Explore Gold Country

The Prequel GeoTour

September 9th – 11th, 2022

Plenty of fun activities for the entire family such as games, prize draws, a chance to win a GPS, and of course GEOCACHING!

More information, and register HERE

Welcome to Gold Country

Gold Country is set in the heart of British Columbia’s stunningly diverse Interior. Alpine mountains, wildflower meadows, sagebrush scented desert and vast ranchlands are rich with stories of gold panners, cowboys and Indigenous Culture. Gold Country’s heritage, wildlife and scenery makes every visit a great adventure.
Map of Gold Country

Destinations

Bonaparte Plateau
Copper Desert Country
- Logan Lake
- Savona
Lillooet
Blue Sky Country

70 Mile House Walhachin Spences Bridge Savona Clinton Cache Creek Ashcroft Lytton Logan Lake Lillooet LoonLake Big Bar Hat Creek

Heritage, Arts & Culture

For visitors who would like to learn more about the Aboriginal culture of the region, the award winning Xwísten Experience Tours (Lillooet) is an excellent place to start. Visitors are invited to discover aspects of the St’át’imc Nation’s vibrant culture and history. The tour includes opportunities to view a replica s7istken (pit house), view the traditional fishing grounds of the St’át’imc people, watch a demonstration of the preservation of salmon through wind drying, and partake in a wonderful BBQ salmon feast. More About Cultural Activities

The Wild Outdoors

Birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts have great reasons to venture into our provincial parks and onto our backcountry roads. Patient observers may be rewarded with sightings of Stellar’s Jays, Bald Eagles, grouse, bluebirds and owls, to name a few. Gold Country is also home to whitetail and mule deer, elk, moose, black bears, cougars, bobcats, coyotes, and bighorn sheep. More About The Wild Outdoors

Winter Wonderland

Wrap up warm and wax those skis. The climate of Gold Country produces perfect conditions for avid skiers. The region is home to a number of well-maintained and exhilarating trails, including the Big Bar Ski Trails that has approximately 30kms of groomed trails (with incredible views of the Marble Range), the Clinton Cross-Country Ski Trails (60km), Logan Lake Cross-Country Trails (including 2km that are lit at night for a wonderful winter experience) and the Kane Valley Recreational Area (south of Merritt and maintained by the Nicola Nordic Ski Club). The popular Stake Lake trails (Copper Desert Country) are maintained by the Overlander Ski Club, who also offer lessons and kids’ ski equipment rentals. More About Winter Activities

GeoCaching

Discover the region’s rich history while using GPS points or treasure hunt clues (letterboxing) to find boxes cached throughout Gold Country. Free fun for the whole family! More About Geocaching

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#goldcountryBC #GoldCountryGeoTour #GContheTrail

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring our grace

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday

Featuring our graceful marine life, The Sockeye Salmon!

Also known as Pink salmon have silver-like skin with small scales and large black oval spots on their back and tail. They prefer shallow, calm rivers and creeks because they have a more difficult time with jumping over obstacles in their path. Sockeye salmon range in size from 35-46 cm in length and have a life span of about two years! Unfortunately sockeye salmon numbers have decreased rapidly in 2020 with approximately 293,000 fish returning to spawn. The average adult fish returning to the watershed from 1980 - 2014 was 9.6 million every year.

The salmon runs in BC are nothing less than spectacular. Here in #GoldCountryBC you’re sure to see a salmon or two in one of our many unique rivers! Remember to respect all the local wildlife and never forget to snap that perfect picture from your adventures!

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo Credit: Eduardo

#Onthetrail Tuesday Featuring this open scene hi

#Onthetrail Tuesday

Featuring this open scene hike, Mesa to Barnes Lake campsite, also known as Three Meadows Trail!

Join us in the small town of #AshcroftBC and take a hike on of the many beautiful trails here in Gold Country. With endless possibilities for adventure, you’ll never go wrong when you visit our great communities!

