Explore and learn
The Bulkley Valley is the TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE WITSUWIT'EN, who have lived here for countless generations. Their rich culture is seen and heard throughout the valley, the land that they have known and loved longer than memory can recount.
Land of the Witsuwit'en
This land of the Witsuwit'en stretches from Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the south to Babine Lake in the north, to Fraser Lake in the east and to Hazelton in the west. Witsuwit'en people inhabited this area when European settlers first arrived in the late 1800s and they live here still. The largest Witsuwit'en community today is Witset (Moricetown) on the Widzin Kwah (Bulkley River). The village is situated on the banks of the river where it narrows to a spectacular gorge known as Widzin Kwah Canyon. Migrating salmon stop to rest in the calm waters downstream of the canyon and that abundance of salmon is what makes this an important fishing spot both historically and today.
Visiting the Widzin Kwah (Moricetown) Canyon | photo: Tourism Smithers
Local Witsuwit'en Fisher in the Widzin Kwah (Moricetown) Canyon | photo Walter Joseph
Self-Guided Tour
DOWNLOAD the BROCHURE » Explore Smithers! 3 Self-Guided Walking Tours (1 mb)
MURALS, BUILDINGS & TOTEMS
DOWNLOAD this FREE WALKING TOUR and explore Smithers and Witset at your own pace. Along the way, you’ll encounter colourful murals, historic buildings, and striking First Nations totems and artifacts—each with its own story to tell. It’s a fun and meaningful way to connect with local culture, heritage, and the spirit of the valley, all on your own schedule.
You can also pick up the brochure at the SMITHERS VISITOR CENTRE, the BV MUSEUM or the SMITHERS ART GALLERY – all located in Central Park.
BV Museum | photo: BV Community Arts Council & Marty Clemens
in SMITHERS...
Explore the Bulkley Valley Museum
The story of the TOWN OF SMITHERS begins in 1913 with the arrival of the railroad, and the BULKLEY VALLEY MUSEUM is the perfect place to discover how the town — and the valley — grew from there. Friendly staff are always ready to share stories, so be sure to ask about the local fossil beds, the dramatic Main Street fires, the B-36 gun turret, and even the invention of the egg carton!
The museum brings history to life with rotating exhibits created in-house, or borrowed from other museums across the province, alongside a rich permanent collection that traces the Valley’s social and technological development. ’Alhk’ikh Ts’ëdilh (Walking Together): The Shared Histories Exhibition shares the strength and resilience of the Witsuwit'en (Wet'suwet'en) people, on whose traditional territory Smithers and the museum resides. In the archives, you’ll find family and business records, microfilmed editions of the Interior News and other local papers, plus thousands of photographs documenting Smithers and the surrounding valley from the early 1900s to the present — a vivid window into the community’s past and present.
Discover some of the stories behind the LANDMARK BUILDINGS, a public garden and heritage buildings when you download and follow the "Historic Buildings" tour in the Walking Tour Guide at the top of this page.
Historic Truss Railway Bridge in Telkwa, BC | photo: credit Village of Telkwa & Thomas Camus
in TELKWA...
Explore the Telkwa Museum & Historic Walking Tour
Just 20 minutes east of Smithers lies the picturesque VILLAGE OF TELKWA, set on the traditional territory of the Gitdumden Clan of the Witsuwit’en people. For generations, Indigenous families fished at the junction of the TELKWA and WIDZIN KWAH (Bulkley) RIVERS. In Witsuwit’en, “Telkwa” means “muddy river,” a nod to the spring runoff that still colours its waters.
Telkwa’s roots go back to 1906, when surveyors laid out the townsite above the Bulkley River near the bustling prospectors’ stop of ALDERMERE. With the arrival of the GRAND TRUNK PACIFIC RAILWAY in 1907, settlers and businesses shifted downhill to Telkwa’s present location for closer access to water and the new rail line. Today, you can step back in time at the TELKWA MUSEUM, where exhibits bring the village’s early 20th-century life to light. Pick up or download the HISTORIC WALKING TOUR OF TELKWA at the Museum or the VILLAGE OF TELKWA office to explore historic buildings and imagine what Telkwa looked like more than a century ago.
Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum | photo: Tourism Smithers & Sandra Smith
in Witset...
Drive 25 minutes west of Smithers to WITSET (formerly Moricetown) for a MUSEUM VISIT, a CULTURAL TOUR, and to witness the SPECTACULAR WITSET CANYON.
See Widzin Kwah (Moricetown) Canyon
This is a must-see! The rush of the river as it squeezes through the gorge is mesmerizing. It can be heart-stopping to watch the Wet’suwet’en fishers out on the rocks, close to the exploding whitewater, plunging poles into the water to catch powerful salmon in dip nets. The river here can be loaded with salmon (springs or kings, coho, sockeye, pinks) and steelhead swimming upriver to spawning grounds on the Bulkley and Morice Rivers and their tributaries. Watch from above or walk the paths into the canyon. Be careful as you near the river—the rocks are slippery.
Explore the Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum
Widzin Kwah Diyik Be Yikh (Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum) is directly above the canyon, featuring historical displays of traditional life and fishing methods, cultural artifacts, local arts and crafts and a gift shop with books and souvenirs. Call 250-847-1471 or visit witsetcampground.com/widzin-kwah-canyon-house-museum
Join a Witsuwit'en Cultural Tour: Trained cultural tour guides can help deepen your appreciation of the Witsuwit'en way of life. To book your Cultural Tour, call 250-847-1471 or visit witsetcampground.com/cultural-tours
Discover Witsuwit'en Totem Poles & Artwork: A glimpse of Witsuwit'en art and totem poles can be seen around Smithers and in Witset. Download and follow the "Totem Poles & Artifacts" tour in the Walking Tour Guide at the top of this page.
Stay at the Campground & RV Park right above the canyon!
Connected to the Museum is a fully-serviced Campground and RV Park. Open May to October. For more info, call 250-847-1471 or visit www.witsetcampground.com
Christine Namox, Madeline Dennis, Connie Tiljoe, Mary George and Madeline Alfred at Smithers, B.C. 25th anniversary celebration. Written on back of photo "Indian women at Smithers Birthday Celebration Aug 1938". Photo by Val Tomlinson, 1913. P3518, Bulkley Valley Museum visual record collection.
Before lots were formally offered for sale, merchants and businesses such as druggist J. Mason Adams and the Union Bank began operating out of tents on the Smithers townsite. Photo by William W. Wrathall, 1913. P2599, Bulkley Valley Museum visual record collection.
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