NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 628

Tours
Most park visitors travel as part a guided tour. Archipelago Ventures (604/652-4913 or
888/559-8317, www.tourhaidagwaii.com ) combines the best of the park into a six-day tour
that costs $2,100. The main mode of transportation is a stable 42-foot mother ship, with
the focus on kayaking, hiking, and soaking up culture in the abandoned Haida villages,
including Nan Sdins. Along the way, freshly caught shrimp and halibut create enticing
meals. The turnaround point for these tours is Rose Harbour; travel is by boat in one dir-
ection and floatplane in the other, which allows for a relaxed pace in one direction and a
spectacular ride above the park in the other. Ocean Light II Adventures (604/328-5339,
www.oceanlight2.bc.ca ) has been conducting sailing trips through the south end of the ar-
chipelago since well before the proclamation of a park. Board the company's 71-foot Ocean
Light II for eight days of sailing, visiting all the best-known abandoned Haida villages, ex-
ploring the waterways, and searching out land and sea mammals. All meals and accommod-
ations aboard the boat are included in the rate of $3,700 per person.
For general park information, click through the links on the Parks Canada website
( www.pc.gc.ca ) . To contact the local park office, call 250/559-8818.
Independent Travelers
If you aren't visiting the park as part of an organized tour, reserve a permit through Parks
Canada (877/559-8818, www.pc.gc.ca , adult $20, senior $18, child $9 per day) and parti-
cipate in an orientation session; these are held at the Haida Heritage Centre 9am Mon.-Fri.
June-early Sept. (with additional Sat. seatings in July and Aug.).
Moresby Explorers (250/637-2215 or 800/806-7633, www.moresbyexplorers.com )
provides drop-offs and pickups for those heading into the park unguided. Expect to pay
around $800 for two for kayak rental, use of a VHF radio, and boat transportation to the
company's base camp in Crescent Inlet. Inland Air (250/624-2577, www.inlandair.bc.ca )
is a floatplane operation based at the wharf in Queen Charlotte City. It offers flightseeing
tours to Ninstints and Skedans.
Stewart-Cassiar Highway
An alternative to the Alaska Highway, this route—often referred to simply as “the Cas-
siar”—spurs north off the Yellowhead Highway 45 kilometers (28 miles) west of New
Hazelton and leads north to the Yukon, joining the Alaska Highway just west of Watson
Lake. The highway opens up a magnificent area of northern wilderness that in many ways