Travel in Northern British Columbia

Northern BC is served by major and local airlines, bus lines, railways, highways, and passenger ferries.

Prince George is the gateway to the north with Highways 16 and 97 intersecting in Prince George. The distance from Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton is approximately 800 kilometres (480 miles). The main access route from the east is the Yellowhead (Highway 16). Visitors from southern BC or the United States can use Highway 5 from Kamloops to its intersection with the Yellowhead Highway near Tete Jaune Cache, or via Highways 1 and 97 to Prince George.

Many people dream of driving the historic Alaska Highway and this year is the sixtieth anniversary of this marvel of ingenuity and hard work. The Alaska Highway is completely paved, although the highway is always undergoing regular maintenance and improvements. The distances are great and the original wooden mileposts have been exchanged for kilometre posts. Take your time on this highway to enjoy the spectacular views.

The Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Highways 37 & 37A) is a shorter route to Alaska and is almost completely paved. There are only 115 kilometres (71 miles) of gravel in four separate sections. The Stewart-Cassiar Highway begins at the Yellowhead Highway near Kitwanga, 243 kilometres (151 miles) east of Prince Rupert and joins the Alaska Highway 23 kilometres (14.3 miles) west of Watson Lake in the Yukon.