Fraser River & Thompson River
Canyons Lillooet,
Ashcroft, Spences Bridge, Lytton, Boston Bar, Hells Gate, Yale & Hope
Fraser
River & Thompson River Canyons
The one word
that best describes this region of British Columbia, is awesome. The Coastal
Mountains are rugged, and the Fraser River combined with its many tributaries,
including the Thompson, rushes through a narrow passage as it makes its
way to the Pacific Ocean.
The
Trans Canada Highway (Highway # 1), from
Hope to Spences
Bridge follows the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, as it makes its way
north into the interior of BC. The characteristic of the country side
at the south end, is lush and green. The ground is covered with salal,
devil's club and fern. The hemlock, balsam, fir, alders and maples give
shade and a coolness to this area.
Between
Yale and Boston Bar, there are seven tunnels to pass through. 20 km (12.4
mi) beyond Yale you cross the Fraser River going over the Alexandra Bridge.
The mountains meet you at the highway, sagebrush and tumbleweed are everywhere,
trees become sparse, this is the heart of the Canyon. The two railroads
and the highway have been chiseled by machine through the mountains and
far below you can see a brown ribbon winding along the barren cliffs,
this is the Fraser. It's brown, angry and deep as it makes its way through
Hell's Gate.
The
Thompson River joins the Fraser River at Lytton. As you continue on the
Trans Canada Highway heading north you follow the blue-green waters of
the Thompson River. Here
as you wind your way along, the country side is dry and barren and the
only green is the irrigated fields. The sun is hot. You are in the Dry
Belt region of British Columbia.
The
two rivers, that help form the Fraser River and Thompson River Canyons,
are world famous whitewater rafting and fishing locations. Whitewater
river rafting is very popular in this BC region and you will find a number
of river rafting companies and whitewater guides and outfitters in the
different communities along the rivers. The Fraser River is famous for
the Pacific Salmon that migrate to their birth place in the BC interior
every four years. Spences Bridge on the Thompson River is known far and
wide for its catch and release of steelhead.
Local
Vacation Providers
Rocky Mountain Holidays: Rail Vacations in the Rocky Mountains & Western Canada! Rocky Mountain Holidays customize vacations that combine the romance of train travel with the magnificent scenery of Western Canada. more
Fraser River & Thompson River
Canyons
