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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Smithers
Give Smithers 2 nights as a Bulkley Valley base: one full day for Hudson Bay Mountain or Twin Falls, one for the museum and Main Street.
Smithers is a small alpine-themed town of about 5,400 people on Highway 16, roughly halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. It works as a stop on a northern BC road or rail trip and as a base for skiing, hiking and glacier trails in the Bulkley Valley. Two nights covers the town and one outdoor day; add a night if you ski or hike seriously.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for hiking; Dec–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov and Apr (muddy, thin snow, few services)
- Stay
- 2 nights
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$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ 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 and ambulance 911 · Bulkley Valley District Hospital +1 250-847-2611
- 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 | C$3–6 |
| Breakfast or lunch sandwich | C$12–20 |
| Dinner main | C$20–35 |
| Draught beer at a brewery | C$7–9 |
| Grocery run for a picnic day | C$20–35 |
| BC Bus North fare to Prince George or Prince Rupert | C$40–65 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YYD · Smithers Airport
- About 3.7 km north of town; Air Canada flies from Vancouver in about 1 h 30 min (check)About 2.3 mi north of town; Air Canada flies from Vancouver in about 1 h 30 min (check)
Typical fares
- BC Bus North, Smithers to Terrace
- about C$40–65, 2 h 45 min (check)
- VIA Rail, Smithers to Prince George
- about 6 h 15 min, daylight run (check)
- Air Canada, Vancouver to Smithers
- about 1 h 30 min (check)
Get around
The town centre is walkable in 10–15 minutes end to end. There is no taxi service in Smithers, so plan on driving, walking or the two local BC Transit routes. A car is needed for Hudson Bay Mountain, Twin Falls and most trailheads.
See and do
Known for
- Hudson Bay Mountain skiing and hiking
- Twin Falls and Glacier Gulch trails
- Alpine-style Main Street and the Alpenman statue
- Bulkley Valley Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson Bay Mountain | Drive about 15–20 min west of town to the ski area | About 30 min |
| Twin Falls and Glacier Gulch | Drive to the west end of Glacier Gulch Rd, then walk | About 30 min |
| New Hazelton | Drive east on Highway 16, about 68 kmDrive east on Highway 16, about 42 mi | About 1 h |
| Terrace | Drive west on Highway 16, about 2 h 20 min | About 2.5 h |
| Prince Rupert | VIA Rail or drive west on Highway 16 | 6 h 15 min by train |
| Prince George | VIA Rail, BC Bus North or drive east on Highway 16 | 6 h 15 min by train |
Sleep
- Main Street and downtown
- Walkable to cafés, the museum and shops; most guesthouses sit here.
- Highway 16 east
- Motels and the larger hotels with parking; a short drive from Main Street.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Sorry / Excuse me | Sorry |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Is the road open? | Is the road open? |
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
- No taxi service in town: arrange a lift or rent a car before you arrive.
- Winter temperatures can drop below −30 °C; summer nights often fall under 10 °C.
- Glacier Gulch and upper Twin Falls trails cross avalanche terrain in winter and spring: check conditions before you go.
- Highway 16 is a two-lane mountain road with wildlife and long gaps between services.
Smithers is a small, quiet town and street crime is low. The real risks are mountain weather, wildlife on Highway 16 and avalanche terrain on the upper trails: tell someone your route and carry layers.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Smithers yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hudson Bay Mountain skiing and hiking
- Twin Falls and Glacier Gulch trails
- Alpine-style Main Street and the Alpenman statue
- Bulkley Valley Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Smithers: tourismsmithers.com/
- Town of Smithers: www.smithers.ca/
- Smithers Airport: www.smithers.ca/airport
- VIA Rail — Smithers station: www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/rockies-and-pacific/smithers
- BC Bus North: bcbus.ca/
- BC Transit — Smithers: www.bctransit.com/smithers/home
- Hudson Bay Mountain: hudsonbaymountain.ca/
- Bulkley Valley Museum: bvmuseum.org
- Wikivoyage: Smithers, revision 5246146 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5246146
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Smithers
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire and ambulance911
- Bulkley Valley District Hospital+1 250-847-2611
No embassies in Smithers; the nearest consulates are in Vancouver.
English is the working language; a few Wet'suwet'en place names are worth knowing.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/smithers). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.