• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

The Canada You Imagined Welcome to WELLS GRAY The Visitor’s Guide is published by Tourism Wells Gray 250.674.3530 ext. 109 wellsgray.ca OUR STORY Imagine a place where the wild things are — free of crowds, with plenty of wide, open spaces. Mushbowl Falls, one of the 39 named falls throughout Wells Gray Provincial Park OUR STORY It’s where the Murtle and Clearwater Rivers roar and wildlife sightings are as common as sunrise and sunset. There’s room to breathe and to dream. he place you imagine is Wells Gray, Tcomprising the mountain communities centered around Clearwater on the North Thompson River and Wells Gray National Park — 5,250 square kilometres (3,262 square miles) of alpine wilderness, borne from volcanoes and carved by glaciers. One of the most unique landscapes in all of B.C., where your days are measured in vertical feet, wildlife sightings and the number of waterfall shots on your camera. It’s here, among old-growth interior rainforests and soaring mountain peaks that you’ll find serenity paddling Murtle Lake, North America’s largest canoe-only lake. A place where wildlife is so accessible you can watch in wonder as bears graze just meters away, where you can be drawn into the forest by the thunder of Helmcken Falls, and hike through a kaleidoscope of colour in the wildflower meadows of the Trophy Mountains. Clearwater is your staging ground for pure wilderness adventures… camping, hiking, white-water rafting, canoeing or touring; by car, on foot, or from high in the saddle… ... in the Canada you imagined. ou may believe that Wells Gray is nothing more than forested mountains Yand wondrous waterfalls, but scratch beneath the surface of our forests and mountains and you’ll uncover a history deeply rooted in First Nation mythology and pioneering legends. Explore the Ray and Majerus wilderness homesteads. Witness the ravages of the Great Wells Gray Fire of 1926. Search out historic log houses and barns. Follow in the wake of the first Overlanders, rafting the North Thompson River. Our heritage is not out of reach; it surrounds you the moment you step into the park! Step out on almost any valley trail and you’re hiking (or snowshoeing) in the footsteps of the Simpcw First Nations people. A nomadic band, they travelled river’s edges hunting, fishing and gathering berries since before time was recorded. Discover Simpcw pictographs lining the shore at Mahood Lake. Fish for salmon along the Raft River, as our First Nations have always done. Search for remnants of ancient kekulis, now fading into the earth. OUR CULTURE SIMPCW FIRST NATION People of the North Thompson River he Simpcw are a division of the Secwepemc, or Shuswap, whose Ttraditional territory encompasses approximately 5,000,000 hectares in the North Thompson region, an area extending from just north of McLure to the headwaters of the Fraser River near McBride, to Tête Jeune Cache, over to Jasper and south to the headwaters of the Athabasca River. Archaeological studies have identified winter home sites and underground food cache sites at a variety of locations including Finn Creek, Vavenby, Birch Island, Clearwater, Litte Fort, Chu Chua, Barriere River, Louis Creek, Tête Jeune, and Jasper. Many ancestors of present band members lived in these winter villages or camps and evidence of life in earlier times can still be found at these ancestral village sites. The Simpcw were traditionally noted for their hunting ability utilizing many travel corridors and trails. In the summer months much of their time was spent in hunting camps in the mountains above the North Thompson and upper Fraser Rivers. They relied solely on the land for food — both river systems provided salmon, which were caught in weirs, nets and by spear, then smoked or dried and stored for future consumption. Plants were used for medicine and food and preserved for use during the winter months. Other necessities were secured through active trading with other Nations and occasionally warfare would break out over natural resources. Simpcw people continue to honour and practice their traditional knowledge while learning and working in modern society. With nearly 700 members in the Simpcw First Nations, their mission statement reads: "Simpcw are a culturally proud community, valuing healthy, holistic lifestyles based upon respect, responsibility and continuous participation in growth and education.” OUR HERITAGE ell before the park was created, pioneering families Wstaked their claim, cleared the land and built their homesteads in the shadow of Pyramid Mountain. Long abandoned and now being reclaimed by the forest, you can still catch a glimpse of the Ray Family Farm and the Majerus Homesteads - both