McLeod Lake BC
Summit Lake BC
Bear Lake BC
McLeod Lake is located approx. 140 km (87 mi) north of Prince George, on Highway 97. Its closest neighbour is the McLeod Lake Indian Band and, close by are Carp Lake and Whiskers Point Provincial Parks. There is a general store located just off the highway.
McLeod Lake is an unincorporated community. For those who love the outdoors, the area around McLeod Lake offers many pleasant spots to pitch a tent or park a trailer. There are numerous locations from which a person or family can find a place to celebrate a natural experience.
It is notable for being the first continuously inhabited European settlement west of the Rocky Mountains in present-day Canada. Originally named 'Trout Lake Fort' which was founded by Simon Fraser in 1805, it was also known as 'La Malice Fort' for a short while, and then Fort McLeod which is a National Historic Site in Canada since 1953.
The provincial parks in the area most notably Carp Lake and Whiskers Point offer vehicle and tent sites right on their shores. Carp Lake Provincial Park offers two campgrounds: one at Kettle Bay on Carp Lake itself, and one on the smaller War Lake. For the more adventurous and those with watercraft, there are additional campsites on three of the islands that dot Carp Lake expanding the outdoor experience.
Fishing, boating, and canoeing are the prime activities here. Hikers can travel north of War Lake to War Falls to marvel at the wildlife or view a fantastic sunset.
To the southeast of McLeod Lake are the popular Tacheeda Lakes, which offer many Forest Service Campgrounds within an 8km circle. Additionally the Anzac Recreation site on the Parsnip River (named after the Giant Cow Parsnips that grow along the banks). On the southwest, you can find the Firth lake Recreation site on the shores of Firth Lake. Also, Tudyah Lake Provincial Park lies 8km to the northwest and offers additional camping sites.
The McLeod Lake Indian Reserve No. 1, is adjacent to the non-native McLeod Lake community. the residents are of the Athabascan Sekani people known as "Tse'Khene" (the people of the rock, referencing the Rocky Mountains).
McLeod Lake itself is 2,290 ha (5,700 acres).
Summit Lake is on the continental divide between the Pacific and Arctic watersheds. The area is well known for having more than 40 km of undeveloped public shores. With a range of recreation opportunities including fishing, swimming, boating as well as hiking trails. Nearby is the well-known Teapot Mountain, and the historic Giscome Portage Trail which leads to the Huble Homestead on the Fraser River. There is also a Privately owned Campground and RV Park as well as many beautiful views.
Summit Lake BC is located at the head of the Crooked River. The unincorporated community is approx. 50km (40 miles) north of the City of Prince George on the John Hart Highway at the lake of the same name. Summit Lake is situated at the divide between the Fraser River and Peace River so it is at the continental divide between the Pacific and Arctic drainages. It is also the location of the "Prominence Col" for Mount Orizaba in relation to Denali, meaning that it is one of the lowest locations along the Continental Divide of North America north of Mexico its elevation is 710 m (2329 ft).
Outdoor enthusiasts come to enjoy hiking, canoeing, camping, fishing as well as nature viewing.
The area population increases significantly in the summer when people flock to their cabins, during winter a lone skier can often cross the lake without seeing another person.
However, in the early part of the last century, it served as an important transportation hub, situated on the Arctic Divide. The place where the Crooked River flows north from Summit Lake to the Parsnip and Peace rivers and then to the Arctic Ocean, and where the 9-mile-long Giscome Portage trail connects the south-flowing Fraser River to Summit Lake. This portage route was originally used by First Nations and early Europeans, especially during the gold rush of the 1860s. The route was made into a wagon trail in 1871 to accommodate miners and fur traders.
In the early 20th century Summit Lake was a small but bustling location. Unfortunately in 1919, the Hart Highway from Prince George to Summit lake was built, which steadily decreased the use of the portage route.
The nearby Summit Lake Provincial Park allows visitors to canoe, fish, swim in the lake’s clear, refreshing mountain water. A natural spectacle occurs each fall when thousands of toads emerge from the lake to hibernate in the local forest for winter.
Bear Lake enjoys a unique location along Highway 97 (John Hart Highway) located approximately 110 km (70 miles) north of Prince George. Its nearest neighbour is Crooked River Provincial Park, with its camping and day-use facilities available for residents and travelers alike. Facilities include the Bear Lake Commission Office, Post Office, Fire Hall, Ambulance Service, local motel, general store with gas, diesel & propane availability, as well as a local take-out food stand.
Just a leisurely 1-hour drive north of Prince George, BC is Bear Lake and The Crooked River Provincial Park. The entire area lies within the Fraser Basin, an irregularly shaped basin of gently rolling hills and shallow lakes covering much of North Central B.C. the ground in the area is dominated by sand, gravel, and soil, the result of thousands of years of glacial activity in the area. The landscape is covered by a thick layer of glacial drift which supports a forest dominated by White Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, and Douglas Fir, known as the Sub-boreal Spruce Zone. Also commonly seen are Alder, Birch, and Aspen.
The Crooked River Provincial Park at Bear Lake is a popular area for Prince George's residents and travelers and boasts some of the best beaches in the region. Its highlights include sunbathing on sandy beaches, swimming in the lake, fishing, hiking, cycling, picnic sites, children's playgrounds, showers, and washrooms. Three lakes are contained within this 963-hectare park, which also includes part of the original routes of early explorers Alexander MacKenzie and Simon Fraser.
A natural feature of this park is Livingston Springs. These springs are cold water and stay at approximately 7°C year-round (even in -30°C weather). The trail leads through Lodgepole Pine and is mostly flat, the approximate round trip is 7km from the trailhead or 12km from the park gate. There is an excellent area for nature viewing around Square Lake.
