Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Quesnel
try has replaced the mining industry
as the economic engine for the region.
More than 2,000 families rely on it for
their livelihood.
Located 120km north of Williams Lake,
Quesnel's tree- and fl ower-lined streets
and its location at the confl uence of the
Quesnel and Fraser rivers make it the
most beautiful town in the region.
A stunning attraction awaits at Pinnacles
Provincial Park. A 20min walk through
the evergreen forest leads to a group
of sandy pillars called “hoodoos.” These
unusual earth-toned vertical formations
date back some 12 million years, when
they were formed by the erosion of sev-
eral layers of volcanic ash. Today, only
the strongest layers remain intact as
they proudly thrust up into the sky.
Like many other towns in the area,
Quesnel experienced the 19th-century
Gold Rush. Gold diggers stocked up on
foodstuffs and survival gear in Quesnel
before heading off to look for those
famous nuggets in the distant valleys,
which is how Quesnel got its nickname
“Gold Pan City.” Today, the forest indus-
Barkerville
Barkerville sprung up out of nowhere
in 1862 when Billy Barker discov-
ered gold in William's Creek. During
the eight years that followed, 100,000
people came here to try their luck, mak-
ing Barkerville the largest town west of
Chicago and north of San Francisco.
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Welcome to Quesnel!
© April Cheng
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The preserved frontier town of Barkerville.
© BC Heritage
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