a short walk from the Clearwater Valley Road. Sun dappled trails wind through the forest leading to open meadows and relics of pioneer farms. You can only imagine the strength and determination it took those pioneers to make their homes a seven-day horse ride from civilization. Follow in the hoof prints of our earliest explorers. Cross alpine meadows painted with wildflowers. Ride into the coolness of the forest on a hot summer day. Go for a gallop with a real cowboy. Hear the local legends that colour our history. At the end of the day, bed down in an authentic pioneer log cabin. Aveley Ranch, just north of Clearwater, is one of Canada’s oldest and largest working sheep ranches and an ideal spot for a secluded retreat in their heritage log cabins. You can live the life of a rancher herding sheep, hiking the alpine, milking cattle or lambing ewes. 52.3239° N |120.1497° W VOLCANOES VOLCANIC FEATURES 22 VISIBLE IN THE PARK WELLS GRAY PARK AVERAGE TEMP LAKES = 200+ SUMMER/FALL WINTER/SPRING WATERFALLS: ° ° 22 -5 CELSIUS CELCIUS OVER 39 SKI, 100 BIKE, 5,250 SQUARE KILOMETRES HIKE KM OF WILDERNESS OF GROOMED TRAILS MURTLE LAKE = VISITORS NORTH AMERICA’S 100,000 LARGEST CANOE EACH YEAR ONLY LAKE TROPHY SOAR TO MOUNTAINS 2,575M WHERE THE WILDLIFE LIVES ABOVE THE SHUSWAP HIGHLAND THE PARK 100 "What you're going to get in Wells Gray Park is truly an authentic experience. Whether you're looking for high or soft adventure, white water rafting or a scenic canoe trip - you're going to find it here." TRAVEL STYLE Choose your vacation style - are you serene or extreme? No matter your preference there's an adventure for you in Wells Gray. CULTURAL AUTHENTIC EXPLORERS EXPERIENCERS Living like a local is your motto In travel as in life, you like the on vacation. Nothing makes you “real deal”! Exploring beautiful happier than getting away from landscapes and taking in it all and completely immersing the cultural experiences of a yourself in the culture, history and destination. You like to use all lifestyle of wherever you travel. your senses when out exploring For the Cultural Explorer we and really get to know the place suggest catching a glimpse of you’re visiting. life as a homesteader by hiking For the Authentic Experiencer through the Ray Family Farm and we suggest connecting with the Majerus Homestead. your fellow travellers and enjoy a meal right from a chuck wagon or paddle Murtle Lake and camp along its shores. NO HASSLE FAMILY Your idea of a great vacation Wells Gray Park is the perfect is simply hanging out with the travel destination for families – people you love. You don’t need to there’s fun for all ages. Create travel for weeks at a time – short family connections while chatting getaways are the name of your around a campfire or swimming in travel game. the afternoon heat. For the No Hassle traveller we Discover where the wild things are suggest donning a life vest and and embark on a guided wilderness floating the afternoon away along tour with a local wildlife expert at the North Thompson River. Soak your side. up the sun on the beaches of Dutch Lake or take a cruise with Clearwater Lake Tours. Not sure of your travel type? Take our quiz. Download a QR code reader from your App store EXPLORE There’s no place on earth quite like Wells Gray Park with our volcanic fields, glacier fed lakes, wildflower-strewn meadows, jagged mountain peaks, and storybook waterfalls. Summer or winter, the number of ways you can explore Wells Gray and Clearwater are only limited by your imagination and the time left in your vacation. Sample as much or as little as time will allow – all 5,250 square kilometres of untamed, wilderness fun. Choose your favourite adventures then come out to play... in the Canada you imagined. Play SUMMER/FALL A HIKER’S HAVEN Rife with all sorts of wildlife, Wells Gray just begs to be explored on two feet with a backpack and camera in hand. From a simple stroll along the Clearwater or Murtle Rivers to multi-day treks high above the alpine, this region is a hiker’s haven offering choices for every skill level. All of our hikes are through dense wilderness trails or high alpine meadows and each has been categorized by difficulty level – be sure to learn before you go and be prepared. WALK THROUGH HISTORY Well before the park was created, pioneering families staked their claim, cleared the land and built their homesteads in the shadow of Pyramid Mountain. Long abandoned and now being reclaimed by the forest, you can still catch a glimpse of the Ray Family Farm and the Majerus Homestead. ALPINE MEADOWS If you’re after something a little more challenging, try the Trophy Mountain alpine meadows, a 45-minute hike through an old growth rainforest.

Load more

  32

Copy Link