British Columbia Highway 37

	Template: Infobox high-level street / Maintenance / CA / BC-H
	Highway 37 in British Columbia, Canada
	Kitimat Cassiar
	Basic data
Operator:	British Columbia ; Ministry of Transportation
Start of the street:	Kitimat ; ( 54 ° 3 ′ N , 128 ° 37 ′ W )
End of street:	Provincial border with Yukon ; ( 60 ° 2 ′ N , 129 ° 4 ′ W )
Overall length:	873 km
Regional District :	Kitimat stikine; Stikine;

The British Columbia Highway 37 is a 873 km long road connecting the hinterland of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and provides the connection between the Yellowhead Highway and the Alaska Highway ago. The northern section between Kitwanga and the confluence with the Alaska Highway is also known as the Cassiar Highway or Stewart-Cassiar Highway .

The highway is between the intersection with Highway 16 and Kitimat (crossing "Nalabila Boulevard"), as so-called feeder route , and between the junction with Highway 16 and the intersection with Highway 97 , the so-called Northern and Remote Route , part of the Canadian National Highway System .

course

The highway, the only road link in the northwest of the province with the exception of Atlin Road (Yukon Highway 7), a short section of the South Klondike Highway and a short section of the Haines Highways (Alaska Highway 7 / Yukon Highway 3), is an alternative route to the Alaska Highway. The actual Highway 37 is divided into the sections:

Highway 37 South between Kitimat and Thornhill (61 km)
Highway 37 / Highway 16 between Thornhill and Kitwanga (91 km)
Highway 37 North between Kitwanga and the Yukon Territory border (720 km)
Yukon Highway 37 between the British Columbia border and Highway 37 Services on the Alaska Highway (4 km)

In the middle section of the highway between Thornhill and the bridge to Kitwanga, the road course corresponds to the Yellowhead Highway in the valley of the Skeena River .

The branch lines belonging to the Highway 37 system have the following course:

Highway 37 A (also called Stewart Highway or Glacier Highway ) between Meziadin Junction and Stewart / Hyder (Alaska - 65 kilometers)
Salmon Glacier Road between Hyder and Summit Viewpoint (37 kilometers)
Telegraph Creek Road (referred to as Highway 51 in some sources) between Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek (113 kilometers) or Glenora (130 kilometers)

Highway 37 South

Highway 37 begins in the city of Kitimat, which was founded in the 1950s and now has around 9,000 inhabitants and is one of the most important ports on the Pacific coast . The road runs through the valley of the Kitimat River for nearly 30 kilometers before entering the valley of the Lakelse River near Onion Lake on a low pass. It follows the east bank of Lakelse Lake ( Lakelse Lake Provincial Park ) and meets at Thornhill on the south bank of the Skeena River after a distance of around 60.5 kilometers on the Yellowhead Highway, which it follows to Gitwangak .

Cassiar Highway / Highway 37 North

Yellowhead Highway to Meziadin Junction

Gas station on the Yellowhead Highway - the starting point of the Cassiar Highway

At kilometer 241 (from Prince Rupert , 479 km from Prince George ) of the Yellowhead Highway, the Cassiar Highway begins with a bridge over the Skeena River. Immediately on the north bank, a driveway leads to Gitwangak to the east, a Gitxsan camp known for its Anglican church and totem poles , which also have the rank of National Historic Site .

4 km after crossing the bridge, an access road leads west to Kitwanga, 2.5 km further north there is a second access road. Only a few hundred yards further a road leads east along the north bank of the Skeena River to Hazelton . This stretch was the main stretch of the highway until the bridge over the Skeena River south of Kitwanga was completed in 1979.

The road follows the valley of the Kitwanga River for about 35 km, the Kisipox Range rises to the east, the peaks of the Nass Ranges rise to the west.

