Granisle, Lakes District, North British Columbia

Originating in 1965 and incorporated as a village in 1971, mining activities in the Granisle area continued until 1992. Granisle is nestled on the western shore of central Babine Lake, and tourism is now one of the leading industries in the economy of Granisle.

Population: 352

Location: Granisle is located on Babine Lake in northwest British Columbia, 30 miles (48 km) north of the Yellowhead Highway 16 on a paved road (half-hour drive).

• Museum and Visitor Centre, Granisle, BC

  Fulton River Spawning Channel: Witness one of the largest salmon runs in the world at the Fulton River Spawning Channel. Drive 35 km north of Topley on a paved road and look for the spawning channel just after you cross the Fulton River Bridge. From mid to late September hundreds of thousands of spawning Sockeye Salmon fill the Fulton River and spawning channel.

  A fish counting fence improves viewing opportunities and interpretive signs can be found along the riverbank. Keep an eye out for Osprey, Bald Eagles and Black Bears attracted by the salmon carcasses. Similar viewing opportunities are found at the Pinkut Creek Spawning Channel north of Burns Lake.

• Hatcheries: Visitors are also welcome at the Pinkut Creek and Fulton River Hatcheries, the largest of their type in the world, holding up to 180,000 adult sockeye salmon. The best viewing is during the summer, in late August and early September.

• Babine Lake, Northern British Columbia

  Look for fascinating First Nations' petroglyphs (Indian rock face carvings) on the cliffs at Babine Lake, almost directly opposite the Pinkut Creek spawning Channel.

• The 177 kilometre long Babine Lake is the longest natural lake in BC, with 170 kilometres of shoreline to explore.

• See the replica Wooly Mammoth bones on display at the Visitor Info Centre and Museum. The bones and tusk of the mammoth, discovered at the Bell Mine site in 1971, have been carbon dated to over 34,000 years old.

• Named for the iron-stained cliffs that plunge into Babine Lake, the Red Bluff Provincial Park offers sites for camping, a picnic area, a boat launch, nature trails and a fabulous sandy beach.

• The fishing is par excellence in the extensive system of lakes and rivers that surround nearby Houston, which can rightfully claim to be the Steelhead Capital of Canada.

• First Nations community of Tachet Landing on the Fulton River as it enters Babine Lake

  Tachet Landing: The Fulton River flows into Babine Lake south of Granisle, just north of the Babine Nation community of Tachet Landing. The modern village of Tachet Landing has a satellite band office and approximately 130 permanent residents. There is also a settlement at nearby Old Fort, a truly historic and rustic spot. An easy hike upstream takes you to Millionaires Pool, below the beautiful Fulton Falls.

• Take the Houston/Granisle Circle Tour, which starts at Granisle and winds south to Highway 16. Turn right and follow Highway 16 west through Houston to Telkwa, where you turn off the main highway onto the back roads to Granisle. There are breathtaking views of the Telkwa Range, Tyhee Lake, and Hudson Bay Mountain, with many places to stop and take pictures. Travellers can go for a swim or relax at one of the beaches, picnic areas and rest areas, including one on the Bulkley River. Maps and directions of the circle tour are available from the Visitor Centre.

• See the best of Northern BC on one of the Circle Tours that capture the wonders of the north. The Circle Tour of Northern British Columbia incorporates the Alaska Highway through the Rocky Mountain foothills to Watson Lake in the Yukon, linking with the Stewart/Cassiar Highway and Yellowhead Highway 16 in the south. The Inside Passage Tour and The Native Heritage Tour follow the same route, from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island north by ferry to Prince Rupert. Catch another ferry to the Queen Charlotte Islands, or venture east on the Yellowhead Highway to Prince George, and south through the peaceful Cariboo to Vancouver along the historic Cariboo Wagon Road.