A Northern BC Tour With Adventure Camp Tourism

Canada’s Northern BC offers pristine mountain wilderness that is off the beaten path and far from the crowds of other popular BC destinations. We recently visited this remote region with Adventure Camp Tourism, a local Northern BC all-inclusive adventure tour company offering package tours to suit every adventure travelers’ needs. In this post we will share why we think you should visit Northern BC and give a full review of our experience with Adventure Camp Tourism. *

Why Visit Northern BC?

Northern BC is an excellent alternative to the often over-crowded and touristed mountain regions in BC’s Rocky Mountain range. The region offers world class outdoor adventure opportunities without the crowds! It has everything from mountain trails leading to glacial capped peaks, alpine lakes and glacial fed waterfalls. There are mountain biking trails, untouched rivers perfect for rafting, and coastal mountains bordering the sea teeming with humpback whales and resident orca. Wildlife is abundant, but the crowds are not. For us, this is mountain paradise!

About Adventure Camp Tourism

Adventure Camp Tourism is an all-inclusive Northern BC tour company that specializes in mountain adventures. The company is run by Haley Wilson out of Smithers, BC. She is dedicated to preserving the culture of ALL northern people, culture, land and history. The company is local to Northern BC, employs local people and works with local clubs to maintain the beauty of the area. The local focus is what drew us to them! Supporting local communities is all part of responsible tourism which we feel very strongly about!

Our Northern BC Summer Tour

Adventure Camp Tourism offers tour packages year round that take advantage of the seasonal outdoor activities available in the region. We visited in the summer so we took advantage of all things hiking, biking, paddling, and rafting!

Tour packages can be customized to suit your personal needs and can either be private or part of a group tour. We were part of a 6 day group tour that was focused on family outdoor adventures. By the end of the tour, we all felt like one big family!

6 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Kathlyn Lake

On day one we arrived in Smithers via a flight from Vancouver, BC. We were greeted at the airport by Hayley who was our personal guide for the week. We first made our way to Hudson’s Bay Lodge where we were based for the duration of our stay. After settling in, Hayley picked us up and took us for a sunset swim and paddle board at Kathlyn Lake which is a short distance from downtown Smithers. Watching the sun set behind Hudson Bay Mountain was a fantastic way to kick off our visit to Northern BC!

Day 2: Paddling on Kitseguecla Lake

Kitseguiecla Lake sits at the base of the Nipples Mountain Range, a series of jagged pinnacles near the west end of Rocky Ridge. It is located approximately 40km northwest of the town of Smithers and is accessible from the Kitseguecla Recreational Site . We paddled out to the northwest end of the lake to get a picture perfect view of the aptly named Nipple Peak. The lake and the views are just stunning and makes a perfect place to spend the day paddling and swimming! Hayley provided us with stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and canoes and gave us lots of time to explore the lake and the views! An excellent picnic lunch was also provided.

Day 3: Hike to Crater Lake and Honey Bee Farm Tour

In the morning we had an early start to our day in order to hike Crater Lake Trail in the Hudson Bay Mountain range. It is a 5.8 km out and back trail to a crystal clear alpine lake named Crater Lake.. The trail is a moderate climb and offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges. We meandered through alpine meadows filled with wildflowers and mountain streams and eventually made it to Crater Lake at the summit.

Hayley was our trail guide for the day and was able to point out different geological features as well geographical landmarks along the way. It was a great hike with breathtaking mountain views! Bring a swimsuit if you care for a cold swim and bring bug spray as the mosquitoes also love the lake!

In the afternoon we headed to the Bulkley Valley region to visit a local bee farm named Bulkley Valley Honey. We are backyard beekeepers ourselves, so seeing fellow beekeepers in action was a highlight for us! Bulkley Valley Honey works with the local Smithers Brewery to make a honey ale. Hayley provided us with samples of the honey ale to try. Seeing where the honey came from that was used to brew the ale made it taste that much better!

We finished the afternoon with a wagon ride and wienie roast with B&T Wagon Rides. The shires pulling the wagon were just beautiful and the scenery was spectacular! The kids loved the wienie roast with ingredients sourced from local producers and the parents loved a little more of that Honey Ale from Smithers Brewery!

Day 4: Rafting with the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition and K’san Historical Village Tour

We started the day by driving to Hazelton, BC for a guided still-water rafting trip down the Skeena River with the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition (SWCW). The Skeena River sustains a huge variety of wildlife and habitats (we saw black bears, countless bald eagles and salmon without even leaving the boat!) and SWCW works to keep this watershed undeveloped and protected. Our local guide Colin of the Gitxsan Nation was incredibly informative about the regions ancestral lands dating back thousands of years and the wildlife that calls the watershed home today.