From the Fire Hall #1, follow 97c south and drive 1.32 km until you
reach Mesa Vista Dr. Turn left and drive 1.13 km along Mesa Vista
Dr. It should turn to gravel and you will cross a cattle guard which is
marked as a waypoint. Keep going up the road for a short distance
until you see the trail head on your right, which leads up the hill. The trail starts rather steep and can be tiring so make sure to have lots of water! About midway up the first steep hill, the trail splits, keep left and continue up the ridge to go to Barnes Lake.
The first major climb ends at a plateau. This is a pasture area that you will cross. There is no obvious path here, head towards the fence on the south side of the field. Once you have crossed the pasture you will come to a barbed wire fence, follow it to the left and you will be taken up another uphill trail, now this trail will really get the muscles going! At this point you will have travelled 2.15 km, that’s quite the way! In all the trail takes around 2.5 hours to complete and is about 3.85 km long.

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo Credit: Brandy Cooper-Chardon

Join us today in #GoldCountryBC and check out all

Join us today in #GoldCountryBC and check out all of our amazing fast food chains we have in our rural communities! You can never go wrong when it comes to spoiling yourself with a small treat!

#geocachegoldcountrybc #WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring the stunn

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday

Featuring the stunning Gray Wolf! Latin name Canis Lupis.

Wolves are larger than coyotes and have a broader snout and rounded ear tips. While running, wolves tend to carry their tails out behind them unlike coyotes that will carry their tails downwards. With the wolf population reaching 8000 and increasing! Wolves are definitely a magical sight to see! Wolves spread out across most of British Columbia and tend to put a bump in our Cariboo population here in Canada. Now because of this the wolf is a game species throughout our region.

Fun fact! Wolves are marathon runners and can cover a great distance and sprint up to 60 km/h!

* If you see a wolf, do not let it approach. Avoid the temptation to capture a close up photograph and do not let wolves become comfortable around people. Keeping them wild and wary is safer for everyone.
* If you encounter a wolf or wolves on a kill, they may become defensive or territorial. Slowly back out of the area without running or turning your back. Have your bear spray handy and ready to deploy.
* If a wolf approaches and shows signs of aggression, DO NOT RUN. Be assertive with the animal by throwing rocks, yelling, making yourself appear large and threatening. It is important that you NEVER play dead with a wolf. Keep slowly backing away and out of the area until you can get to safety.
* Use bear spray as a deterrent as you would with a bear or cougar.

Join us in our small history filled towns for more unique information on all the different wildlife in our #GoldCountryBC Communities! Enjoy your visit and get ready to make endless memories here in Gold Country BC.

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo Credit: Martina

#Onthetrail Tuesday! Featuring this secluded hidd

#Onthetrail Tuesday!

Featuring this secluded hidden gem, Burkholder Trail!

This 6.5 kilometre trail is located just outside rugged Lillooet BC! This scenic trail leads you to Burkholder Lake, where there is a campground for you to enjoy a stay. However remember that this campground doesn’t have any facilities. If you have an equine partner, be sure to come and enjoy a peaceful trail ride!

How to get there, the trail head is located at the Lac La Mare recreation site, first head onto the Yalakom Rd, Proceed up this road and you’ll come to a bridge, cross it. At the Yalakom Recreation Site proceed another 2.4 km where you will turn left. Continue on this road for 5.5 km where you will turn right, continue for another 0.5 km and you will come to the Lac La Mare Recreation Site. Drive past the first campsite for a few hundred metres and the trailhead is marked with a sign to the left! For parking continue past the sign for a short distance, be careful not to block In any fellow campers!

Here in #GoldCountryBC there is endless hidden gems for you to explore! With something for everyone, your endless support won’t go unnoticed here in our small towns! Don’t forget to have fun, snap a few pictures and respect all of the local wildlife!