After 21 km, you will come to the westward access to Gitanyow - formerly called Kitwancool - a Gitxsan settlement about 3.5 km from the road. This village is famous throughout the province for the variety and variety of shapes of its totem poles, and there is also a small museum. Another driveway joins at kilometer 26. For 384 km this is the last settlement on or near the main route of Highway 37.

The road passes Kitwancool Lake, the old route of the highway leads closer to the lakeshore, but is only usable for four-wheel drive vehicles . The route leads over a not very pronounced pass height into the valley of the Cranberry River, which is crossed for the first time at km 63.

At kilometer 76 - called Cranberry Junction - the junction of Nass FS Road - also called Nisga'a Highway - the connection with New Aiyansh (62 km) and Terrace (159 km) is reached, directly behind it is the second bridge over the Cranberry River .

The road climbs for a short time, crosses Derrick Creek and descends into the Nass River valley . At kilometer 86, a high-voltage line from BC Hydro crosses the road. From around kilometer 108, if visibility is good, the Cambria ice field becomes visible in a north-westerly direction.

At kilometer 139, the road reaches Elsworth Logging Camp, which also provides services for travelers. At kilometer 142 the highway crosses the Nass River 40 m below on a single-lane 122 m long bridge. Two other bridges at kilometers 151 and 153 cross Tintina Creek and Hanna Creek South, with the second bridge in particular offering an optimal view of sockeye salmon and the grizzly bears spawning here in July and August .

Meziadin Junction

At kilometer 156 Meziadin Junction - a small rest stop - is reached, Highway 37A to Stewart and Hyder turns west into the valley of Strohn Creek, Highway 37 towards Dease Lake turns right.

In the area between its confluence with the Yellowhead Highway and Meziadin Junction, Highway 37 offers access to a number of natural parks and to some places of cultural and historical importance:

Kitwanga Mountain Provincial Park
Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic Site - a stronghold of the Gitxsan , now a National Historic Site of Canada
Gitanyow - a Gitxsan village, now a National Historic Site of Canada
Swan Lake Kisipox River Provincial Park
Meziadin Lake Provincial Park

The following facilities are available to take care of the traveler:

Kilometer 0 - gas station, repairs, shopping, telephone
Mile 139 - Meziadin Lake General Store - Gas station, restaurant, motel, camping, shopping, phone, post office
Kilometer 156 - Meziadin Junction Esso - gas station, repairs (tires), restaurant, camping

Meziadin Junction to Dease Lake

The section between Meziadin Junction and Dease Lake is one of the loneliest roads in Canada, but it is now completely paved. The first prominent waymark is reached at kilometer 165 with the bridge over the Hanna Creek North, which is also known for salmon and bears. To the west of the route rises Mount Pattullo (2729 m), after 189 km the Bell-Irving River is crossed for the first time, the Cassiar Highway follows the course of this tributary of the Nass River for about 60 km. West of the road is Bowser Lake; the valley of the Bowser River, which is fed by Frank Mackie Glacier, connects to Granduc at the end of Salmon Glacier Road.

Bell-Irving River

Some of the rivers that flow into the Bell-Irving River to the west of the road are crossed on wooden bridges from the construction time of this highway, at kilometer 246 a parking lot is reached on Hodder Lake, where there is an information desk and a possibility to use boats Lake offers. The second crossing of the Bell-Irving River takes place at kilometer 249, the road turns briefly to the west and runs along the north bank of the river to Bell II Lodge.

The road now climbs in the narrow valley of Snowbank Creek the Ningunsaw Pass (kilometer 275, 466 m), which separates the river systems of the Nass River and the Stikine River, through the valley of the Ningunsaw River the valley of the Iskut River is reached. Echo Lake, reached at kilometer 289, offers remains of the Yukon Telegraph Line and great views of the Coast Mountains. The Bob Quinn FS Road branches off to the west at kilometer 294 and, as an extension of the Iskut Mining Road, opens year-round access to the gold fields southwest of the Ningunsaw River and in Eskay Creek. Between kilometers 294 and 297 there are various facilities, some of which are related to these mining activities, such as a landing pad for small aircraft and a road maintenance facility, which is also available for repairs in an emergency.

