In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Canada
New Hazelton
One night, and only if you are driving Highway 16 or riding the VIA Skeena: the totem poles and canyon bridge are the reason, not the town.
New Hazelton is the service town for the Three Hazeltons — New Hazelton, Old Hazelton 6 km northwest and South Hazelton 5 km west — on Highway 16 between Smithers and Terrace. It is a road and rail stop, not a destination: one night covers the 'Ksan village, the Hagwilget canyon bridge and the Kispiox totem poles. Without a car you are limited to what BC Transit's three-day-a-week routes reach.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (snow and ice on Highway 16); check for wildfire smoke in Jul–Aug
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Wrinch Memorial Hospital, Hazelton +1 250-842-5211 · BC Bus North +1-844-564-7494
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a bakery item | C$6–12 |
| Motel double room, summer | C$110–220 |
| Campsite pitch | C$20–40 |
| BC Transit local fare | C$2.50 |
| BC Bus North fare, by distance | C$40–65 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YXT · Northwest Regional Airport, Terrace
- About 1 h 30 min east by car on Highway 16; the nearest airport with scheduled flights.
- YXS · Prince George Airport
- About 5 h west by car; VIA Rail also links Prince George with New Hazelton.
Typical fares
- BC Bus North, Prince George → New Hazelton
- C$40–65 depending on distance, twice weekly
- BC Transit local fare
- C$2.50 cash, up to C$6 regional
- VIA Rail, Smithers → New Hazelton
- reservation required; flag stop
Get around
A car is the practical choice: Old Hazelton is 6 km northwest on Churchill Road (unsigned Highway 62), South Hazelton 5 km west on Highway 16, and Kispiox 16 km north of Hazelton on Kispiox Valley Road. BC Transit's Hazeltons system (routes 31 and 32) runs within the Hazeltons and to surrounding Indigenous villages, but only some days of the week — check the current timetable before relying on it.A car is the practical choice: Old Hazelton is 3.7 mi northwest on Churchill Road (unsigned Highway 62), South Hazelton 3.1 mi west on Highway 16, and Kispiox 9.9 mi north of Hazelton on Kispiox Valley Road. BC Transit's Hazeltons system (routes 31 and 32) runs within the Hazeltons and to surrounding Indigenous villages, but only some days of the week — check the current timetable before relying on it.
See and do
Known for
- 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum
- Hagwilget Canyon Bridge
- Kispiox totem poles
- Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en territory
- Gateway to the Skeena and Bulkley rivers
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Old Hazelton and 'Ksan Historical Village | Drive 6 km northwest on Churchill Road (unsigned Highway 62)Drive 3.7 mi northwest on Churchill Road (unsigned Highway 62) | About 15 min |
| Hagwilget Canyon Bridge | On Highway 62 between New Hazelton and Hazelton | About 10 min |
| Kispiox totem poles | Drive 16 km north of Hazelton on Kispiox Valley RoadDrive 9.9 mi north of Hazelton on Kispiox Valley Road | About 30 min |
| Smithers | Drive east on Highway 16, or VIA Rail | About 1 h 15 min by car |
| Terrace | Drive west on Highway 16, or VIA Rail | About 1 h 30 min by car |
| Prince Rupert | Drive west on Highway 16, or VIA Rail | About 3 h by car |
Sleep
- 10th Avenue strip, New Hazelton
- The motels, bakery, café and restaurant sit within a few hundred metres of each other; walkable once you park.
- Old Hazelton
- 6 km northwest on Churchill Road (unsigned Highway 62); historic buildings and the 'Ksan village, but few beds.3.7 mi northwest on Churchill Road (unsigned Highway 62); historic buildings and the 'Ksan village, but few beds.
- South Hazelton
- 5 km west on Highway 16; closest to Anderson Flats Provincial Park.3.1 mi west on Highway 16; closest to Anderson Flats Provincial Park.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| Is this the road to Hazelton? | Is this the road to Hazelton? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Highway 16 is a northern mountain road: winter tyres or chains and daylight driving in snow season.
- Fuel and food gaps are real between Smithers and Terrace — fill up when you can.
- New Hazelton station is a flag stop: VIA Rail will not stop unless you have a reservation.
- Cell coverage is patchy on side roads; download offline maps.
- Wildfire smoke can close roads or wreck the view in Jul–Aug: check DriveBC and BC Wildfire before you commit.
Small-town safe; the real risks are the drive (winter ice, wildlife, long fuel gaps) and wildfire smoke in summer. Emergency care is at Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton, 24/7.
One and two days
No timed day plan for New Hazelton yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum
- Hagwilget Canyon Bridge
- Kispiox totem poles
- Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en territory
- Gateway to the Skeena and Bulkley rivers
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- New Hazelton official website: newhazelton.ca/
- VIA Rail — New Hazelton station: www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/rockies-and-pacific/new-hazelton
- BC Bus North: bcbus.ca/
- BC Transit — Hazeltons: www.bctransit.com/hazeltons/home
- BC Parks — Anderson Flats Provincial Park: bcparks.ca/anderson-flats-park/
- BC Parks — Ross Lake Provincial Park: bcparks.ca/ross-lake-park/
- Northern Health — Wrinch Memorial Hospital: www.northernhealth.ca/find-a-facility/hospitals/wrinch-memorial-hospital
- Wikivoyage: New Hazelton, revision 5238534 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5238534
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
New Hazelton
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Wrinch Memorial Hospital, Hazelton+1 250-842-5211
- BC Bus North+1-844-564-7494
No consulates here; the nearest are in Vancouver. US citizens: consulate general in Vancouver; UK, Canada-based high commission in Ottawa.
English is the working language; Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en languages are spoken in the surrounding communities.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/new-hazelton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.