To showcase everything in one spot is quite the ordeal but it is common to the locals to make Fort Nelson a great place to be - ongoing events and activities year round include; dance workshops, minor hockey league tournaments, moonlit cross-country trail events, heritage days, snowmobiling, dog sledding, curling events, ice carnivals, art walks, golf tournaments, rodeos, skating competitions, photography safaris, white water rafting, fly-in camping, craft fairs, jetboat and hiking excursions - the list goes on. Plan enough vacation time here to experience some of BC's most prestigious natural wonders!
The dramatic natural surroundings are of great inspiration to the local artists and members of the First Nations who are interested in preserving their heritage.
Population: 4,700+
Highlights:
Muskwa River (Kledo Boat Launch)
Toad River
The Racing River, Black Rock Canyon, and the Wokkpash River are a full days 4x4 adventure on back roads, of sharp rocks and tight corners.
Andy Bailey Lake - camping, paddling and birdwatching
Muncho Lake - glacier blue lake with great trout fishing
The Phoenix Theatre
Fort Nelson Heritage Museum
Wild life in the area include; stone sheep, elk, moose, mountain goat, wolf, and black bear.
History:
The Prophet River First Nation have a heritage and cultural lifestyle in the Northern Rockies region that dates back thousands of years. Many of their traditions are supported today by the band members that still live in and around Fort Nelson.
Major projects constructed by white explorers and founding new government from Europe would find new potential for this sometimes uninhabitable area.
Established as a trading post in 1805 by the Northwest Fur Trading Company, Fort Neslon was named after Lord Horatio Nelson, the English Admiral who won the Battle of Trafalgar.
In 1941, the establishment of an airport as part of the World War II Northwest Air Staging Route, was one of Fort Nelson greatest developments to the area. The construction of the Alaska Highway soon followed in 1942. The population growth was staggering, numbers from 200 to exceed 2000 within days!
Fort Nelson eventual gained a solid town site that rests at Historical Mile 300 on the Alaska Highway, which many visitors elect to travel by automobile or recreational vehicle as part of a British Columbia journey that covers many miles and sometimes takes longer than a month to complete.
Climate:
Summer average 18 degrees Celsius
Winter average -16 degrees Celsius
Elevation 1383 feet
Fort Nelson Accommodations
Fort Nelson Things to Do
British Columbia
