The community of McLeod Lake was the first European settlement west of the Rockies, and is the longest continuously occupied European settlement in British Columbia.
The first fur-trading post west of the Rockies, the Trout Lake Fort, was established here by the explorer Simon Fraser in 1805.
Population: 70
Location: McLeod Lake is located on Highway 97 in Northeast British Columbia, 88 miles (140 km) north of Prince George.
For campers, Whiskers Point Provincial Park offers vehicle/tent sites on the shores of McLeod Lake, a pleasant spot to pitch a tent or to park a trailer.
If there is one place that sums up the camping experience along the Highway 97 corridor from Prince George to Mackenzie, then Carp Lake Provincial Park is it. There are vehicle/tent campsites, split between two campgrounds: one at Kettle Bay on Carp Lake itself, and one on the smaller War Lake. If you’ve come prepared with watercraft, there are wilderness campsites on three of the islands that dot Carp Lake. Fishing, boating and canoeing are the prime activities here. Visit War Falls north of War Lake, scout the marshes for moose, or just watch the sun set across the lake.
The area around the Tacheeda Lakes, southeast of McLeod, is a popular getaway spot for locals, especially anglers. The circle of lakes, in an 8-km radius, all sport their own Forest Service campgrounds, for a total of 28 vehicle/tent sites. An eighth campground, the Anzac Forest Recreation Site, on the Parsnip River, insures that you’ll probably find a place somewhere in this area.
Paddlers can follow part of Simon Fraser’s route by paddling the 8 km of McLeod River that link War and Carp Lakes. On the east side of Highway 97 is the Parsnip River, named for the giant cow parsnips that grow along its banks. The name is amusing, but the paddling is serious. It’ll take you two days to do the 57 km from the old Anzac Mill site to Windy Point, where the Parsnip crosses Hwy 97 to meet Williston Lake, just north of McLeod Lake. Williston Lake is not recommended for paddling, as the man-made lake wasn’t logged before it was flooded, and jams, floaters and ice-sharpened snags can make this a dangerous lake to canoe, though that doesn’t stop many people.
Canoeing & Kayaking in the North East.
Tudyah Lake Provincial Park lies on the western perimeter of the Rocky Mountain Trench, between the Nechako Plateau on the west and the Hart Ranges of the Rockies on the east. The park, 8 km north of McLeod, offers vehicle/tent sites, and is the last stop the Crooked River makes before becoming flowing into the giant Williston Lake. A smaller, Forest Service campground lies farther north along the lake, accessible from the Finlay Forest Service Road.
Nestled in the pristine wilderness of the Canadian Rockies, Powder King Mountain Resort offers the best of the great outdoors, from virgin snow and breathtaking drops, to the gentle groomed slopes of beginner runs – and some of the best powder skiing in the province!. Most of the terrain favours intermediate-level skiers.
Skiing & Winter Activities in the North East.
Circle Tours: See the best of Northern BC on one of the Circle Tours that capture the wonders of the north. The Circle Tour of Northern British Columbia incorporates the Alaska Highway through the Rocky Mountain foothills to Watson Lake in the Yukon, linking with the Stewart/Cassiar Highway and Yellowhead Highway 16 in the south. The Inside Passage Circle Tour and the Native Heritage Circle Tour follow the same route, from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island north by ferry to Prince Rupert. Catch another ferry to the Queen Charlotte Islands, or venture east on the Yellowhead Highway to Prince George, and south through the peaceful Cariboo to Vancouver along the historic Cariboo Wagon Road.
Circle Tours in British Columbia.