Our guided trip included wildlife viewing, hiking to a hidden waterfall along the river bank, a provided picnic lunch on the peaceful shores of the river and cliff jumping just to get our adrenaline pumping!

We finished the day in the nearby town of Hazelton at the K’San Historical Village and Museum for a tour of a traditional Gitxsan village.  The K’San Historical Village and Museum is a replica of the ancient village of Gitanmaax. It illustrates the typical style of a single line of large decorated houses with Totem poles facing the river. The long houses can be toured with a guide from the museum and showcase traditional art, clothing and artifacts. It is the desire of K’San to preserve and truthfully portray the lifestyle of the people who have always lived here.

Day 5: Horseback Riding with Mountain View Adventures and Plant Walk with Wer’suwet’en Native Arts at Twin Falls

The day began with a trail ride through the beautiful Bulkley Valley with Mountain View Adventures. We were booked on a one hour trail ride through mountain meadows set against a backdrop of glacial capped mountains. The horses were suited for any level of rider. We were all beginners and had no difficulty on the ride. The views were spectacular and we were lucky enough to see a bear out on the trail! What an adventure!

The afternoon was spent at the Twin Falls site on Hudson Bay Mountain. We met Charrine from Wer’suwet’en Native Arts for a plant walk where we learned the traditional and medicinal uses for different local plants found in the region.

Our walk eventually led us along the Glacier Gulch Creek to the magnificent Twin Falls, a pair of waterfalls cascading down 550 feet of rock cliff face. The water falls are simply magnificent!

We ended the day by driving to Terrace, BC where we spent the night at the lovely B&B Skeena River House. We were based here for one night in order to be closer to the coast for our whale watching tour the next day.

Day 6: Whale Watching and Hot Spring Soaking with North Pacific Transport and Eco.

We began the day by driving to the small coastal town of Kitimat, BC where we met Marc from North Pacific Transport and Eco. We were taken out on a full day whale watching and hot spring tour in the inlet surrounding Kitimat.

The coastal mountains of this region dip into inlets full of marine wildlife including humpback whales and resident orca pods, dolphins, sea lions, salmon, bald eagles and countless other marine birds. We were not disappointed and saw three different humpback whales as well as a sea lion fishing for his lunch!

We also stopped at two different hot springs along the way in order to take a relaxing soak. We visited both Weewanie hot springs and Bishop Bay hot springs, both with a rustic charm all their own. They were the perfect place to warm up after being out on the water!

We ended our day by driving back to Smithers where we prepared for our departure back to Vancouver the next morning. What a fantastic trip!

What Was Included

• Personal guide for all excursions and tours. Hayley was our guide for most of the excursions with the exception of tours operated by other local companies.
• All transportation, including airport pick-up
• Accommodation for all nights of our stay
• 9 different and unique excursions (totally customizable to suit your needs)
• Some snacks and meals. Not all meals were included, but some snacks and lunches were provided on days when we were unable to access our own meals. It was clearly outlined ahead of time which meals would be included and which were not.

Would We Recommend Adventure Camp Tourism?

Absolutely!! We would recommend Adventure Camp Tourism without hesitation! We don’t usually book tour packages when we travel, but for a Northern BC tour, I am so glad that we did! The region is vast, remote and hard to find information about. Exploring the region on our own would have been very difficult. Hayley put together an awesome Northern BC tour for us and took care of all of the details. We were able to focus on just enjoying our time and the region.

Working with a local guide means that you can access so much more than you could on your own. We loved connecting with other local companies that Hayley collaborates with. We left feeling like we had really gotten to know the region’s landscape, culture and history. But the best part was that by the end of the trip, we felt like family and I am still in touch with Hayley personally to this day!

Want further reading on exploring Canada? Check out our other posts:

• The Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet, BC: Hike the wild and rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, BC
• Cape Spear Trail, Newfoundland: Hike the easternmost point of North America
• Lion’s Head Provincial Park Trail: Hike the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula over aquamarine waters that make you feel like you found the tropics!
• Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park: Camp in the heart of Canada’s fur trading past in the Mattawa River Region of Ontario

Planning a Northern BC Tour? Why not Pin it for later!

*Disclaimer: We were provided with a hosted stay in return for our honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are our own and not in any way influenced by Adventure Camp Tourism.