Visitors should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in and around the area. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. If you intend to fish remember an appropriate license is needed. Pets are not allowed in the day-use areas, please have your pets on a leash at all times. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their droppings.
Bear Lake is an unincorporated Community, with a year-round population of approximately 150.
Approximate area: 1.54 sq km Location: NE side Bear Lake Latitude-Longitude: 56°12'00''N, 126°51'00''W
History: Originally called "Fort Connolly (settlement)" adopted on 23 April 1940. The name was changed to "Bear Lake (settlement)", on 2 November 1964. Since changed to "Bear Lake (community)".
Fort Connolly (also spelled Connelly) was established in 1826 by James Douglas for the Hudson's Bay Company, and so-named by him for his father-in-law.
F.C. Swannell, BC Land Surveyor, reported that the Sekani Indians had told him the Fort was situated on an island in Tsaytut Bay. However, according to long-time guide-outfitter Tommy Walker, Fort Connolly was located at the north end of Bear Lake; in any event, there is nothing left of HBC's Fort Connelly and that name is no longer used.
McLeod Lake Indian Band
The McLeod Lake Band is part of the Tse'Khene Nation (People of the Rocks) with a long history in the area. Their origins come out of the Athabascan-speaking people of northern Canada. Originally nomadic hunting and gathering people.
Living on the edge of the Rocky Mountains they learned to be a proud and self-sufficient people, who recognized that all people are equal regardless of name and ancestry. Their members are spread out over a vast area with the main community living adjacent to the community of McLeod Lake.
The Tse'khene first encountered the explorer Alexander MacKenzie on his journey to the pacific in 1797, and in 1805 the first trading post in the area was erected on McLeod Lake at the Pack River by the explorer Simon Fraser. Their traditional territory encompasses an area from Summit Lake through the Rocky Mountains to Chetwynd.
Over the years their way of Life changed dramatically as society at large changed, this of course greatly impacted all parts of their society. In 2000 the McLeod Lake Indian Band agreed to and signed on to "Treaty 8", providing them with a more prosperous and self-sufficient way into the future. They continue to diversify their local economic activities through Band-Owned Businesses while maintaining ties to their past and a strong belief in their potential future. This has brought new pride, self-reliance, and independence.
Their guiding principle going into the future is:
“Wu'tun'e wee'zooh yi'yalh, whes'keghe s'o ududeh'chi oo's'o ghu'nuyelh'o.”
Making sure the footprints we leave behind are the ones our children will be proud to walk in.
Salmon Valley
The community of Salmon Valley is located on the beautiful Salmon River approximately 26 km north of Prince George BC on Highway 97 (John Hart Highway). This unincorporated community lies nestled within the river basin amongst beautiful old-growth trees and alongside the sometimes rugged-looking river. The nature of the location lends itself to feeling relaxed and at one with nature. There is plenty of room for residents and visitors alike.
The Salmon River is a tributary of the Fraser River and used to be known as the Little Salmon River. The community itself is quite spread out with many residents directly adjacent to or within a short walk of the river. You can fish here although there may be seasonal or property restrictions.
Favorite pastimes by visitors to the area are tubing on the river, sunbathing walking the shores. For those with a mind to camping there is a well attributed privately owned campground that loves to make visitors welcome.
On the south shore of the salmon River is Kristian Winther Regional Park, 70 acres in size the easy trails travel along the river, is also features a groomed lawn for playing games or a family gathering using the park facilities (picnic shelter, tables fire pits, and toilets).
A 10-minute drive north on Highway 97 you can find the "GOODSIR Nature Park" with its abundance of natural plant and animal life in natural settings, experience it first Hand.
Huble Homestead
Take a trip in time back to when most people spent their days fishing, trapping, farming, and blacksmithing. The historic Huble Homestead Site is on the banks of the Fraser River where an actual early 20th-century homestead existed. It comes to life much as any farm from the late 19th or early 20th century would. Additionally, it has a trading post, a general store, and even a fish camp. Experience how the Huble Family lived day to day, gardening, moving supplies across the Giscome Portage, and tending their animals.
This living heritage site is a gem. The Huble Homestead is located in Giscome Portage Regional Park, this unique heritage site that was once a real farm and fur trading post. Explore the restored heritage home, and attend pioneer demonstrations. Explore the park as well. Enjoy the charm, history, and information of a time more than a hundred years ago. A simpler time when settlers worked hard and shared what they had.
Settlers played an important role in our past, and for Northern BC this site played a larger role than most know about. This was a time of Riverboats, Steamships, and Paddle wheelers.
In 1903 a pioneer named Al Huble settled in Fort George. During his stay, he met a fellow trapper named Edward Seebach. With his new friend, they set up trap lines at the southern end of the Giscome Trail. Seeing the traffic along the route the partners saw an opportunity and built a trading post at the foot of the trail to serve the miners and trappers passing through.
In the winter of 1910/1911, Al Huble met Anne May Hart on his first trip away in five years from the homestead. Al took little time to propose. The story goes Al proposed to Anne on News Year's Day when the sled they were riding overturned. Together they raised 4 daughters and 3 sons on the Huble Homestead.
Al Huble built his and his wife's home in 1915 from logs on the property, the two-story House included four bedrooms, a kitchen, a parlor, a cellar, a dining room as well as an office with a view so he could see travelers coming and going from the road and river.
In 1919 things came to a halt as a road connecting Summit Lake and Prince George reduced traffic on the trail, eventually forcing Ed and his family to sell.
North Central British Columbia
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."