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

In Quebec Sugar Shacks are a warm, inviting and fr

In Quebec Sugar Shacks are a warm, inviting and friendly place where people often stop and enjoy themselves, here In Gold Country you can experience that same great feeling in BC’s very own Sugar Shack!
Located 30 minutes from #ClintonBC in beautiful 70 Mile BC.
#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail #smallbusiness

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring the come

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday

Featuring the come back bird, the Osprey!

Osprey are a large, long winged bird with different distinct markings on females and males. The male osprey is usually all white below (on their stomachs, under the neck) and females usually have a necklace of dark streaks on their neck while also being noticeably bigger then the males. The osprey wings have a very noticeable bend at the “wrist” of their wings and sometimes can be mistaken for gulls!

Osprey often inhabit lakes, rivers and often sea coasts. However back in the 1950’s Osprey declined drastically, but since then they have slowly been making their comeback! There is an estimated 460,000 global population of individual Osprey.

Fun fact! Ospreys mate for life. Their first nest is small, but they return and add to it every year. After a few years, the nest can be big enough for a human to sit in!

Whether you’re passing through or planning your next trip, here in #GoldCountryBC there is endless wildlife to see and trails to explore!

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo Credit: Bill

#Onthetrail Tuesday Featuring the Big Bar Cross

#Onthetrail Tuesday

Featuring the Big Bar Cross Country Ski Trails in the small town of #ClintonBC !

With 26 km of cross country ski trails the Big Bar Ski Trails have trails ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced! From hiking and having a picnic to snowshoeing and skiing, this location is a must stop. To make your way on over to Big Bar Ski Trails head north from Clinton on Hwy 97 to the Big Bar Lake Turn off. Then off onto Big Bar Lake Road and journey approximately 6 km where you will see the main parking area for the trails!

Enjoy the beautiful snow frosted marble range while you’re exploring the ever changing scenery here at Big Bar Cross Country Ski trails. With endless fun and the opportunity to see all kinds of local wildlife, you will never go wrong when you visit our small #GoldCountryBC Communities! Remember to respect all of wonderful wildlife and always be ready to take that perfect picture.

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Did you know? Here in Canada National Volunteer We

Did you know? Here in Canada National Volunteer Week has gone from April 24, 2022 and will continue until April 30, 2022! National Volunteer Week (NVW) is organized by Volunteering Canada and is an annual celebration often celebrated in many countries. This celebration has been organized to show appreciation and also promote volunteerism and volunteering.

To help create bonds formed in common aspirations and goals, empathy is a key quality to have when you’re wanting people to connect and relate with others.
To connect people from diverse backgrounds and see the world through the eyes of others, volunteering can help us develop empathy!

Let’s celebrate together here in #GoldCountryBC the empathy, compassion, and generosity of Canadas Volunteers that brings all of our amazing communities together!

#NVW2022 #EmpathyInAction #VolunteersBringHeart #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail #WildernessAwarenessWednesday

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring the misch

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday

Featuring the mischievous Coyote!

The eastern border of the coyote’s range would typically be the Appalachians. Over time they have been known to have range in Canada and throughout the United States. Here in beautiful British Columbia there is an estimated 2000-3000 coyotes!

Fun fact! Coyotes can scale horizontally up to 4 meters! They are even capable of running speeds up to 65 km!

What to do if you encounter a coyote:

    •    Stand tall- make yourself seem big and scary.
    •    Make noise- carry a whistle or horn.
    •    Back away slowly and remain calm.
    •    Keep dogs on a leash or contained.
    •    Carry a flashlight at night- this can help scare off wildlife.
    •    Stay in a group- especially if you will be in high coyote activity areas.

When you plan your next adventure, don’t forget to check out all the amazing communities in #GoldCountryBC where you will be sure to see all types of wildlife! Remember to respect local wildlife and always be ready for that perfect picture!

#Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail #WildernessAwarenessWednesday

Photo Credit: Marcie Down

Join us today and explore this authentic shop in #

Join us today and explore this authentic shop in #AshcroftBC , Natures Gifts!

