NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 590

On the east side of town, Tyhee Lake Provincial Park has a good swimming beach, a
2.5-kilometer (1.5-mile) loop trail, picnic facilities, a playground, and a campground (519/
826-6850 or 800/689-9025, www.discovercamping.ca , mid-May-mid-Sept., $25).
SMITHERS AND VICINITY
The Coast Mountains surround the town of Smithers (pop. 5,400), while the splendid
2,560-meter (8,400-foot) Hudson Bay Mountain towers directly above. It's a vibrant com-
munity with some excellent accommodations, fine restaurants, and interesting arts-and-
crafts shops. Hiking trails close to town lead to a magnificent glacier, intriguing fossil beds,
and a remote recreation area.
Town Sights
With a backdrop of magnificent mountains, it's no surprise that Main Street is done up in
a Bavarian theme. Visitors shop here for First Nations crafts and tourist paraphernalia. The
grand old 1925 courthouse, at the junction of the Yellowhead Highway and Main Street, is
home to Bulkley Valley Museum (1425 Main St., 250/847-5322, 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat., $2),
which houses a predictable collection of historic artifacts, highlighted by an interesting col-
lection of black-and-white photos. In the same historic building is Smithers Art Gallery
(1425 Main St., 250/847-3898, noon-5pm Tues.-Fri. and 9am-4pm summer only, donation),
which does an excellent job of highlighting the work of regional artists.
Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park
Many millions of years ago, the Bulkley Valley had a subtropical climate, and the area north
of present -day Smithers was a low wetland of swamps and shallow lakes. Over eons, de-
posited sediments covered and preserved the remains of the plants and animals that died in
the water, and around a million years ago, a lava flow covered the entire region. But then
during the last ice age, melting ice carved out a canyon that sliced right through the an-
cient wetlands, exposing the fossil beds. The site is now protected as Driftwood Canyon
Provincial Park. It is 17 kilometers (11 miles) northeast of town; take Highway 16 three
kilometers (1.9 miles) east, head north on Old Babine Lake Road, turn left on Telkwa High
Road, then right on Driftwood Road. A short walk from the road leads to a viewing plat-
form over the east bank of Driftwood Creek, where interpretive panels describe the site's
significance.