Highway 37 Stewart-Cassiar – Scenic Road to Northern Adventure

Fiery Skies
Fiery skies of the midnight sun.

 

Bear Glacier
Bear Glacier, along Highway 37A

Take a road trip where wildlife appears in and on the landscape, signs from around the world sprout in a forest and flowers grow on roofs. This is Highway 37 – the Stewart-Cassiar Highway – where you’ll discover the unexpected, experience the freedom of being off the beaten track, and be awed by dramatic northern landscapes. Here are a few photo highlights you might see on this wilderness route. (For detailed travel information,including travel tips and available services, see Highway 37 Stewart-Cassiar Scenic Route to the Yukon and Alaska).

Highway 37 offers adventurers and nature lovers a scenic route to the Yukon (and onto Alaska), with three possible side trips along the way. When you return south via the Alaska Highway, you travel the ultimate northern circle route. Set off where Highway 37 heads north from Highway 16, about 43 kilometres west of Hazelton. As the route is fully paved, with the exception of about one kilometre (and a few short stretches that are marked) it’s fine for RV travel.

RV 37
Crossing the bridge over the Nass River

Side Trip #1 – Highway 37A to Stewart, B.C and Hyder, Alaska

Highway 37A is full of surprises and spectacular scenery – you can snap a photo of Bear Glacier right from the roadside. At Stewart’s location near the fourth largest fjord in the world, the steep mountains drop straight to the ocean. Keep driving and suddenly, with little fanfare you’ll be in Hyder Alaska, the most southerly town on the Alaska panhandle. (Well, all of Alaska, actually).

Hyder sign
“Shortcut to Alaska” – B.C.’s Highway 37A goes to Alaska’s most southerly town.
Stewart
Picturesque Stewart, B.C.
Hyder Main Street
You are entering the United States.

Outdoor Adventure

Along Highway 37, there is infinite opportunity for outdoor adventure – hiking. fishing, bear watching and heli-skiing (in the winter). Start by exploring the many provincial parks and ecological reserves on this BC Parks map. You can overnight at provincial campgrounds, or at privately operated campgrounds or accommodations.

Bell II Lodge
Charming Bell II Lodge where flowers grow on the roof.

It’s common to see bear, caribou, moose, fox, mountain goats or other animals along the highway, especially In the late spring and early summer, when adults cross the road with their young. Admire them safely from inside your vehicle, and be sure you’re not blocking traffic.

Mumma and two cubs
Mumma black bear and her cubs
Hungry Moose
A hungry moose… …dunking for food

Side Trip #2 – Road Telegraph Creek Road

Telegraph Creek Road is all gravel and has grades of up to 20 per cent, as it follows the canyons of the Stikine River. This is a route you drive carefully! (Not recommended for RV trailers). The road goes to the community of Telegraph Creek, where buildings from the late 1800s gold rush era remain.

Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock – see the feathers of the outstretched wings?
Wards Hill
Wards Hill – steep and windy.
Telegraph Creek
Historic building in Telegraph Creek.
Sign Post Forest
Just into the Yukon, there is Watson Lake’s Sign Post Forest, started in 1942 by a homesick Alaska Highway engineer.

Side Trip #3 – Atlin

You have to leave B.C. to get to Atlin, B.C. In fact, you leave and enter the Yukon and B.C. twice! See this map, to get the idea.

Atlin
The picture postcard that is Atlin, B.C.
Atlin Museum
Atlin’s Museum in the old school house.
Red Buggy
An older form of transport, one of Atlin’s many historic treasures.
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Page 1 of 13 comments on “Highway 37 Stewart-Cassiar – Scenic Road to Northern Adventure”

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  1. Hi. Glad I found this page. I worked at Cassiar Asbestos mine in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The Stewart Cassiar was mostly unpaved back in those days. I still have fond memories of the many times I drove it. Winter or summer the views are stunning with many opportunities to see moose, Dahl Sheep and even a massive wolf one time. I would dearly love to get out that way and do it again.

    Cheers
    BB

  2. Highway is brutal. I’m a log truck driver and I have been on a lot of neglected roads. This highway takes the cake! Absolutely brutal on our pickup and travel trailer. Couldn’t even look for these “scenic views” as you are to busy dodging pot holes.

  3. Bob, I rode the Stewart-Cassiar by motorcycle and it was mostly paved. There were three short sections of gravel, a few km each that were smooth and wide, no problem at all. But as always, it depends on the weather too. You’ll encounter road construction as well, especially on the Alcan in Northern BC and the Yukon where road surfaces can be rough and dirty. The ride overall is awesome and well worth any inconvenience!

  4. Drove the hwy in 2003 and as I recall there was quite a lot of gravel. Want to do it on a motorcycle this summer and am wondering what you mean by “short stretches”. What would you estimate the total amount of gravel from the Alaska Hwy to Hwy 16 near Kitwanga in the south? Thanks

    • Hi Bob,

      I am guessing you meant the Stewart-Cassiar Highway to Hwy 16 at Kitwanga, or do you want to know about the stretch of the Alaska Highway in BC? When this blog was written three years ago, the Stewart-Cassiar (Hwy 37) was fully paved, with the exception of about one kilometre (and a few short stretches that are marked). By the way, if you mean the Alaska Highway, then be aware that there is some road restoration underway on Highway 97 between Chetwynd and Hudson’s Hope, due to major flooding. Please confirm with me which route you wish to know about, and I’ll check with the people responsible. Thanks!

  5. Came across your site today, and I have memories of traveling out to Stewart and Hyder. I saw a bear with her cub and took pictures of Bear glacier and the blue colour of the glacier,and many other pictures. I am going to look through my pictures. Thanks for bringing back memories.