The Wells Gray Whistle-Stop Tour

So this is a big area, with lots to see and do: how do you combine the best of this in the time you have available? This site will help you to plan your trip. There’s more than enough to fill at least three days, packed with memorable experiences for all the family. Then there are all sorts of other surprises which are likely to happen, but impossible to plan: seeing bears along the way, watching an eagle take a fish from the lake, and wonderful sunsets over the mountains.

But to see the area at its best, you’ll need to get out and do things. This might be on your own, or with a local business offering guided trips, on foot or horseback, by boat up the big lakes into the heart of the Park, out on the river by canoe or raft, or even in a fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter for stunningly-spectacular angles on the landscapes of the area. In winter, transportation shifts to skis, snowshoes, dog-sleds and snowmobiles, for an unforgettable snowy experience. Some of these take just a half or full day: others last several days to give you the best possible taste of what the area has to offer. The pages below the 'summer' and 'winter' headings provide more details of these opportunities. But if you absolutely, positively have only a day or so to see the highlights, with a minimum of exertion, then here’s a suggested potted tour...

1 - Wells Gray Info-Centre: the Info-Centre in Clearwater provides the best possible insight on where to go, what to see and what to do for the time of year and your interests. Staff will be happy to help with all the information you might need to begin your visit.

2 - Spahats Falls: Just 10km north of the info-centre this 75m-high waterfall is carving a new canyon through thick layers of lava. Take a short stroll to a viewpoint looking north along the Clearwater Valley.

3 - The Clearwater Valley: as you continue north along the Park’s boundary, the road climbs high onto the flank of the valley, providing sweeping views down to the river far below. Watch for lava-beds draped over older rock in roadside cuttings, and wildlife along the way (particularly bears in spring and early summer).

4 - Green Mountain: just a few hundred metres north of where the road enters the Park (about 30km up the valley), turn left onto the small road which climbs up the hill for 4km (2½ miles). The tower at the top provides a wonderful 360º panorama of mountains, forests, lakes and valleys.

5 - Dawson Falls: having driven down the hill and then another 5km (3 miles) or so along the road, turn right into the parking- area for Dawson Falls. Walk for a few minutes along the Murtle River to see the beautiful 20m-high sweep of the falls.

6 - The Mushbowl: the road crosses the Murtle over a narrow bridge at this small but powerful and scenic waterfall: if you want to see it more closely, park just up the hill on the far side of the crossing.

7 - Helmcken Falls: continuing north, watch for the turning to the left after about 1.5km (1 mile). The road runs along the north side of the Murtle River, and into a large parking-area. You’ll hear the noise (some say they even feel it) as you walk the short trail to the viewing-platform, and might sense the spray in the air. Be prepared to be struck speechless by the sight of the Murtle River as it thunders 145m (500ft) into the abyss below.

This really is the barest minimum: a snippet, a soupçon, a mere sniff of the great breath of fresh air on offer here. You should also take a walk around the old farmstead at 54km (32 miles), and see the mineral spring which fizzes out of the ground nearby: or the wild rapid at nearby Bailey’s Chute, and (in August and September) watch big salmon trying to leap their way through it. Or maybe take the tour-boat up Clearwater and Azure Lakes to Rainbow Falls, deep in the heart of the Park, for spectacular vistas of its highest mountains. Better still, experience some of the wide variety of world-class outdoor activities for yourself. There’s something to suit everyone, from the very youngest to the oldest, throughout the year.