NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 586

detour to check out Fort St. James Historic Site, you can also see other historic buildings,
including the lakefront Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church, built in 1873. The town
fronts 90-kilometer-long (56-mile-long) Stuart Lake, the province's seventh largest body
of water. North of Fort St. James, Germanson Landing North Road (well-maintained but
unpaved) leads to the Takla-Nation Lakes region—a favorite with campers in search of
untouched wilderness and with anglers wanting to pull grayling, char, rainbow trout, and
Dolly Varden from the region's dozens of fish-filled lakes.
MM Fort St. James National Historic Site
In the early 1800s, Fort St. James (250/996-7191, 9am-5pm daily June-late Sept., adult $8,
senior $7, child $4) was the chief fur-trading post and capital of the large and prosperous
district of New Caledonia—the name originally given to central British Columbia by Simon
Fraser, who was instrumental in expanding the fur trade west of the Rockies. It contin-
ued to operate until the early 1900s, and today the restored fort forms the centerpiece of
a historic site holding Canada's largest collection of original fur-trade buildings. Enter the
fort through the Visitor Reception Centre, which holds displays on pioneer explorers, fur
traders, and the indigenous Carrier people. In July and August, characters dressed in pioneer
garb lurk in the log-constructed general store, the fish cache, the single men's bunkhouse,
the main house, and the veggie garden. You're actively encouraged to get into the spirit of
things and play along. Tell them you've just arrived by canoe, want to stay the night in the
men's house, and need a good horse and some provisions. . .then see what happens!
Accommodations and Camping
The best place to stay in the area is Stuart Lodge (5540 Stones Bay Rd., 250/996-7917,
www.stuartlodge.ca , $70-100 s, $80-100 d), on the shore of Stuart Lake five kilometers
(3.1 miles) west of Fort St. James. The complex's five cabins come with cooking facilities,
decks, and TVs. Paarens Beach Provincial Park and Sowchea Bay Provincial Park,
west of Fort St. James, both offer camping (519/826-6850 or 800/689-9025,
www.discovercamping.ca , mid-May-early Sept., $16), swimming, and fishing; Paarens
Beach is best suited of the two for RVs, although neither has hookups.
To get the scoop on the entire area, stop at Fort St. James Visitor Centre (115 Douglas
Ave., 250/996-7023, 9am-5pm daily July-Aug., 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri. May, June, and Sept.).
FORT JAMES TO FRASER LAKE
Heading west from Vanderhoof, the Yellowhead Highway passes through low rolling ter-
rain before crossing the wide Nechako River and passing Beaumont Provincial Park. At