HOW TO GET HERE
By Air
Daily flights from Vancouver Internation Airport (YVR) with Air Canada, Hawk Air or Central Mountain Air flights to Smithers Airport (YYD) depart the Lower Mainland from Abbotsford International Airport (YXX).
By Vehicle
We are located in the HEART of BC on the Yellowhead Trans Canada or “Highway 16”, 370 km/222 miles west of Prince George; and 350 km/218 miles from the Port of Prince Rupert on the Pacific Ocean. This makes Smithers easy to find if you’re coming from anywhere in BC, Alberta, the U.S. or eastern Canada.
Getting to Smithers:
From Jasper, Alberta:
- Follow Route 16 West
From Banff/Lake Louise:
- Follow Route 1 West to Kamloops; follow Route 5 North to Tete Jaune Cache; follow Route 16 West
- Or, Follow Route 1 West to Cache Creek; follow Route 97 North to Prince George; follow Route 16 West
From Vancouver BC:
- Follow Route 1 East to Cache Creek; follow Route 97 North to Prince George; follow Route 16 West
- Or, follow Route 99 (Sea to Sky Highway) North through Lillooet to Route 97; follow Route 97 North to Prince George; follow Route 16 West
From Alaska and Yukon Territory:
- Follow Route 37 South from Watson Lake YT to Kitwanga BC; follow Route 16 East
Road conditions:
Provincial highways Road Reports are updated as new information becomes available.
By Rail
Smithers is also on the “main line” of Canadian National Railways and is served by Via Rail. Smithers BC receives rail service several times a week from Prince George and Prince Rupert. Aboard the train, you’ll be treated to some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world—the mighty Nechako and Skeena Rivers; the Hudson Bay Glacier and numerous mountain ranges. As you twist and turn through the ever-changing landscape, you might see moose, deer and black bear near the rail line, curious about your passing. Historic Via Rail station in Smithers British Columbia
By Ferry
Regular B.C. Ferry Service or Alaska Ferries can deliver you to Prince Rupert, B.C. from where you can then take the train or follow follow Route 16 East along the mighty Skeena River where you may get a glimpse of seals and sea lions feeding on salmon. After visiting the City of Terrace (population 18, 000), prepare yourself for a breathtaking panorama as you drive through the Hazleton mountains enroute to Smithers. Look for the fabled “Seven Sisters” near Cedarvale. Soon, you’ll be in Moricetown, a Wet’sewet’en village. Here, the Bulkley River—rushing on its way to meet the mighty Skeena at Hazleton— smashes through a narrow gorge where Wet’sewet’en fishermen strain under the weight of 70 lb salmon.
