Land Without Limits

Know Before You Go

Tyler Cave

The natural splendour of British Columbia’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast draws visitors from around the world. British Columbia is a safe and enjoyable destination, and to ensure your best experience, we encourage all travel planners to read our Safe & Responsible Travel guide in preparation for a visit to the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast and to stay informed while you are here. Using the following resources for advanced planning and keeping up-to-date on ongoing events during your trip will go a long way towards ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip.

Plan Ahead

Please check DriveBC for the latest information on road conditions, closures and alternate routes, inland ferries and trip planning.
Information line: 1-800-550-4997

It is important to always call and double-check your booking before leaving home to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey to your destination. Some of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region’s wide-open spaces do not have cell service so it is best to plan your route and give your accommodation provider an estimated time of arrival.

Be AdventureSmart

Whether your activity is during the summer or winter, on land on water, anywhere in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, remember the Three T’s and follow the steps.

  1. Trip Planning
    • Plan your travel route
    • Know the terrain and conditions
    • Check the weather
    • Always fill out a trip plan
  2. Training
    • Obtain the knowledge and skills you need before heading out.
    • Know and stay within your limits.
  3. Taking the Essentials
    • What survival items do you think should be carried in your pack for any outdoor adventure, whether the duration is a few hours or several days? These are not the specialized (and often essential) pieces of equipment that you would bring for your given activity (skis, a kayak, avalanche transceiver, etc.), nor are they the items you would pack specifically for a camping trip (tent, sleeping bag, etc.), but are the basic survival items you should have in ANY outdoors situation.

Learn more at adventuresmart.ca

LEAVE NO TRACE

Some of the most well-known principles to the outdoor industry are the Leave No Trace Principles. Leave No Trace Canada is “a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation and respect for our wildlands.” The principles are as follows: 

  1. Plan ahead and prepare
  2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
  3. Dispose of waste properly
  4. Leave what you find
  5. Minimize Campfire Impacts (and always be sure to check BC wildfire status for your destination and if there are any fire bans in the area)
  6. Respect wildlife
  7. Be considerate of others  

KNOWLEDGE AND RESPECT OF COMMUNITY AND LOCALS

From the Fraser Canyon throughout the Cariboo, across the Chilcotin and into the Coast Mountains and Great Bear Rainforest, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is made up of diverse communities who have called these lands home since time immemorial. Respecting the places you travel means educating yourself on who lives in these communities–luckily our region provides ample opportunity to learn about its history and people who live here. No matter where you go or stay, many of our guest ranches, lodges, historic sites and Indigenous experiences are community or family-run operations with friendly locals always willing to share their story. 

Emergency Notices

Access, Egress, Closures, Evacuation Alerts and Orders

When hazards arise that may threaten public safety, it is sometimes necessary to issue evacuation notices. In British Columbia, these notifications come in two forms: alerts and orders.

Evacuation Alerts are issued when there is a hazard that may develop into a threat to public safety. They are an advance warning of a potential evacuation. You are not required to evacuate an area under an evacuation alert, but you should be ready to if the alert gets upgraded. Make sure you know where everyone in your party is and have a plan to evacuate if needed.

Evacuation Orders are issued when there is an imminent threat to public safety. When an evacuation order is issued for an area, everyone in that area must leave immediately.  Evacuation orders are always issued with a defined evacuation route; you should take this route if possible. If you are unable to evacuate an area that has been placed under an evacuation order, please contact the local authority that issued it for assistance.

Evacuation Alerts and Evacuation Orders are posted by their respective local authorities. In the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, these are:

Cariboo Regional District 

Central Coast Regional District

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine

Fraser-Fort George Regional District

District of 100 Mile House

City of Williams Lake

City of Quesnel

District of Lillooet

District of Wells

Village of Clinton

Wildfire Safety

Wildfires are a seasonal event in many of British Columbia’s ecosystems. Wildfires can refresh the ecosystem and make way for new growth, but can also pose a potential hazard to people and infrastructure. The British Columbia Wildfire Service manages wildfire response throughout the province; they also provide information on current wildfire events. To know current wildfires, fire danger ratings and air quality information, visit the BC Wildfire Service website.

Fire Information line: 1-888-336-7378

If you see a beginning wildfire, please report it to the Wildfire Service at 1-800-663-5555 or text *5555 from a cell phone.

When long periods of hot and dry weather conditions make wildfires more likely, it is sometimes necessary to restrict the use of open fires (such as campfires or private land-controlled burning). Fire bans and restrictions are published on the Province of BC – Fire Bans and Restrictions web page and affect all public and private land, such as crown land, wilderness areas and campgrounds. 

Provincial Emergency Information

Emergency Info BC is the provincial source for information on ongoing emergency situations. Community-specific questions should be directed to the involved region’s local government listed above.

Website: emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca

Twitter: @emergencyinfobc

Additional Information Sources

British Columbia’s Community Visitor Centres

  • Staff at these centres can help you with trip planning information, alternative routes and reservation changes.

BC Parks

Recreation Sites and Trails BC