Trip of the Month: Wilderness and Indigenous Communities of Western Canada & Alaska

If you have ever looked at a map of western Canada and Alaska and wondered what lies beyond the better-known tourist routes, our Trip of the Month may be exactly the kind of adventure you are looking for.

Wilderness and Indigenous Communities of Western Canada & Alaska is a 16-day small-group journey from Vancouver to Anchorage through British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska. Along the way, you travel some of the North's most scenic and remote highways, encounter glaciers, mountains, forests and wildlife, and spend time learning from Indigenous communities whose connections to these lands extend back thousands of years.

This is not simply a trip up the coast towards Alaska. It is a journey through western Canada's wilderness and northern communities, continuing into Alaska along the historic Alaska Highway. For travellers who enjoy landscapes, wildlife, cultural experiences and getting well away from the usual tourist routes, this is a particularly interesting way to experience western Canada and Alaska.

From Vancouver into the wilderness

The journey begins in Vancouver, but it doesn't take long before the city is behind you and the landscape begins to change.

The first part of the journey travels through British Columbia's Coast Mountains and Interior, including Whistler and the area around Shannon Falls, before continuing north towards the Cariboo region and Prince George.

It is an opportunity to see just how quickly British Columbia's landscapes change. Coastal mountains and forests give way to the drier interior, while the roads become quieter and the communities smaller.

One of the early highlights is a visit to Xatsull Heritage Village, where local Indigenous guides introduce travellers to Secwépemc culture, history and contemporary life. The experience provides an important perspective on the region and the long relationship between Indigenous communities and the land and waterways of British Columbia.

Wilderness and Indigenous Communities of Western Canada

From Prince George, the journey heads farther north towards Smithers and the Bulkley Valley. Here, the mountains become increasingly prominent and the feeling of travelling into remote British Columbia becomes much stronger.

A visit to Witset Canyon provides another opportunity to learn about Indigenous culture and the importance of salmon to the local community. Salmon has long been central to the food, traditions and economy of many Indigenous communities throughout British Columbia, and seeing these connections in their own setting adds considerably to the experience.

From Smithers, the route continues towards Stewart and the remote Stewart-Cassiar Highway. For many travellers, this will be one of the defining sections of the journey.

The Stewart-Cassiar Highway

The Stewart-Cassiar Highway is one of the great northern road journeys in Canada.

Rather than passing through a string of major cities and established tourist destinations, the road travels through vast forests, mountains and remote wilderness. Traffic is relatively light, communities are few and far between, and the landscape becomes the main attraction.

This is the kind of road trip where you want to keep looking out the window.

Near Stewart, the route passes Bear Glacier, one of the impressive glaciers of the Coast Mountains. You will also cross briefly into Alaska to visit Hyder, a tiny community that is accessible by road from Stewart but is otherwise separated from the rest of the United States by the surrounding wilderness.

From here, the landscape becomes even more spectacular.

Salmon Glacier and Alaska wildlife

A highlight of the Stewart and Hyder area is the journey towards Salmon Glacier.

Surrounded by mountains and ice, Salmon Glacier provides a sense of the scale of the northern landscape that photographs don't always convey. The route takes you into an area that feels remarkably remote despite being accessible by road.

There is also an opportunity to visit Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site, where salmon attract bears during the annual salmon run.

Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but this is one of the great attractions of travelling through this part of British Columbia and Alaska. Bears, salmon, bald eagles and other wildlife are all part of the northern ecosystem.

And this is another reason I particularly like this itinerary. Wildlife is not simply presented as an attraction; it is part of a much larger story involving rivers, forests, food systems and the communities that have depended upon them for generations.

Boya Lake: a hidden gem of northern British Columbia

Continuing north along the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, the journey reaches Boya Lake Provincial Park. Boya Lake is known for its unusually clear, turquoise-coloured water and its numerous islands. There is time to enjoy the lake and surrounding landscape, with opportunities for walking, swimming or canoeing.

It is one of those places that illustrates why travelling through northern British Columbia is so rewarding. The scenery isn't simply one succession of dramatic mountain viewpoints. There is a constantly changing combination of lakes, forests, rivers, mountains and small communities.

The Yukon and the Alaska Highway

Eventually, the journey reaches the Yukon and joins the historic Alaska Highway.

For anyone interested in the history of western Canada and Alaska, travelling this road is an experience in itself.

Built during the Second World War, the Alaska Highway became one of the most famous road routes in North America. Today, it provides access to some of the Yukon and Alaska's most remote landscapes.

At Watson Lake, you can visit the famous Sign Post Forest, where travellers have been adding signs from their hometowns and countries for decades.