From kilometer 314 a distinct change in vegetation is visible, while so far in the Pacific, temperate rainforest with giant trees of life and hemlock predominated that goes vegetation which now increasingly in the boreal zone over that of black spruce and white spruce dominated will occasionally show lodgepole pine and American Common Aspen . On both sides of the street are the signs of the so-called Iskut Burn, a fire that was triggered by a lightning strike and which in 1958 destroyed an area of around 320 km² and created space for the largest population of blueberries . The highway runs through the valley of the Iskut River, to the east rise the Skeena Mountains, the peaks of which - like the RN Mountain (2106 m) and Mount Pinhorn (2236 m) - partly drop in steep cliffs, to the west the Spectrum Range rises with the Hankin Peak (2576 m), Mount Edziza (2787 m) only becomes visible at the end of the valley in good visibility in the northwest . The highway climbs slightly, some larger lakes are reached in the upper valley of the Iskut River, at kilometer 358 there is a parking lot at the starting point of a short hiking trail to Natadesleen Lake, at kilometer 392 a road leads to Ealue Lake, twelve kilometers away.

The first settlement on Highway 37 north of Gitanyow - Iskut - is reached at kilometer 406. Only a few kilometers north of the approximately 1100 m high pass between Zechtoo Mountain (1782 m) and Mount Poelzer (2169 m), which separates the valleys of the Iskut River and the Stikine River, is overcome. A lookout point 17 km north of Iskut offers a beautiful view of the inactive volcano Mount Edziza and the cinder cones in its massif in good weather . Shortly after, the descent to the Stikine River begins , which is crossed at 437 kilometers.

Across the river begins the ascent to Gnat Pass (1241 m, 468 km), the aisle that becomes visible east of the highway comes from a BC Rail project to connect Dease Lake to the railway network at Fort St. James, which was abandoned in 1977 . The track bed has already been built over long stretches, but the tracks have not been laid. After crossing the pass, which is the highest point of the entire road, the road drops steeply in the direction of the Tanzilla River, which is crossed at km 479.

Some roads serving local mining projects and forestry branch off in an easterly direction shortly after crossing Dalby Creek. The next hill, the crest of which is crossed at an altitude of 820 m, is the continental divide between the Pacific and the Arctic Ocean . Just one kilometer further north, at 488 kilometer, you will come to Dease Lake.

The highway touches some nature reserves:

In addition, some provincial parks that have no connection to the road system can be reached from the Cassiar Highway:

The number of services is limited:

Kilometer 249 - Bell II Lodge - petrol station, restaurant, motel, camping, shopping, telephone
Mile 353 - Willow Ridge Resort - motel, camping, shopping
Mile 391 - Tatogga Lake Resort - gas station, repairs, restaurant, motel, camping, shopping, phone
Kilometer 403 - Red Goat Lodge - Motel, Hostel, Camping, Telephone
Kilometer 406 - Iskut - gas station, repairs, restaurant, motel, camping, shopping, post office, telephone
Mile 408 - Mountain Shadow RV Park & Campground - Motel, Camping, Phone

Dease Lake to Alaska Highway

North of Dease Lake, the highway moves east of the same name, about 40 km long lake along with a broad valley of Tanzilla plateau, 20 km north of the village there is a beautiful view of the lake, the heavy up about ten kilograms char at Is appreciated by anglers.

At kilometer 532, on the other side of the lake near the mouth of Dease Creek, the remains of the village of Laketon can be seen, which was the seat of local administration during the Cassiar gold rush from 1872 to 1880. Even today gold is being searched for in numerous tributaries of the lake. From the northern end of the lake, the road runs for about 50 km in the valley of the Dease River , which here forms a transition over the Cassiar Mountains . This river is the destination of many anglers in summer, who hunt for char, grayling and pike here .

