NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 602

WEST TOWARD PRINCE RUPERT
The 147-kilometer (91-mile) stretch of the Yellowhead Highway between Terrace and
Prince Rupert rivals any stretch of road in the province for beauty. For almost the entire
distance, the highway hugs the north bank of the beautiful Skeena River (Skeena is a Gitx-
san word for “river of mist”). On a fine day, views from the road are stunning—forested
mountains, ponds covered in yellow water lilies, and waterfalls like narrow ribbons of sil-
ver, snaking down vertical cliffs from the snow high above. In some sections the highway
shrinks to two extremely narrow lanes neatly sandwiched between the railway tracks and
the river—drive defensively.
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park, on the north side of the highway 50 kilometers (31
miles) west of Terrace, protects an area where the deep green Exchamsiks River drains in-
to the much larger Skeena River. As the highway continues westward, the Skeena widens,
eventually becoming a tidal estuary. Sandbars and marshes, exposed at low tide, are a mass
of colorful mosses, and wading birds feed in shallow pools. Keep an eye out for bald eagles
on the sandbars or perched in the trees above the highway.
Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert (pop. 15,000), on hilly Kaien Island 726 kilometers (451 miles) west of
Prince George, is busy with travelers throughout the summer. The city itself holds an odd
but intriguing mixture of cultural icons—totem poles, old English coats of arms and street
names, high-rise hotels and civic buildings—all crammed together on the edge of the Pa-
cific Ocean. Wildlife is varied and prolific. Prince Rupert is gateway to the Khutzeymateen
Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, but around town, you're likely to spot bald eagles, seals, and even
black bears.
SIGHTS
You can easily spend several hours at the fascinating Museum of Northern British
Columbia (100 1st Ave. W., 250/624-3207, 9am-5pm daily June-Sept., 9am-5pm Tues.-
Sat. the rest of the year, adult $6, child $2), which occupies an imposing post-and-beam
building overlooking the harbor. Exhibits trace the history of Prince Rupert from
5,000-year-old Tsimshian settlements through fur-trading days to the founding of the city
in 1914 as the western terminus of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Many of the most fas-
cinating displays spotlight the Coast Tsimshian—their history, culture, traditions, trade net-