Day trips
Day trips from Clearwater
One valley, four compass points that matter: bears north, a ski resort and a city south, a hundred lakes west -- and the airport run, timed honestly.
Photos of Clearwater
Rights-cleared photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Day trips from Clearwater: the valley is the itinerary
Clearwater sits on Highway 5 (the Yellowhead) in the North Thompson Valley, and almost every good day out runs up or down that one valley: bears and big mountains north, a real ski resort and the region's city south, and a hundred fishing lakes west on Highway 24. Distances below are one-way from Clearwater, with honest drive times -- these are two-lane mountain highways, not freeways.
Blue River and the River Safari: bear country
Blue River + River Safari
A small logging village an hour north, famous for two things: the River Safari jet-boat tours into Grizzly Bear Valley -- up to 12 km of glacier-fed river through the world's only inland temperate rainforest, watching for grizzly and black bears, moose, osprey and eagles -- and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, which is headquartered here. In winter the same valley is one of BC's great snowmobiling destinations.
Valemount + Mount Robson
Push another hour past Blue River and the valley opens under Mount Robson (3,954 m), the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Valemount is the service town; the provincial park's visitor centre and the Berg Lake trailhead sit just west of it. It is a long day trip from Clearwater and an easy overnight -- most people fold it into the drive to or from Jasper.
South: Sun Peaks and Kamloops
Sun Peaks Resort
Canada's second-largest ski area is a genuine day trip from Clearwater: about an hour and a half down the hill and up Highway 5 (the Agate Bay Road shortcut saves the Kamloops detour). In summer the same lifts serve mountain biking, hiking and golf. Clearwater regulars ski their free local hill midweek and make the Sun Peaks run when they want the big-mountain day.
Kamloops
The region's city and the practical day trip: big shopping runs, the hospital, wineries and craft breweries, and Kamloops Airport (below). If you are stocking up for a Wells Gray camping week, this is where the stocking happens. Highway 5 south is an easy, scenic valley drive -- Barriere (about 55 km) makes a natural coffee stop, with its lakes and the Chinook Cove golf course nearby.
West: Little Fort and the Fishing Highway
Little Fort + Highway 24
Thirty kilometres south of Clearwater, Highway 24 turns west at Little Fort and earns its nickname -- the Fishing Highway -- with more than 100 lakes strung along 115 km of road toward 100 Mile House. Bridge Lake is about an hour from Clearwater. Drive it as a lake-hopping day: fish, swim, picnic, repeat. Combined with Highway 5 and the Cariboo Highway it also makes the 450 km Land of Hidden Waters circle route back through Kamloops.
Flying in and out: Kamloops Airport (YKA)
Kamloops Airport (YKA, Fulton Field) is Clearwater's airport: a single small terminal about 10 km northwest of downtown Kamloops, which puts it roughly 135 km and 1 hour 45 minutes from Clearwater by road. Air Canada flies to Vancouver several times a day (about an hour in the air) and WestJet flies to Calgary several times a day, with further service to Edmonton, Victoria and seasonally Whitehorse; from Vancouver or Calgary you can connect almost anywhere. There is no scheduled shuttle between Clearwater and YKA -- this is rental-car or drop-off country, so book the car with the flight. Our full Kamloops Airport guide (terminal, parking, ground transport, layover ideas) is linked below; Kelowna International (YLW), about 3 hours south, is the alternative with more routes.
Before you go
Official sites and guides for places named on this page:
Common questions
What is the best day trip from Clearwater, BC?
For most visitors, Blue River's River Safari (107 km north, about an hour) for the bears, or Sun Peaks (about 1.5 hours south) for a resort day. But the honest answer is that Wells Gray's own corridor -- 68 km of waterfalls ending at Clearwater Lake -- beats any of them, and it starts at the town roundabout.
How far is Clearwater from Kamloops Airport?
About 135 km, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes by car on Highway 5. There is no scheduled shuttle; rent a car at the airport or arrange a drop-off.
Can you visit Mount Robson as a day trip from Clearwater?
Yes, but it is a long one: Valemount is about 200 km (2 hours) north, and the Mount Robson visitor centre and trailheads are just beyond it. Start early or stay the night.
More to explore in Clearwater
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC BY / CC BY-SA); see each file page for the individual credit.
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