Circling British Columbia’s Wild Cariboo

Plan an exceptional RV adventure tour into the rugged Cariboo mountains in central British Columbia, traversing diverse land rich in gold, copper and vast cattle ranches. The post Circling British Columbia’s Wild Cariboo appeared first on Camping & RVing BC.

Mark

Mar 10, 2026 - 13:00

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Circling British Columbia’s Wild Cariboo

Plan an exceptional RV adventure tour into the rugged Cariboo mountains in central British Columbia, traversing diverse land rich in gold, copper and vast cattle ranches. And, depending on the time of year you travel, see thousands of Pacific salmon migrating to spawn in tributaries of the Upper Fraser River.

This story is just a glimpse of what you can experience on this remarkable RV trip. A much larger picture unfolds in our road trip here.

Hoodoos on the Cariboo Hwy near Cache Creek | Trish Cashin

The Cariboo is part of British Columbia’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Region. Located in the central interior of the province, it’s bounded by the Cariboo Mountains in the east and the Coast Mountains in the west. Ancient cedars grow in the Interior Rain Forest. Second generation aspen, Douglas fir and lodgepole pine thrive on the Fraser Plateau, and Ponderosa pine proliferate in the arid southern Cariboo.

The tour starts and ends in Vancouver but can be joined anywhere along the route. It heads up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Lillooet, then north on Hwy 97 (with some side trips) to Quesnel and across Hwy 26 to the national historic site of Barkerville. On to Prince George and south to Valemount, Kamloops and Vancouver, completing the circle tour.

Life During the Gold Rush

Gold discoveries in the mid-1800s lured thousands of prospectors into the Cariboo in search of riches. Many of those historic communities and ghost towns remain today.

Museums showcase the hard life during the gold rush: Hat Creek Ranch historic site, originally a major stopover for wagons and stagecoaches, and now an open-air museum offering stagecoach rides and more; 108 Mile Heritage Site with an icehouse, trapper’s cabin with restored sod roof, general store and McNeil heritage home reflecting the aristocracy in those days; Quesnel Museum & Visitor Centre hosts a significant collection of rare Chinese artifacts, general store, hospital and dentist’s office with medical instruments. A gallery of C.S. Wang black and white portraits records the assimilation of Chinese settlers to the region.

The very first Cariboo gold was discovered in 1859 in Horsefly and an interesting array of gadgets and artifacts are housed at the Jack Lynn Pioneer Museum. An open-air display with a trapper’s cabin and farm implements signifies diverse economic activity in the area.

Horse-drawn Wagon Tours in Barkerville | Gord Rees

However, the major drawing card in the Cariboo is Barkerville, a National Historic Site that sprang up during the gold rush. Barkerville is a living history museum with costumed staff, stagecoach rides, live theatre, re-enactments and interactive displays.

Further north in the Northern British Columbia region is Prince George, known as the geographical centre of the province and straddles the mighty Fraser River. Places to visit showcasing the history of the area include The Exploration Place, Central BC Railway & Forestry Museum, and Huble Homestead.

Fishing opportunities abound

Take a side trip along Hwy 24 between Hwy 97 south of 100 Mile House and Hwy 5 to Little Fort. This route travels past a chain of lakes, known as The Fishing Highway. There are dozens of lakes surrounded by summer cottages and fishing resorts. Some have private campgrounds that provide RV sites for one- or two-nights to accommodate those on an RV tour that do not need a long-term stay.

One of these lakes, Bridge Lake, is home to a unique geological feature – basalt cliffs. Snow and rain seep into the crevices to refreeze into ice. They were once used for cooling produce. Outdoor fitness stations are marked by totem poles along the short trail to viewing platforms and a lookout.

The Upper Fraser River system supports one of the world’s richest salmon runs. The annual spectacle of the Pacific salmon migration is best viewed in late summer and the fall when literally thousands of salmon are jumping waterfalls and fish ladders, where native fishermen cling to rocks with dip nets on long poles, and in the spawning grounds of the tributaries where the nesting frenzy stirs up the gravel beds.

Chinook salmon is the largest species that navigates British Columbia rivers. There are viewing platforms at George Hicks Regional Park in Valemount on the North Thompson River, and Tête Jaune Cache Spawning Grounds, further upriver.

Mountains, Rivers, Waterfalls and more

Located mid-way between Prince George and McBride is Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Park. Accessible by a boardwalk leading into the Interior temperate rain forest where giant old growth western red cedar trees stand up to 4.8 m / 16 ft in diameter.

Lupins in Mt Robson Prov Pk Yellowhead Pass Gord Rees

Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, is 40 km / 25 mi east of the Tête Jaune junction on Hwy 16. There is a direct view across meadows to the full vertical face of the highest peak in Canada 3,934 m / 12,905 ft.

Experience whitewater rafting on the Fraser River in the Robson Valley near Valemount or take a jet boat tour to Grizzly Bear Valley in Blue River for a close-up look at grizzly bears feeding along the river.

One of BC’s largest and most diverse parks and a showcase of magnificent waterfalls is Wells Gray Provincial Park. In particular, Helmcken Falls which is three times the height of Niagara Falls.

South of Kamloops, through the Fraser Canyon, you pass treacherous Hells Gate. Take a ride on the Airtram which sits 240 m / 787 ft above the lower terminal where the equivalent of 3,500 basketballs per second roar through a narrow gorge.