Canoeing and Kayaking in Northern BC - Northwest & Hwy #16

This vast region of B.C. encompasses everything the province has to offer, from the scenery to the wildlife. You’ll truly enjoy the splendid mountains, the many lakes, the out going people, fast flowing rivers, the history and the wildlife. North by Northwest has everything to make your vacation unforgettable. There are many lakes and rivers that make excellent paddling treks.

One of the many trips you might wish to experience is the upper Fraser River, from Tete Jeun Cache to Penny. This trip is recommended to intermediate paddlers and novices that have taken some moving water training. From start to finish the trip is about 240 km (148 mi.) and will take anywhere from a week to as long as two weeks, depending on your time frame. Camping sites are quite easy to find on the gravel bars when the water is low, bears are prevalent along the Fraser, so make sure you cache your food supplies. This section of the river takes you by farm land to at least McBride, from this point on, there’s little populations and you feel like you are in the wilderness. Do not continue past Penny. Below Penny is a place called Grand Rapids that is a very dangeruous stretch of water that has swallowed many barges back in the paddle wheeler days. Grand Rapids is compared to the Grand Canyon in places where the river is extremely dangerous with massive whirl pools that would suck up a kayak or boat. Another boating section of the Fraser is from Prince George to Quesnel. Once you leave Prince George, the Fraser becomes a different type of run, and one should be an expert or at least a knowledgeable intermediate with good moving water skills, and never run this section in high water.