At kilometer 556 you cross the Dease River, which has widened to Joe Irwin Lake, and change to its north bank, at kilometer 563 you reach Pine Tree Lake at the foot of the Skree Range. A turn to the west leads the highway from the valley of the Dease River into that of the Cottonwood River, this river course is crossed at kilometer 581. The road now leads north over an unnamed pass into a valley in which numerous small lakes, such as Simmons Lake, Twin Lakes and Vines Lake, can be found.

Thunderstorm mood over the Cassiar Highway near Jade City

From kilometer 600 signs of mining activities are increasingly visible in the vicinity of the highway. In the massif of Blackfox Mountain, the Cusak gold mine can be seen, the gold mined in the area is enriched here. Jade City, the second largest settlement on this stretch of road with around 15 inhabitants in summer, is reached at kilometer 602. Most of the blocks of green jade on display come from the Princess Jade Mine, one of the world's largest mining areas in the Stikine Ranges of the Cassiar Mountains, around 130 km south-east.

After a further two kilometers, Cassiar Junction is reached, from here the Cassiar Road leads over 15 km to the northeast to the former town of Cassiar, which was abandoned after the asbestos mine there closed in March 1992. The city, in which about 20 people still live, is not allowed to enter. The mine supplied high-purity chrysotile , the current residents are busy guarding the property and recultivating the mine.

Centerville, reached at kilometer 618, is indicated by an inscription on mining equipment left behind on the roadside, it was once one of the most important centers of gold mining in the region, the largest nugget of pure gold in British Columbia was found here by Alfred Freeman in 1877, it weighed 72 Ounces (around two kilograms). Gold mines are still located here today.

Good Hope Lake, a Kaska settlement that has suffered significant population decline in recent years - from 75 in 2001 to 32 in 2006 - is reached at 625 mile, via a 14.5 km dirt road to McDame Post, a former trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company at the confluence of McDame Creek in the Dease River, which is suitable for fishing and hunting.

Along the highway, which now feeds back to the wide valley of the Dease River, are several scenic lakes, Airplane Lake (km 628), Mud Lake (km 632), and Boya Lake (km 639). From kilometer 639 there is a view of the Horseranch Range (2333 meters), a mountain range consisting of Cambrian rocks that is rich in rare minerals such as tourmaline , garnet , feldspar and beryl . From km 650 the Cassiar Mountains recede, the highway reaches the valley of the Dease River, which here forms the boundary of the Yukon Plateau .

In the following section, the well-developed road crosses several rivers that flow through the hilly landscape in the direction of the Dease River, whose west bank the highway leaves from about 680 kilometers. The main watercourses the road crosses are Baking Powder Creek (km 653), French Creek (km 665), Twentyeight Mile Creek (km 677), Blue River (km 691), Mud Hill Creek (km 700 ) and Cormier Creek (km 714).

At 720 km the border between the province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory is reached at the sixtieth parallel, from here to the confluence with the Alaska Highway 22 kilometers west of the city of Watson Lake are another 4.5 km.

In this 236 km long section of Highway 37 only Boya Lake Provincial Park is touched, the Tuya Mountains Provincial Park from Dease Lake can be reached by bush plane.

The number of rest stops is also limited in this section:

Mile 556 - Dease River Crossing RV & Campground - Gas Station, Motel, Camping, Shopping, Phone
Km 572 - Mosse Meadows - Camping, Telephone
Kilometer 602 - Jade City - gas station, camping, shopping, telephone
Kilometer 724 - Junction 37 Services - Gas station, motel, camping, restaurant, shopping, telephone

Fuel may also be available at Good Hope Lake (km 625).

Highway 37A and Salmon Glacier Road

Highway 37A runs west from Meziadin Junction via Stewart to the Alaska border.

Telegraph Creek Road

Grand Canyon of the Stikine near Telegraph Creek

The Telegraph Creek Road is an unpaved road that leads from Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek or Glenora on the Stikine River. With its narrow, steep sections, it is considered a challenge, but can normally be driven on with normal vehicles. However, a minimum travel time of two hours in each direction should be planned.

