The ‘Grand Canyon of the North’: A Majestic Canadian Chasm with Pristine Waters and Scenic Hiking Trails

Snow-shouldered mountains, opal-hued lakes, and sweeps of ancient rainforests all conspire to make British Columbia a veritable promised land for adventurers. From shipwreck scuba diving on Vancouver Island to skiing down the powdery slopes of Whistler-Blackcomb and surfing on Vancouver’s wild western coast, this is a place to crank up the adrenaline and get into the great outdoors. It also happens to be the home of the self-proclaimed “Grand Canyon of the north,” which you’ll find nestled along the course of the Stikine River, deep in the northern reaches of the province.

The Stikine itself flows a whopping 379 miles from high in the British Columbia mountains all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Over the course of millennia, the river has carved out a deep chasm in the rock shelf here, creating a truly dramatic landscape with walls of stone that can reach nearly 1,000 feet in height at certain points. That’s enough to claim it the crown as the deepest canyon in Canada, drawing everyone from hiking buffs to daring whitewater enthusiasts with its mix of lookouts and legendary fast-flowing rapids.

Getting here is likely to be a bit of an adventure in itself. The drive up to the park from Vancouver will take in excess of 18.5 hours! Thankfully, you can cut the journey to just under 11 hours by flying into the Prince George Airport. It’s Highway 37 virtually the whole way up, which means visions of gigantic mountains and long-lost lakes aplenty.

Your jaw might just hit the floor when you first lay eyes on the great gorge carved by the Stikine River. It runs for 48 miles through the Stikine River Provincial Park, mostly to the west of the main highway bridge. You can skirt the edge of the canyon by taking the gravel-topped Telegraph Creek Road, where occasional turnouts will reveal why, exactly, it’s so often compared to the hiker-friendly rims of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Down below, the river rages with whitewater caused by the narrowing of the canyon — it gets to just 6.5 feet wide at certain points! It’s long been hailed as one of the most formidable rafting and kayaking challenges in North America, with a V+ rating that means it’s almost totally unnavigable. Along the way, intrepid boaters will encounter rapids with names like Wicked Wander and the Garden of the Gods, which require huge technical skill to get through.

Whether you make your way through by four-wheel-drive or raft, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the mountain goats that often cling precipitously to the walls. Those going by land should look for the turnoff to Telegraph Creek Road at Dease Lake. Be warned that it can be a hard-going route that requires caution and good driving skill, with the final sections beyond Days Ranch offering the closest proximity to the Stikine River.