Road map Lower Fraser Plateau surrounding area (BC, Canada)

The plateau region west of Williams Lake and north of the Upper  Chilcotin Ranges is the land of the proud Interior Salish First  Nations, among them the Tsilhqot'in, Secwepemc, and Dakelh tribes-hardy,  independent people with a strong sense of community bred from years of  isolation and hardship. The Interior Plateau is an open rolling land  offish-stocked lakes and jack pine forests, of vast, isolated  cattle-and-horse ranches, of remote fly-in fishing resorts and tiny  "blink and you'll miss it" towns, where the general store is still the  focal point of the community.      

Bull Canyon Provincial Park [E3] Located in a beautiful canyon,  this scenic 369-hectare park is noted for its caves, sheer rock walls,  and the ice-blue, fast-flowing Chilcotin River. It was here that the  Secwepemc and Tsilhqot'in peoples fought an historic battle. There is a  short walking trail beside the river, and the surrounding area supports  superb fishing and bird-watching.     

Nazko Lake Provincial Park [C2] Originally a wilderness canoe  route, this 12,419-hectare area became a provincial park to protect the  region's wetlands. Situated some 100 km northwest of Williams Lake,  Nazko Lake Provincial Park provides fishing, camping, and wildlife  viewing. The Nazko Lake Canoe Chain offers two- to four-day canoe trips.  The 20 km route spans six lakes, with easy portages. Chat with the  locals to find the best fishing holes and ask for directions to an  ancient volcano site favored by rock hounds.      

Puntzi Lake [D1]      

Accessed from Chilanko Forks, some 60 km west of Alexis Creek,  this lake is filled with trout and kokanee in summer, and offers good  ice-fishing for whitefish in winter. Endangered white pelicans rest and  feed here in spring and summer, and trumpeter swans in autumn. Puntzi  was once the site of a U.S. Air Force base, remnants of which include a  radar station built atop Puntzi Mountain in the 1950s. Visitors can take  the airfield road to the mountain summit for a 360° view of the  Chilcotins.      

Riske Creek [E5] The natural grasslands surrounding this small  community west of Williams Lake attracted the Chilcotin's first  ranchers. The town was named for Mr. Riske, a Polish farmer who in the  1860s built a flour mill and sawmill, and sold his produce to  Barker-viMe at the time of the Cariboo Gold Rush. South of Riske Creek a  gravel road switchbacks down into Farwell Canyon, a spectacular setting  of hoodoos, sagebrush, sand dunes, and river.      

Soda Creek [C6]      

Located at the head of the upper Fraser River Canyon, Soda  Creek gets its name from the carbonate of lime in its creek bed, which  causes the water to bubble like soda water. During the Cariboo Gold  Rush, stern-wheelers were brought here by road and then reassembled to  carry miners north along navigable waters to Quesnel at the entrance to  the goldfields. The Xats'ull First Nation village shares its  2,000-year-old history with tours of the Xats'ull Heritage Village. View  ancient petroglyphs, demonstrations of tool and basket making, and  traditional food preparation. You can also take part in a traditional  sweat lodge.      

Williams Lake [D7]      

Depending on who you talk to, Williams Lake was named either  for Will'yum, a Shuswap First Nation chief who kept peace between  natives and local settlers, or William Pinchbeck, a wealthy rancher.  This sprawling town situated on the lake of the same name is B.C.'s main  livestock center. The town's claim to fame is the Williams Lake  Stampede, the province's largest rodeo, a four-day celebration held  every July. Traditional cowboy skills are displayed in events including  calf roping, steer wrestling, and bronco riding. Homegrown events  include pony express race, wild-cow milking, team cattle penning, pony  chariot race, and the top dog competition. British Columbia's only  museum devoted to rodeo and ranching, The Museum of the  Cariboo-Chilcotin, gives visitors a history of the Stampede.

ATTRACTIONS

ALEXIS CREEK

The Chilcotin Hotel The Old School House Alexis Lake Resort

PUNTZI LAKE

Puntzi Mountain Kokanee Bay Resort

RISKE CREEK

Cariboo Chilcotin Jetboat Adventures

SODA CREEK

Xats'ull First Nation Heritage Village

WILLIAMS LAKE

Scout Island Nature Centre Museum of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Williams Lake River Valley Trail Williams Lake Stampede