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A lone totem pole stands as a sentinel in the endless dusk of summer, its features at once animated and phlegmatic. The tall, erect fins of a pod of orcas cut across the water, hinting at the perfect marine athletes swimming below the surface. A long and lonely road stretches to an enigmatic horizon, offering escape, adventure, mystery and promise.

These are just some of the images you’ll encounter in Northern BC, the largest region of the province. In the words of local author Betsy Trumpener, ‘There’s still the feeling here of being on the frontier, on the brink of the undiscovered.’

Going east to west, one important icon is found in Dawson Creek: Mile 0 of the Alaska Hwy, the road to the Yukon whose very name conjures up the images of the north. Near the center, Prince George is the ultimate crossroads, a place adept at sending travelers to the next destination even as it offers delights to those who linger.

Heading west, the Yellowhead Hwy curves through the ever-more-dramatic scenery to the coast. Smithers is a mountain town with a folk music vibe. Branching north, the lonely Stewart-Cassiar Hwy gives the Alaska Hwy stiff competition for Yukon access and it’s the road of choice for anyone ready to stand awe-struck in the massive presence of glaciers.

On the Pacific, Prince Rupert is a town whose ups and downs form a dramatic arc to myriad diversions, while serving as a jumping-off point for Inside Passage voyages to the Yukon. Finally, the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) are a treasure of First Nations culture and raw natural beauty.

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Northern BC

HIGHLIGHTS

Feeling you’ve found an alien culture – and planet – on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) (p372)

Seeing a world that makes you feel small from the deck of a ferry on the Inside Passage (p372)

Making the Alaska Hwy (p355) your road to adventure

Learning the hard life of the cannery at the North Pacific Historic Fishing Village in Prince Rupert (p369)

Seeing glaciers larger than cities near Stewart (p383)

HwyAlaska

InsidePassage Rupert

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Islands (Haida Gwaii)Queen Charlotte

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