Gold was panned on the bars of the Fraser
River in the 1850s. Adventurous treasure seekers headed out from
the Fraser, like some ancient orienteers, to search for
the motherlode up the rivers flowing into the Fraser from the east.
With little more than sketches for maps, alluvial gold was discovered
at Quesnel Forks on the Quesnel River just east of Williams Lake.
Then, in 1862, gold was discovered a bit further north in the rocks
around Barkerville - the rush was on! And still without real maps.
The Cariboo “Waggon Road” was constructed
in 1864-65 and many stopping houses were built along its length
to service the gold seekers. The present Highway 97 follows the
line of the old Gold Rush Trail, joining the many small communities
that have grown up in the intervening years.
Today you can follow the Gold Rush Trail from Vancouver,
up the Fraser to Hope, then north to Lytton and Cache Creek on the
Trans Canada Highway. Here Highway 97 follows the historic Gold
Rush Trail to Williams Lake, Quesnel and Barkerville. A journey
through history and stunning scenery for about 540 kms.
From Edmonton, you can drive through
the magnificent Rockies to Jasper, and then on to Prince George,
and south to Williams Lake taking in the historic towns of
Barkerville and Wells en route, an exploration of about 1000
km.
Williams Lake to Red Deer is 970 km, an easy
day and a half drive for those that wish to participate in
the Barebones Festival. Follow the links below for suggested
routes and tourist information. |
|
Location map (220 KB) |
|