The black cover ends after five kilometers, but the road is still usable for normal vehicles from here, except in winter and after heavy rainfall. The road crosses the Tanzilla Plateau , which is mostly covered with thick coniferous forest, on the northwest bank of the Tanzilla River, which often runs right next to the road. The flat course of the road is repeatedly interrupted by side rivers, which are overcome on partially single-lane bridges - Tatsho Creek (12 km), 16 Mile Creek (26 km), Augustchilde Creek (28 km), 19 Mile Creek (30 km) and 22 Mile Creek (20 miles). At kilometer 58, Cariboo Meadows begins, the forest fire area that extends for nearly 20 kilometers on either side of the road that enters the Stikine River Recreation Area at kilometer 59. Here is an excellent vantage point of the Tuya River running north on a small hill above a parking lot. At kilometer 73, the steep and narrow slope to the Tuya River begins, which is crossed at kilometer 76. The entrance to the Golden Bear Mine turns off at kilometer 82, and directly behind it begins the descent into the valley of the Stikine River above Day's Ranch.

At kilometer 89 there is another vantage point that overlooks the western end of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River and the basalt formations on the south bank. Until the start of the descent to the Tahltan River , the highway runs on a ridge just a few meters wide above the impressive gorges of the Stikine and Tahltan River, the latter is crossed at 91 km. There are smoking huts of the local Tahltan on the river, fresh and smoked salmon are offered here in season.

The road rises again to a level of about 120 meters above the Stikine River and passes the settlement Tahltan located above, which is not allowed to be entered (km 97). After 100 km the Eightmile Creek Bridge is passed, from here and a nearby viewpoint there are beautiful views of the valley of the Stikine River, the massif of Mount Edziza in the southwest and a waterfall that falls spectacularly into the river on the south bank. At kilometer 111 Telegraph Creek is reached, the road to the center of this settlement leads in a few hairpin bends in the direction of the river, the road in the direction of Glenora, which is reached after another 19 km, runs further above the river.

history

Totem pole in Kitwancool

The oldest road link in the Cassiar Highway system is Telegraph Creek Road, construction of which was completed in 1922 and should allow an easy transition between the Stikine River and Liard River systems. Even well after the opening of the Alaska Highway, rivers remained the most important transport routes in the northwest of the province of British Columbia. Only the increasing mining of mineral resources on an industrial scale and the development of the untouched forests brought the need for a road connection to the systems of the Alaska Highway and the Yellowhead Highway that could be used all year round. In the 1950s, for example, the road from the Alaska Highway near Watson Lake to Cassiar was expanded in order to connect the local asbestos mines to the road network; this road was reluctantly expanded to Dease Lake in the following years. From the south - where the villages north of the Skeena River were connected to Hazelton via Highway 25 - the existing Forestry Service Roads were expanded to the area of Meziadin Junction.

At the end of the 1960s, the consistent expansion of the line began, by 1972 the highway was completed except for a short stretch south of Iskut and the bridge over the Skeena River, the gap at Iskut was closed in 1973, the bridge built in 1979 at Kitwanga saved the detour via Hazelton.

The southern section connecting Kitimat to the Yellowhead Highway was not completed until 1986.

The journey, which was still adventurous in the early years, was made much easier by the increasing expansion of the road and infrastructure, only a few sections still reflect the appearance of the highways of the 1970s.