This authentic shop was founded in 2002, when the Fournier’s pursued their passion for promoting a lifestyle of healthy living and also adding so many unique items. Natures Gifts has all sorts of little surprises waiting for you to explore here in our small town!

Here in #GoldCountryBC by supporting small businesses in our communities, you are also supporting ambitions! Local small businesses will be eagerly awaiting your future visit in Gold Country BC!

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #ShopLocal #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Real and Reel comparison: Smallville Come explore

Real and Reel comparison: Smallville
Come explore with us to see real and reel comparisons. This week featuring our neighbour, Merritt.

The pilot episode of Smallville (2001-2011) was filmed in Merritt. The main street was transformed into 1989 "Smallville".

Photo: @gina.scouting
#goldcountryBC #FilmBC Thompson-Nicola Regional District Thompson-Nicola Film Commission

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring Woodticks!

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring Woodticks!

It is said that Woodticks have been around for 100 billion years, maybe even longer! Woodticks have 8 legs unlike insects that only have 6. Ticks are most common in British Columbia but they are also popular in New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario.

Fun fact: Ticks don’t jump or fly! They don’t crawl or drop down from trees and plants.

With all the amazing activities to do in #GoldCountryBC don’t let these small woodland creatures keep you from exploring our small Communities! Always remember to be prepared for your next adventure and make sure to take many beautiful photos.

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo credit: Christian Horz and KPixmining

Help us exhibit our region!

Help us exhibit our region!

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#WildernessAwarenessWednesday Featuring our grace

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday

Featuring our graceful marine life, The Sockeye Salmon!

Also known as Pink salmon have silver-like skin with small scales and large black oval spots on their back and tail. They prefer shallow, calm rivers and creeks because they have a more difficult time with jumping over obstacles in their path. Sockeye salmon range in size from 35-46 cm in length and have a life span of about two years! Unfortunately sockeye salmon numbers have decreased rapidly in 2020 with approximately 293,000 fish returning to spawn. The average adult fish returning to the watershed from 1980 - 2014 was 9.6 million every year.

The salmon runs in BC are nothing less than spectacular. Here in #GoldCountryBC you’re sure to see a salmon or two in one of our many unique rivers! Remember to respect all the local wildlife and never forget to snap that perfect picture from your adventures!

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo Credit: Eduardo

#Onthetrail Tuesday Featuring this open scene hi

#Onthetrail Tuesday

Featuring this open scene hike, Mesa to Barnes Lake campsite, also known as Three Meadows Trail!

Join us in the small town of #AshcroftBC and take a hike on of the many beautiful trails here in Gold Country. With endless possibilities for adventure, you’ll never go wrong when you visit our great communities!

From the Fire Hall #1, follow 97c south and drive 1.32 km until you
reach Mesa Vista Dr. Turn left and drive 1.13 km along Mesa Vista
Dr. It should turn to gravel and you will cross a cattle guard which is
marked as a waypoint. Keep going up the road for a short distance
until you see the trail head on your right, which leads up the hill. The trail starts rather steep and can be tiring so make sure to have lots of water! About midway up the first steep hill, the trail splits, keep left and continue up the ridge to go to Barnes Lake.
The first major climb ends at a plateau. This is a pasture area that you will cross. There is no obvious path here, head towards the fence on the south side of the field. Once you have crossed the pasture you will come to a barbed wire fence, follow it to the left and you will be taken up another uphill trail, now this trail will really get the muscles going! At this point you will have travelled 2.15 km, that’s quite the way! In all the trail takes around 2.5 hours to complete and is about 3.85 km long.

#WildernessAwarenessWednesday #Trailingtuesday #GoldCountryBC #explorebc #supportlocal #staysafe #FirstResponseTourism #GConthetrail

Photo Credit: Brandy Cooper-Chardon

Gold Country Communities Society acknowledges that we provide
services within the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the
Nlaka'pamux, Secwepemc, St'át'imc, Syilx and Tsilhqot'in Nations.