SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 345

bridge crossing at Boston Bar accesses the Nahatlatch River, renowned for white-water
kayaking. Along quieter stretches of this river are some great fishing spots, three lakes,
and numerous primitive campgrounds. REO Rafting Resort (16 kilometers/10 miles west
from Boston Bar, 604/461-7238 or 800/736-7238, www.reorafting.com , May-Sept.) offers
relatively inexpensive all-inclusive adventures. For example, camping for one night, three
meals, and a rafting trip is $219 per person, with an upgrade to a tent cabin an extra $35-60
per person. Fishing, rock climbing, and guided hiking are also offered.
Continuing up the canyon, the narrow highway winds northward for 34 kilometers (21
miles) to Lytton, a historic village at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers,
before spurring eastward and following the Thompson River. This route eventually reaches
Cache Creek, the gateway to Cariboo Country, and continues on to the major interior city
of Kamloops.
COQUIHALLA HIGHWAY
Opened in 1986, the Coquihalla Highway is the most direct link between Hope and the in-
terior of British Columbia. It saves at least 90 minutes by cutting 72 kilometers (45 miles)
from the trip between Hope and Kamloops and bypassing the Trans-Canada Highway's nar-
row, winding stretch along the Fraser River Canyon.
The highway ascends and descends through magnificent mountain and river scenery to
dry semiarid grasslands. You'll cruise through the valleys of the Lower Coquihalla River
and Boston Bar Creek, climb to the 1,240-meter (4,070-foot) summit of Coquihalla Pass
near Coquihalla Lake, descend along the Coldwater River, then climb the Coldwater's east-
ern valley slope to Merritt. From Merritt the highway climbs the valleys of the Nicola River
and Clapperton Creek to join the Trans-Canada Highway eight kilometers (five miles) west
of Kamloops.
Merritt
This town of 8,000 in the Nicola Valley, 115 kilometers (71 miles) north of Hope, provides
the only services along the Coquihalla Highway. It's also the exit point for those heading
east to the Okanagan on the Okanagan Connector.
Make your first stop the Merritt Visitor Centre (junction Hwys. 5 and 97C, 250/
315-1342, www.tourismmerritt.com , 10am-6pm daily May-Sept.), out on the main high-
way.
Since the Coquihalla Highway opened, many motels have been built around Merritt,
but by far the best choice is one of the originals, the M Quilchena Hotel (250/378-2611,