Top 10 Natural Wonders
Chilko Lake | David Jacobson
Mount Waddington
BC's highest mountain peak at 4,016 m (13,175 ft) - Offering some of the most challenging terrain in the province but also some spectacular scenery - compared by experienced climbers to the Himalayas (and often used as a sub-in filming location) and surrounded by epic heliskiing slopes. Take a flightseeing tour through the region to visit other highlights including the Klinaklini and Tumult Glaciers and the Homathko Icefield.
Quesnel Lake
The world's deepest fjord lake - With a maximum depth of 511m (1,677 ft) Quesnel Lake is considered the world’s deepest fjord or glacial lake or fjord and the deepest lake in BC - where mature rainbow trout can reach up to 20 lbs. Due to its remote location, the lake offers the opportunity to fish from shore and along tributary streams, or to explore by boat, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard.
Hunlen Falls
Canada's third-highest single-drop waterfall - Located in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, a breathtaking 401 m (1,316 ft.) from top to bottom. Draining from drains Turner Lakes and to the Pacific Ocean via the Atnarko and Bella Coola Rivers, visiting the falls via hike or flightseeing tour is well worth the trip.
Chilko Lake
The largest high-altitude lake in North America - Located at the head of the Chilko River on the Chilcotin Plateau, 65 km long with depths ranging up to 366m (1,201ft), it is one of the largest lakes in the province. The glacial waters create blue-green hues on the lake and the dramatic mountains make a scenic backdrop for hiking, boating, fishing, and camping - with backcountry hiking a popular pursuit.
Great Bear Rainforest
The planet's largest coastal temperate rainforest - A global treasure that covers 6.4 million hectares on BC's north and central coast. The wild beauty of this rugged region draws artists, photographers, naturalists, scientists and travellers keen to explore natural wonders with fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, eco-tours, and wildlife viewing and Indigenous experiences that exist here like nowhere else in the world.
Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
British Columbia's largest provincial park - Offering spectacular scenery and a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, Tweedsmuir visitors come for hiking, fishing, exploring by horseback, camping and canoeing as well as winter activities. The park is home to grizzly bears and Hunlen Falls - Canada's third-highest single-drop waterfall.
Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park
Home to almost 600 California bighorn sheep - The Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park, at the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers provides a unique landscape, with cliffs and hoodoos, rolling grasslands and gullies and exceptional hiking while you keep your eyes open for the sheep that graze here.
Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park
The only inland temperate rainforest in North America - As the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, the Cariboo Mountain Range is 7,700 sq km (3,000 sq mi) in area and about 245 km in length. More than 500 km from the coastline, this biodiverse region is home to endangered caribou herds that feed on oceanic lichens growing in the forest, with some trees up to 400 years old.
Chilcotin Grasslands
The last intact grasslands on the planet - created millions of years ago by retreating glaciers. Lying along the Fraser River Basin, the grasslands are home to numerous species of birds, bats, bighorn sheep and insects, to name a few. This natural wonder has also been sustaining local livestock since the 1800s, and is popular for hiking, birdwatching and nature viewing.
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Canada's Waterfall Park with 41 named waterfalls, and counting - A confluence of Clearwater, Thompson and Murtle Rivers surrounded by 5,250 square kilometres where one can truly become immersed in nature, with myriad waterfalls, old-growth inland rainforest and mountain peaks. Hike through ancient forests, explore the waters of Eagle Creek, Canim Lake and Mahood Lake, and be sure to return in the winter for frozen waterfalls and to explore pristine backcountry skiing.