A Guide to Dawson Creek, BC

This is an all-day trip - 186 km long, covering much of the Dawson Creek region, with a wide variety of natural and historic attractions that could easily make it even more than one day. The odometer reading is followed by the directions or attractions at that point.

Click on the Google map of the route below to open an interactive version in a new window.

Km 0.0: Alaska Highway Mile 0, Visitor Information Centre, Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Northern Alberta Railway Museum. With all of these attractions a few steps apart, this spot could keep you busy for quite a while.

Km 0.3: The downtown Alaska Highway Mile 0 post, and Alaska Highway House, where you can learn about the highway's history, and can pick up a historic walking tour brochure.

Km 0.8: City hall and a historic church.

Km 2.8: Walter Wright Pioneer Village, and access to an excellent paved, level, 4.5-km-long walking trail, the Dawson Trail.

Km 28.9: right turn onto the old Alaska Highway.

Km 33.8: Old Kiskatinaw Bridge - this curved wooden bridge, still in use, is the most famous artifact from the original highway.

Km 34.2: Old Kiskatinaw Bridge interpretive signs.

Km 34.7: Large pullout with a great view of the bridge and valley.

Km 39.0: Turn left to rejoin the new Alaska Highway.

Km 41.5: New Kiskatinaw Bridge, opened in 1978. A rest area with outhouses gives limited viewing due to a screen of trees.

Km 53.5: Turn right onto Road 237M, Mason Road. This is a little-known shortcut between the Hart and Alaska Highways.

Km 68.7: Turn left onto Highway 97N, the Hart Highway (Highway 97 is the longest numbered highway in BC, and various sections have different names - the BC section of the Alaska Highway is also 97).

Km 82.3: Turn right onto the Dangerous Goods truck route, following the sign pointing to Pouce Coupe.

Km 85.7: Turn right onto Adams Road.

Km 87.4: Turn left onto 223 Avenue, where I found a field full of cows and lots of brand-new calves. People from areas where there are plenty of cows (would that be almost everywhere except the Yukon?) must just shake their heads at me taking pictures of them :)

Km 90.0: gravel road begins.

Km 93.5: Bear Mountain nordic ski trails.

Km 98.3: Take a sharp right to enter Bear Mountain Wind Park.

Km 100.5: Turbine #34 and the start of the ridge road. A trail also runs along the ridge, with excellent access at many points, but at Turbine #10 in particular.

Km 107.2: Turbine #1 - enjoy the views, then make a U-turn and retrace your route back to the Dangerous Goods truck route.

Km 128.8: Turn right onto the Dangerous Goods truck route.

Km 132.2: Turn right onto Highway 2, towards Pouce Coupe. The Dawson Creek airport will be on your left halfway to "Pouce".

Km 139.6: Turn right onto the mostly-gravel truck route (Elevator Road) just before the railways tracks as you enter Pouce Coupe.

Km 140.9: Park on the shoulder (this spot isn't very vehicle-friendly), and walk about 200 meters/yards to a massive, long-abandoned railway trestle. Built by the Northern Alberta Railway in 1931, the only report I can find says that it's 150 yards long, but it seems much longer than that.

Km 144.7: From the trestle, retrace your route back to and along Highway 2, then turn right onto Rolla Road, which begins with a steep, winding drop into and climb back out of a large ravine.

Km 146.3: Cross over Highway 49.

Km 151.3: Turn left for McQueen Slough.

Km 163.3: The tiny community of Rolla, with the Rolla Pub and a large and particularly photogenic old garage.

Km 180.7: U-turn and retrace your route back to Highway 49, where you turn right.

Km 186.1: Back to your starting point, at Alaska Highway Mile 0.