Steelhead Excursions, Smithers B.C.
Getting Here
Getting to Smithers is a cinch! Come by train, plane, bus, bike or automobile!
BY AIR
Smithers Airport (YYD) is located 5 kms North of the Town of Smithers in British Columbia Canada. It has multiple air connections daily with Air Canada and Hawkair. You can also get here with various charter airlines and helicopter companies.
Visit the Smithers Airport for more information including LIVE updates for arrival and departure flight status.
BY WATER
BC Ferries
Enjoy a cruise on the spectacular BC Coast via the Inside Passage or take the ferry to explore Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands). Go to BC Ferries for information, scheduling and to make reservations.
Alaska Marine Highway
This system connects you to the lower 48 Sates and to the State of Alaska. The Alaska Ferry has a major terminal in Prince Rupert where you can board to explore the inside passage to the north. Go to the Alaska Marine Highway website for more information.
BY LAND
We are located in the HEART of BC: on Canada's Yellowhead Trans Canada Highway, or "Highway 16", 370 km/222 miles west of Prince George; and 350 km/218 miles from the Port of Prince Rupert on the Pacific Ocean. This makes Smithers easy to find if you're coming from anywhere in BC, Alberta, the U.S. or eastern Canada.
From Jasper, Alberta:
Follow Route 16 West
From Banff/Lake Louise:
Follow Route 1 West to Kamloops; follow Route 5 North to Tete Jaune Cache; follow Route 16 West
Or, Follow Route 1 West to Cache Creek; follow Route 97 North to Prince George; follow Route 16 West
From Vancouver BC:
Follow Route 1 East to Cache Creek; follow Route 97 North to Prince George; follow Route 16 West
Or, follow Route 99 (Sea to Sky Highway) North through Lillooet to Route 97; follow Route 97 North to Prince George; follow Route 16 West
From Alaska and Yukon Territory:
Follow Route 37 South from Watson Lake YT to Kitwanga BC; follow Route 16 East
Highway Conditions (Route 16, Route 37, Route 97)
BC Ministry of Transportation Road Reports visit www.drivebc.ca or from anywhere in North America call 1.800.550.4997
You may want to rent a vehicle, travel by bus or take a taxi. If you choose the "Cruise and Drive" aboard BC Ferries or Alaska Marine Service, you're in for a wonderful treat. After disembarking at Prince Rupert, follow Route 16 East along the mighty Skeena River where you may get a glimpse of seals or eagles feeding on salmon. After visiting the City of Terrace (population 18, 000), prepare yourself for breathtaking panoramas. Look for the fabled "Seven Sisters" near Cedarvale. Next, the Hazelton's - home of K'san, a world-renowned first nations site, including totem poles, museum, carving house and much more. Moricetown - home to the Witsuwit’en First Nation is situated alongside the Bulkley River. It is definitely worth stopping at Moricetown. There is a convenient pullout at Moricetown Canyon where you can see the Bulkley River forced through a narrow gorge. This is also where you can witness Witsuwit’en fishers pulling salmon, a key traditional food, from the river. During the fishing season the canyon is a busy spot. The fish are prepared on the riverside and moved to smokehouses.
Smithers is also on the "main line" of Canadian National Railway (CN) and is served by Via Rail. Passenger service is three times per week from the East and West. Aboard the train, you'll be treated to some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in world. The ‘Skeena’ train runs alongside the river from which it takes its name, through glacier capped Coast Mountains. As you twist and turn through the ever-changing landscape, you might see moose, deer, bears or wolves near the rail line, curious about your passing.