The route then continues towards Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon.

Whitehorse is an important centre for northern culture and history, but it is also a gateway to some of the territory's vast wilderness areas. Here, the itinerary provides another opportunity to learn about Yukon First Nations history and contemporary culture.

Meeting Indigenous communities

The Indigenous experiences are one of the features that distinguish this journey from a conventional western Canada and Alaska road trip.

Rather than simply sightseeing through the North, the itinerary creates opportunities to meet Indigenous hosts and learn directly about their communities, traditions and relationships with the land.

In the Yukon, you will have an opportunity to learn about traditional food, plants and cultural practices. A Dän Zhùr workshop, for example, explores the traditional uses of the Donjek berry for food, medicine and adornment.

There is also an opportunity to spend time around a campfire listening to stories and learning from local hosts.

These experiences add another dimension to the landscapes you are travelling through.

It is easy to look at northern Canada and see wilderness as an empty space. It isn't. These landscapes are home to Indigenous peoples whose histories and cultures are deeply connected to the rivers, mountains, forests and wildlife.

Travelling through the Yukon

The Yukon section of the journey provides some of the most expansive scenery of the trip.

The mountains become larger, the settlements smaller and the distances between communities greater. Kluane National Park and Reserve is one of the major highlights of the region, with enormous mountain landscapes and extensive wilderness.

The region is also home to Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain, although the itinerary is about experiencing the broader landscape rather than climbing or mountaineering.

This is important to understand about the trip: you don't need to be a hardcore trekker or mountaineer to enjoy it.

The emphasis is on experiencing the North – walking, wildlife, landscapes, cultural experiences and time outdoors – rather than technical adventure activities.

Crossing into Alaska

Eventually, the journey crosses the international border into Alaska.

The landscape doesn't suddenly change when you cross the border. The same mountains, rivers and forests continue northward, but the journey begins to reveal another side of the region.

The route follows the Alaska Highway towards Tok before continuing towards the Copper River region. Here, you will have another opportunity to meet members of the Ahtna community and learn about the traditional importance of salmon and the Copper River.

Seeing a working fish wheel and traditional smokehouse provides an insight into the practical relationship between people and the river. Salmon isn't simply wildlife here; it is an important food source and an integral part of the culture and history of the region.

This connection between landscape, wildlife and Indigenous culture is one of the strongest themes running through the entire journey.

The final journey to Anchorage

The final section of the trip takes you through the Chugach Mountains towards Anchorage.

After more than two weeks travelling through remote parts of British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska, arriving in Alaska's largest city provides quite a contrast.

Anchorage is surrounded by mountains and wilderness but also offers restaurants, museums, galleries and other urban amenities. It is also an excellent place to extend your trip if you would like to spend additional time exploring Alaska.

Why this is our Trip of the Month

There are many ways to travel to Alaska.

You can fly into Anchorage, take a cruise through the Inside Passage or join a tour focused on Alaska's major national parks.

What makes Wilderness and Indigenous Communities of Western Canada & Alaska different is the journey itself.

Over 16 days, you travel from Vancouver through British Columbia, along the remote Stewart-Cassiar Highway, into the Yukon and along the Alaska Highway before crossing into Alaska and finishing in Anchorage.

You experience some of the most remote landscapes in western Canada and Alaska.

You have opportunities to see glaciers and wildlife, explore lakes and forests, camp in remote areas and travel through small northern communities.

Just as importantly, you have opportunities to meet Indigenous people and learn about cultures and traditions that are inseparable from the landscapes through which you are travelling.

For me, that combination of wilderness, wildlife, culture and road-trip adventure makes this a particularly compelling journey.

Who is this trip best suited to?

Wilderness and Indigenous Communities of Western Canada & Alaska is best suited to travellers who enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

There are some long driving days, including days of six hours or more on the road. That is unavoidable when travelling through such a large and sparsely populated region, although the journey is broken up with stops and opportunities to explore.

Accommodation includes hotels and motels as well as camping in more remote locations. Some of the accommodation is intentionally simple because of the nature of the route.

You should be comfortable spending time outdoors, walking on uneven terrain and camping. A reasonable level of mobility is important, but you do not need to be an experienced trekker or outdoor specialist.

What you do need is a sense of curiosity and an appreciation for travelling through places that are considerably less developed and less visited than the major tourist destinations of western Canada and Alaska. That's why I've chosen Wilderness and Indigenous Communities of Western Canada & Alaska as our Trip of the Month.

Are you interested? Contact me for information about the itinerary, rates and dates.