Blackwater Road to Nazko Lakes

This 180-kilometer dirt highway follows the old fur trade route between Quesnel and Bella Coola, but the real adventure begins at the Nazko Lakes turnoff 80 kilometers west of town. The track splits through dense lodgepole pine forest, emerging at a chain of glacier-fed lakes where Alexander Mackenzie’s expedition likely camped in 1793. You’ll cross the Blackwater River twice on sketchy wooden bridges and navigate around massive beaver ponds that flood the trail seasonally.

Moderate difficulty suitable for any high-clearance 4WD with decent ground clearance. The route stays open year-round but can be impassable during spring breakup in April and May. Fuel up in Quesnel — there’s nothing until Bella Coola. Excellent dispersed camping at multiple lakes, plus world-class rainbow trout fishing. This is proper backcountry exploration through some of BC’s most remote and historically significant wilderness, perfect for overlanders seeking solitude and connection to Canada’s frontier past.