Smithers Tourist Attractions
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The little town of Smithers (altitude 496 m (1639 ft)) started life in 1913 as a rail depot. Surrounded by fertile farmland and meadows it lies in the shadow of Hudson Bay Mountain (2576 m (8454 ft); a favorite winter ski resort) with its Kathlyn Glacier and Twin Falls.The best vantage point from which to view the glacier and falls is on Kathlyn Lake Rd. which branches off about 10 km (6 mi.) north-west of the town of Smithers.Much effort has gone into giving the town a Bavarian atmosphere with Bavarian-style architecture.The Bulkley Valley Museum (Central Park Building on Hwy. 16/Main Street) is devoted mainly to the history Smithers and the settlement in the Bulkley Valley and to local Indian culture.
Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
The 9810 sq km / 3788 sq mi Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is the biggest in British Columbia, the northern part in particular being still largely undisturbed wilderness. Ootsa, Whitesail and Tetachuck Lakes have however been dammed and a pipeline runs through the Hazelton Mountains to Kemano (generating electricity for the huge aluminum smelter at Kitimat). Moose, deer, bear and also beaver are a relatively common sight along roads in the vicinity of the Park. A number of resorts catering for anglers offer accommodation (rustic cottages, little log cabins) and there are also boats for rental on the lakes.The southern part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, better reached along Highway 20, is an undeveloped wilderness. In the east, in the Rainbow Nature Conservancy Area, the Rainbow Range - including Tsitsutl Peak 2478 m / 8133 ft - protrudes sharply up from the plateau which itself is some 1350 m / 4430 ft above sea-level at its center. This mountain range resembles a massive cathedral of volcanic origin and unusual coloration. In the west tower the glaciated peaks of the rugged Coastal Mountains.Check with the park office for conditions of roads and trails.
