Lillooet

Lillooet is the main town in the Fraser Canyon and Bridge River Country region of British Columbia. It was the first native town in the British Columbia Interior, and was briefly the largest town of the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858-1860. Described by colonial Governor James Douglas as "the prettiest spot for a town on the Fraser I have seen", local scenery was compared by early travellers to that of the Himalayas due to the extreme heights and sheer precipices around Lillooet and in surrounding canyon country. In a pronounced desert-like rainshadow, the town's setting is framed by spectacular cliff walls and towering mountains.

Lillooet is very hot in summer, often sunny when areas toward the Coast are rainy or areas farther east into the Interior are overcast.

Cache Creek

  • Lillooet Museum, 8th Ave & Main St, +1 250 256-4308. 9AM-5PM daily in summer. This museum takes a look at Lillooet's history with pioneer and Gold Rush era equipment and tools, native artifacts, historic photos and Ma Murray's news office including her old printing presses.
  • Mile 0 Cairn, 8th Ave & Main St. Stone cairn commemorating Lillooet's place as mile zero on the Old Cariboo Wagon Road from Lillooet to Alexandria (the old gold rush trail).
  • The Miyazaki Heritage House, 643 Russell Lane, +1 250-256-4289. Open in Summer Only
  • Bridge River Fishing Grounds, known as Sat' in the lcoal native language ("Shatl"), also known as the Six Mile Rapids or Six Mile. Rock ledges flanking a narrow but fierce falls on the Fraser, at the confluence with the Bridge River. Created in legend by the trickster-spirit Coyote jumping back and forth from bank to bank to create the ledges for people to use for fishing. Thousands of years old as a gathering site for native peoples from around the Interior, active fishing site with fish drying racks (wind-dried salmon is a local delicacy).
  • Bridge River Canyon and Terzahgi Dam, 20 miles up the scenic Moha Road along the lower Bridge River, a ten-mile double-horseshoe gorge over 5000' deep, rivalling Yosemite, its upper end is Terzaghi Dam, which diverts the Bridge River through Mission Mountain to penstocks to powerhouses on Seton Lake. The drive over Mission Mountain involves a 3500' switchbacked descent to Shalalth and Seton Portage; accommodations and food available, also another rougher route out via the 'High Line', a former powerline road now a provincial highway, to D'Arcy, Mt Currie-Pemberton and Whistler. Continuing along the reservoir (Carpenter Lake) from Terzaghi Dam brings you to the goldfields towns of Gold Bridge and Bralorne, and resorts around Tyaughton Lake and Gun Lake. Continuing on, the main road leads to Pemberton Meadows and Whistler via Railway Pass.
  • Seton Lake, spectacular fjord-like lake at the western end of town, popular beach and amazing towering cliffs, refreshments available. At the nearby campground, operated by BC Hydro and free to the public, there are old stone ovens built by Chinese gold miners in the 1870s. Boat tours of the lake (which is even more scenic from out on the water), water skiing opportunities. Seton Lake was part of the Douglas Trail, which led from steamers at Harrison Lake to Lillooet, which was a muster-ground for packers and wagon trains north to the Cariboo goldfields. 30,000 men traversed this route in the summer of 1859.
  • Cayoosh Park, on the heights above the main part of downtown, formerly the site of Lillooet's famous hanging tree. Not much to see now other than a great view. BMX track and largely-unused outdoor checkerboard.
  • Old Suspension Bridge. Built in 1911, now decommissioned but open to foot/bike traffic, 1911-vintage suspension bridge that for decades was the town's only road access to the outside world. At the mouth of Lillooet Canyon, a rough-water gorge between the Fishing Grounds at Six Mile and this spot, where the Fraser opens wider onto gold-bearing bars in front of town.
  • the West Side Road. South to Lytton along shady benches and old ranches and farms, slow going but very scenic, connects to a traction cable ferry to Lytton. North to Big Bar Ferry, from the Bridge River Bridge, a spectacular drive but carry water and food and respect private property; a main road leads back from Big Bar Ferry to Jesmond and Kelly Lake, near Clinton; rough four-by-four roads lead back west over China Head Mountain to the head of the Yalakom River and return to Lillooet via Moha/lower Bridge River, or across the alpine to descend into the Bridge River Country via Tyaughton Lake. Pack gas and water and spare tires/repair kits.
  • Marble Canyon and Pavilion Lake - on Highway 99 towards Cache Creek, a 3500' deep karst formation with glistening limestone wall towering over the short but impressive valley between Pavilion and the rangeland at Upper Hat Creek. The Pavilion Valley includes a series of lakes, the largest of which, Pavilion Lake, is a NASA xenobiology research site due to its unusual "fresh water coral" formations. Provincial campground requires reservations (online).

Main Street

  • Blackcomb Aviation, +1 250-256-6000. Helicopter Tours
  • CC Helicopters Ltd., 717 Hwy 99 North, +1 250-256-4888. Helicopter Tours
  • Fort Berens Winery, 1881 Highway 99 North, +1 250-256-7788. Wine Tasting During Business Hours Wine Tours By Appointment
  • St'at'imc Cultural Experiences, 650 Industrial Pl., +1 250-256-0673. Spawing Channel Tours & Salmon Educational Tours
  • Xwísten Experience Tours, +1 250-256-7844. Experience the past and present of the St'at'imc People
  • sturgeon fishing and river rafting are available through various companies.
  • mountain biking and hiking. Bike rentals available.
  • Lillooet Farmers Market, Main Street. Fri 8 - 1. Open May - Oct 2012
  • Apricot Tsaqwem Festival, Main Street, +1 250-256-4289. July 2012
  • Annual Sturgeon Derby. July/August 2012
  • Salmon in the Canyon Festival. August 2012

  • some local stores feature jade products and local gold. Also handicrafts and specialty crops. Lillooet is famous for its cherries and apricots and for local honey, also ginseng.

Reynolds Hotel

Hotel Victoria

The District of Lillooet http://www.lillooetbc.com/visitors.aspx
Lillooet and District Chamber of Commerce http://www.lillooetchamberofcommerce.com