North Thompson and Robson Valley

The North Thompson and Robson Valley region is two valleys at the northern end of the Thompson-Okanagan region of British Columbia. Its most prominent features are two provincial parks — Mount Robson Provincial Park with the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies and Wells Gray Provincial Park with lakes and waterfalls.

Cities

North Thompson

• Barriere — a largely forestry industry town with several lake resorts nearby, and many recreational opportunities
• Blue River — world-famous heli-skiing
• Clearwater — the main gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park and some white water rafting companies; it has the largest range of accommodation options if you want to stay in the Wells Gray area but don't want to camp in the park

Robson Valley

• McBride — a farming community with excellent trails for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and hiking, and lots of opportunities for ice fishing, camping, fishing and bird watching
• Tete Jaune Cache — a small community with a couple of provincial parks close by and a good spot to see salmon spawning in August
• Valemount — a world-class snowmobiling destination

Other destinations

• Mount Robson Provincial Park — Over 100 km of hiking trails and crowned by Mount Robson, the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. There are both drive-in and backcountry campsites but no lodges.
• Wells Gray Provincial Park — 540,000 hectares of outdoor splendor. Contains five large lakes, waterfalls higher than Niagara, and several glaciers.

Understand

Get in

By car

• Highway 5 (South Yellowhead Highway) travels northeast from Kamloops through the North Thompson river valley and joins Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) just north of Valemount.

• Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) travels east-west to Prince George through the Robson Valley from Edmonton via Jasper.

By bus

• BC Bus North, +1-844-564-7494. Twice per week bus service between Prince George and Valemount with stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache. 2022-03-25

• Thompson Valley Charters, +1 877-769-3287. In partnership with Ebus, operates twice per week service between Kamloops and Edmonton with stops in Barriere, Little Fort, Clearwater, Avola, Blue River, Valemount, Mount Robson Provincial Park, Jasper, Hinton, and Edson. 2022-03-26

By train

• VIA Rail Canada, 52.8348°, -119.2616°. Operates intercity trains across Canada. 2022-03-31 Trains routes operating in the North Thompson and Robson Valley:
  • The Canadian up to three trips per week between Toronto and Vancouver with stops in both directions in medium to large cities and tourist destinations such as Sudbury, Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Kamloops. Stops in the North Thompson include in Valemount, Blue River, and Clearwater, which are both flag stops. This route can offer a scenic view of the Canadian Rockies, depending on the train schedule, as the train operates day and night.
  • The route between Jasper and Prince Rupert with stops in McBride, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, New Hazelton, Kitwanga, and Terrace. The train travels during the daytime, taking two days in each direction. There is an overnight stop in Prince George, where passengers will need to book sleeping accommodations.

By plane

The nearest airports with scheduled flights are in Kamloops (IATA: YKA) and Prince George (IATA: YXS).

Get around

By public transit

• BC Transit (Clearwater Regional Transit System), +1-250-674-3935. Operates bus routes from Monday to Friday within Clearwater, and to Blackpool and Vavenby. 2022-04-09

• Operates a bus route two days per week between Kamloops and Clearwater.

By boat

• Inland Ferries. Operated under contract for British Columbia's Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, inland ferries are vehicle ferries that connect roads across rivers and lakes. Routes operate throughout the year, but some river ferries may not operate during parts of the Spring due to river conditions. Free Ferries in region:
  • Little Fort Reaction Ferry, 51.42217°, -120.20092°. Daily 7AM-noon, 1-6:20PM. Crosses the North Thompson River, about 90 km north of Kamloops. The ferry is just east of Highway 5. 5 minutes crossing. Operates on demand.
  • McLure Reaction Ferry, 51.04121°, -120.24136°. Daily. Crosses the North Thompson River, about 40 km north of Kamloops. The ferry is just west of Highway 5. 5 minutes crossing. Operates on demand.

See

• Take in the view of Mount Robson in Mount Robson Provincial Park. Its distinctive peak can be seen from the highway or you can do a hike to get a closer look. It is rare to see this mountain completely cloud-free, but if you do see it on one of those rare bluebird days you will instantly know you are seeing something special.
• Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park is the fourth-highest waterfall in Canada and viewable from the main access road into the park. There are other remarkable waterfalls in Wells Gray Provincial Park.
• Little Hells Gate is a narrows on the North Thompson River. It may not be as impressive as its namesake in the Fraser Canyon, but is still a pleasant spot to have a picnic and snap some shots.
• Visit a local history museum in McBride and Valemount.
• Watch salmon swim upstream to spawn in August/September in Tete Jaune Cache or Valemount.

Do

• Do a hike to see waterfalls, mountain lakes, alpine meadows and stunning scenery. Both Mount Robson Provincial Park and Wells Gray Provincial Park have everything from short day hikes to multi-day backcountry expeditions.
• Whitewater Rafting on the North Thompson River from Clearwater or the Fraser River from Tete Jaune Cache.

Stay safe

Be aware of wildlife, avalanche hazards, and adverse driving conditions.

Go next

• Jasper National Park — Eastward on the Yellowhead Highway is the largest of Canada's Rocky Mountain Parks with stunning mountains, glaciers, alpine meadows and wild rivers. Check out the town of Jasper or explore the beauty of the park through its hiking trails, spectacular mountain drives and sights like the Columbia Icefield and Maligne Lake.