Home
to the famous Williams Lake Stampede, this former "cowtown"has
grown into a vibrant city that offers a comfortable blend
of urban living and easy going western charm.
Situated
in the center of this vast region, Williams Lake has earned
it's nickname "The Hub of the Cariboo".
Bringing thousands of travellers north and south each year,
Highway 97 is interior BC's
major route for tourism and commerce.
Highway
20 travels three hundred miles west from Williams Lake,
through BC's 'last frontier', the sprawling ranch land and
forests of the Chilcotin, then makes a breathtaking descent
to the BellaCoola Valley and the
Pacific Ocean.
A
few miles south of Williams Lake is 150 Mile House, the
turnoff to the historic communities of Likely
and Horsefly. Follow the original
Gold Rush Trail into the foothills of the Cariboo mountians.
There you will enjoy some of the regions finest fishing
and camping.
Accommodation/Adventure
Providers
Big Creek Lodge: Live your dream of untouched nature and pure wilderness at our 4 Star Lodge & Guest Ranch in the Chilcotin - one of the province's most remote areas. Take part in hiking, photo safaris, fishing, horseback riding, gold-panning, snowmobiling, and cross-country ... more
Eagle's Nest Resort: Beauty and comfort in the wilderness. Elegant suites or cozy log cabins. Lakeside dining room, breathtaking views, hiking and birdwatching, and the natural splendor of the area. more
Elysia Resort: Our full service getaway destination on Quesnel Lake offers fishing for Rainbow Trout, romantic getaways, great dining, and vacation packages in lakeview rental cabins & guest rooms. You'll be warmly greeted at our small, friendly and secluded piece of paradi... more
Escott Bay Resort: The adventure starts with fishing, hiking, horseback trail riding, pack trips and hunting – and with the snow comes x-country skiing & snowmobiling. Located between Tweedsmuir and Itcha Ilgachuz Parks, we offer fully serviced cabins and camping facilities. more
Northern Lights Lodge: A unique fly fishing lodge offering guided fly fishing on 4 wilderness rivers in the Cariboo Mountains. Wild native Rainbow Trout on the fly! more
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City
Information
Population:
10,500 city and 19,720 surroundingregion. Total service
area of 30,220.
Main
Industries: Forestry, agriculture,mining; tourism; transportation;
government offices.
Elevation:
599 metres (1,965 ft.)
Climate:
July avg. temp is 22 C. (71.6 F).January avg. temp is -10
C (14 F).
Access:
Located 25 km (16 mi) north of 150 Mile House on Hwy
97. 540 km (348 mi) north of Vancouver.
238 km (148 mi) south of Prince
George. The major north-south route is Highway 97. Highway
20 connects with Bella Coola on
the coast. Williams Lake is readily accessible by road,
rail and air. Passenger service is available on both BC
Rail and Greyhound Bus Lines.The airport is located 13 kilometers
north of the city. Scheduled airlines include Air BC to
Vancouver and Aviair which services Kamloops,
Kelowna and Penticton.
Charter Services are available from: Canadian Helicopters
Ltd.; Sharp Wings Ltd.;
Northern Mountain Helicopters; Lawrence
Aviation; Highland Helicopters Ltd.
Accommodations:
Williams Lake offers a variety of hotels, motels, and bed
& breakfasts.
Campsites:
40 bay campsite at the WilliamsLake Stampede grounds; full
facilities campground outside of town at the southend of Williams
Lake; 8 miles north of Williams Lake is another 40 unitcampground
with or without full hookups. The outlying lakes offer numerous
fullservice private campgrounds and many have free rustic
campsites maintained bythe BC Forest Service.
Annual
Events: Williams Lake Stampede & Parade (First weekend
in July); Cariboo Fall Fair (late Aug); 4H Show & Sale
(Aug); Oktoberfest; Medieval Market (Nov); Home Show (Mar);
Indoor Rodeo (Apr); High School Rodeo (May); Great Cariboo
Bed Race (May); Children's Festival (June)
Recreation
Facilities: Golf courses, swimming pool, tennis, Mini-Golf,
curling & skating arenas, parks, hiking trails,auto
racing oval, bowling alley, playing fields.
Local
Attractions: Museum of the CaribooChilcotin; Station
House Gift Shop & Gallery; Scout Island Nature Centre;
Williams Lake River Valley Trails.
