One of the highlights of a drive up the Cassiar highway is a detour to the “Grand Canyon of Canada” – the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River located in British Columbia. This is one of Canada’s premier canyons and a really fun drive to boot! The road leads to the historic Telegraph Creek and some First Nations camps at Glenora.
The Drive
Although the drive from Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek is only 108 km, you should expect the drive to take around 3 hours… one way! The road is gravel pretty much from the time you leave Dease Lake. I had read warnings that this drive was narrow and steep and after doing more than half of the drive, I came upon a beautiful lookout and a big downhill drop. Hmm, this must be the narrow and steep part, I thought. But I was wrong. I came upon an even steeper and narrower bit, but that still wasn’t the most steep and narrow. Finally, I came upon a steep and narrow crossing into a canyon and back up the other side. The grade on this road is 20 degrees. I put my car in 1st gear and I still had to brake all the way down the hill! There are some parts that are so narrow, you don’t want to look down the side, because it’s over 100 yards to your impending doom if you slip off the cliff.
There was a vehicle that had fallen off the road – please be careful on this drive.
If the cliffs weren’t enough, I also had to drive through a mud slide! It had rained buckets the night before an there were several small mud slides on the road from Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek, one of which I almost got stuck! But the department of transportation was hard at work and the mud slide had been totally cleaned up by the time I returned to Dease Lake in the afternoon.
The Grand Canyon of Canada – Grand Canyon of the Stikine River
I’ve read that this canyon has been compared to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona but I’m sorry to say I’ve been to Grand Canyon National Park several times and this is no comparison. That being said, it’s a beautiful canyon and the drive is worth it. The canyon makes up a 45 mile span of the Stikine River. There are multiple viewpoints along the drive.
Telegraph Creek
Telegraph Creek is a historical city at the bottom of another steep hill. It had poured rain the night before and alas, there were mudslides (another consequence of the 2018 wildfire that consumed half of the historical buildings) that had closed the village on the day of my visit. Locals expected the road to be closed for 3 days.
Grand Canyon of the Stikine – Horses
Horse ranching is a tradition in this area. On the day of my visit, a woman rancher was going to swim 20 horses across the Stikine River at Glenora. I didn’t have hours to wait around because I needed to continue up the Cassiar Highway, but it must have been an incredible site. The river is very swift.
The Tahltans
A posted sign along the road reads “Lifeblood of the Tahltans – The Stikine River at the Tahltan has always been the lifeblood of the Tahltan Nation. Each year the Tahltan returned to the Stikine when the salmon were running as the fish it provided was a main food source. One fishing method involved using a gaff (long pole with a large hook at one end) to catch the salmon, which were dried in the smokehouses. The Tahltan has been a main gathering place for meetings, potlatches and other ceremonial traditions.” In fact, you will likely see smokehouses (wooden buildings with space between the boards) and maybe even come upon a traditional Tahltan fish camp during your drive of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine.
Regrowth in the Canyon
The canyon had a major fire in 2018 but you can see the colorful regrowth starting – although my visit was in early July, it looked a bit like fall colors.
Tips to Visit the Grand Canyon of Canada
Fill up with gas at Dease Lake. There is gas at Telegraph Creek, but best to be full leaving Dease Lake as you will burn gas faster than normal on such a slow speed gravel road.
Watch for wildlife and horses. I saw a fox just after leaving Dease Lake.
Make sure you stay in the lowest gear possible on the downhill drops, to not burn out your brakes.
Are you driving to Alaska? Yes, the road to Telegraph Creek – Grand Canyon of Canada is covered in the Alaska Milepost Guidebook. I recommend this book to get off the beaten path.
Where to Stay
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It is possible to do this trip as a day trip from Dease Lake. (Check Rates and Availability of motels and cabins) Alternatively, there are a couple Bed and Breakfast spots in Telegraph Creek (Check Rates and Availability). There is one rest area along the road to Telegraph Creek before the very steep descent that would make a nice, free camping spot that has a pit toilet and a great view.
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