore the outdoors and discover something new.  Learning about the origins and the history of the city I’m visiting adds another dimension, another layer to what I already know about the people and the place.  Specifically, for Terrace, the more popular tourist sites include, George Little House, constructed in the memory of the town’s founder; Heritage Park Museum, where you can explore artifacts dating back to the early 1900s and visualize how life was for the locals at the time; and George Little Park, where the Terrace Art Gallery displays both modern and classical works of local artists.  Be sure to check out their website for the most current information and the latest exhibition on display.

For campgrounds in this area or elsewhere in British Columbia go to the Camping Map.

Share your BC travel and camping photos using hashtag #campinbc #explorebc

It’s always a great day to #campinbc.

Published: May 24th, 2017