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| Come along with us - we'll tell you about the
sights and attractions, the little-known facts and history of
our region... |
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We are travelling from East
to West
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 Burns
Lake to Houston - 80.5 km, 50 miles
or 50 minutes
 Houston
to Smithers - 63 km, 39 miles or 39 minutes
Smithers to Kitwanga - 110
km, 68 miles or 68 minutes
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We'll start at the traffic light at the Lakeview Mall in
Burns Lake.
Set your odometer to 0
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| Here's more information on
Burns Lake. Supplies and Services are here.
Accommodations are here. |
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KM 2
MILE 1.2
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Decker Lake (to the west) 
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| So far, the land around you is relatively flat
or rolling with numerous lakes and gravel-filled valleys. All
the land has been smoothed and filled by glaciers 5000' thick
that covered the entire north of BC up until 10,000 years ago.
By the time we get to Houston, we will be at the eastern edge
of the Coastal Mountains. |
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KM 8.5
MILE 5.25
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Decker Lake setlement
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KM 18.3
MILE 11.4
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Rest stop
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Baker Airport
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| This is the airport that serves the Village of
Burns Lake. The flat land at the bottom of this valley and other
valleys you will see is actually a large deposit of gravel and
sand left when glaciers melted 10,000 years ago. |
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KM 26.9
MILE 16.7
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Rose Lake
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| Rose Lake is at the headwaters of the Fraser River
watershed which empties into the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver.
You are about to travel to another major watershed... |
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KM 28
MILE 17.4
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Tamen Creek
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| The short distance from Tamen Creek to Rose Lake
is a height of land between major watersheds. Tamen Creek is
in the Skeena River watershed and is the headwaters of the Bulkley
River. |
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Peaks in distance
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| You will get a glimpse of Morice Mountain, outside
of Houston, the start of the Coastal Mountains. |
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KM 41
MILE 25.5
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Six-mile Summit and rest stop
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KM 45
MILE 28
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China Knows to the south
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| If you look south, you will see a tall cliff known
as China Knows. In the early 1900s, chinese prospectors found
gold in the area. When locals asked "where?", the
reply was that "...only China Knows" All of northern
BC was covered by glacial ice 5000' thick up until about 10,000
years ago. The China Knows cliff is a good example of block
faulting, where large areas of flat rock are tipped when the
surface rebounds after the weight of glacial ice melts. |
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KM 47.2
MILE 29.33
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Logging cut blocks
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| As you drive west, you will see more logging cut
blocks on the hillsides. The cut blocks in the Lakes District
are more difficult to see owing to the level or rolling ground.
As we approach the Coastal mountains, the geometric shape and
varying shade of green is easier to spot. Most cut blocks are
replanted soon after tree harvesting has finished. |
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KM 50.1
MILE 31.1
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Kettle lake
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| On the south side of the highway, you will see
a low swamp surrounded by a gravel berm in the shape of an oval.
This is a kettle lake, a depression formed when a large block
of glacial ice is left standing when a glacier melts. A covering
of gravel slides off the sides of the ice block as it melts.
The result is a pond in the shape of the ice block, with a wall
of gravel on all sides. |
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KM 50.9
MILE 31.63
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Village of Topley and pullout
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KM 51.2
MILE 31.8
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Granisle turnoff
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| The Village of Granisle
is 49 km north on a paved highway. It is located on the shores
of Babine Lake, the longest natural lake in BC. |
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KM 52.2
MILE 32.4
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Rest stop
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KM 57.2
MILE 35.5
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Kettle lake
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| Another example of a kettle lake is on the south
side of the highway. |
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KM 63.9
MILE 39.7
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Glimpse of Morice Mountain
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| In the distance, you can see the top of Morice
Mountain, near Houston. This is the beginning of the Coastal
Range of mountains that will continue as we drive west toward
the Pacific coast. |
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KM 65.1
MILE 40.45
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Pullout
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Mt Harry Davis
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| The large hill ahead and to the north of Houston
is Mt Harry Davis. |
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KM 75.7
MILE 47
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Sloped hills to the south
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| You may notice that many low hills in this area
are rounded more on the south or east side and sloped on the
north and west side. That can indicate the direction of the
glacial ice that flowed down the Bulkley Valley from the north,
scraping and cutting rock into smooth tear -shaped hills. |
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KM 80.5
MILE 50
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You should be in Houston ...and at the end of this portion
of the journey
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Here's more information about Houston,
services are here
and accommodations are here
Be certain to stop by Steelhead Park on the north side of the
highway to see the World's Largest Flyrod and the flower beds.
A good place to relax. |
Houston
to Smithers - 63 km, 39 miles or 39 minutes
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| Local BCNorth Group members who provide automotive
parts and service include: |
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