Web links

Commons : Stewart-Cassiar Highway - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

Route description and route information from the BC Ministry of Transportation
Reports on the road conditions at DriveBC

Individual evidence

^ Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia. Government of British Columbia, accessed December 6, 2018 .
↑ Landmark Kilometer Inventory (LKI). Government of British Columbia, accessed December 4, 2018 .
↑ Map of Highway 37. (PDF, 703 kB) (No longer available online.) The MILEPOST, archived from the original on May 12, 2013 ; Retrieved November 22, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ Description of the Stewart Cassiar Highway. www.britishcolumbia.com, accessed January 14, 2016 .
↑ Canada's National Highway System - Annual Report 2017. (PDF) Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety, accessed on August 28, 2019 .
^ Kitimat - Origin Notes and History. In: GeoBC. Retrieved November 22, 2012 .
^ Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic Site of Canada. Parks Canada, accessed November 22, 2012 .
^ John Parminter: Fire-ecological relationships for the biogeoclimatic zones of the Cassiar timber supply area. (PDF, 7.1 MB) In: Northern fire ecology project. Protection Branch - Ministry of Forests, September 1983, p. 49 , accessed November 23, 2012 .
↑ Ken Favrholdt: Article on Fort St James including the planned branching railway line. In: The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation, accessed November 23, 2012 .
↑ Description of the Stewart Cassiar Highway. Stewart-Cassiar Tourism Council, accessed November 22, 2012 .
↑ Jade City. Retrieved November 22, 2012 (English, city information).
↑ Cassiar ... do you remember? Cassiar, BC, Canada. Retrieved on November 23, 2012 (English, information on the abandoned town of Cassiar).
↑ Google Books: Gold Panner's Manual (limited preview) in Google Book Search

[1] Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia. Government of British Columbia, accessed December 6, 2018 .

[2] Landmark Kilometer Inventory (LKI). Government of British Columbia, accessed December 4, 2018 .

[3] Map of Highway 37. (PDF, 703 kB) (No longer available online.) The MILEPOST, archived from the original on May 12, 2013 ; Retrieved November 22, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2

[4] Description of the Stewart Cassiar Highway. www.britishcolumbia.com, accessed January 14, 2016 .

[5] Canada's National Highway System - Annual Report 2017. (PDF) Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety, accessed on August 28, 2019 .

[6] Kitimat - Origin Notes and History. In: GeoBC. Retrieved November 22, 2012 .

[7] Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic Site of Canada. Parks Canada, accessed November 22, 2012 .

[8] John Parminter: Fire-ecological relationships for the biogeoclimatic zones of the Cassiar timber supply area. (PDF, 7.1 MB) In: Northern fire ecology project. Protection Branch - Ministry of Forests, September 1983, p. 49 , accessed November 23, 2012 .

[9] Ken Favrholdt: Article on Fort St James including the planned branching railway line. In: The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation, accessed November 23, 2012 .

[10] Description of the Stewart Cassiar Highway. Stewart-Cassiar Tourism Council, accessed November 22, 2012 .

[11] Jade City. Retrieved November 22, 2012 (English, city information).

[12] Cassiar ... do you remember? Cassiar, BC, Canada. Retrieved on November 23, 2012 (English, information on the abandoned town of Cassiar).

[13] Google Books: Gold Panner's Manual (limited preview) in Google Book Search


Main lines	Highway 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8 \| 9 \| 10 \| 11 \| 12 \| 13 \| 14 \| 15 \| 16 \| 17 \| 18 \| 19 \| 20 \| 21 \| 22 \| 23 \| 24 \| 26 \| 27 \| 28 \| 29 \| 30 \| 31 \| 33 \| 35 \| 37 \| 39 \| 41 \| 43 \| 49 \| 52 \| 77 \| 91 \| 93 \| 95 \| 97 \| 99 \| 101 \| 113 \| 118 \| 395
Branch lines and connections	Highway 1A \| 3A \| 3B \| 4A \| 5A \| 7B \| 17A \| 19A \| 22A \| 31A \| 37A \| 91A \| 95A \| 97A \| 97B \| 97C \| 97D
Former highways	Highway 7A
Highways with proper names	Alaska Highway \| Cariboo Highway \| Cassiar Highway \| Coquihalla Highway \| Crowsnest Highway \| John Hart Highway \| Lougheed Highway \| Okanagan Highway \| Pacific Rim Highway \| Sea to Sky Highway \| Trans Canada Highway \| Yellowhead Highway