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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Stewart
Go for 1–2 nights if you are already driving Highway 37: the Salmon Glacier and Fish Creek bears are the reason, both across the US border in Hyder, Alaska.
Stewart is a former silver and gold port of about 500 people at the head of the Portland Canal, reachable only by Highway 37A off the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. Its two headline sights — the Salmon Glacier viewpoint and the Fish Creek bear platform — sit on the Alaska side in Hyder, so you need your passport for the best of the trip. One night covers the town; two let you wait out rain for the glacier road.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (glacier road and bear season)
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (snow, closures, most businesses shut)
- Stay
- 1–2 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$150–220 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 · BC health advice line (24 h, free) 811
- 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 |
| Breakfast or lunch plate | C$15–25 |
| Pizza or burger dinner | C$20–35 |
| Inn or hotel double room | C$99–155 |
| Campground night per party | C$20–35 |
| Fuel, per litre | C$1.80–2.10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZST · Stewart Aerodrome
- Private airfield, no scheduled flights.
- YXT · Terrace
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights, about 311 km / 4 h by road.Nearest airport with scheduled flights, about 193 mi / 4 h by road.
Typical fares
- Fuel, Stewart → Hyder → Salmon Glacier → Stewart
- about C$40 (check)
- Campground night, municipal or provincial
- C$20–35 (check)
- Inn double room, summer
- C$99–155 (check)
Get around
You need a car: there is no public transport and the glacier road starts 4 minutes away in Hyder, Alaska. Fuel up in Stewart before the Hyder and Salmon Glacier run — the next services are at Meziadin Junction or Kitwanga. Mobile signal works in town but not again until Kitwanga going south or near Watson Lake going north.
See and do
Known for
- Salmon Glacier viewpoint
- Fish Creek bear viewing in Hyder, Alaska
- Bear Glacier on Highway 37A
- Estuary Boardwalk and 1900s mining history
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hyder, Alaska | Drive Highway 37A west, 4 min from downtown Stewart | Under 10 min |
| Salmon Glacier viewpoint | Drive through Hyder, then the gravel Glacier Road | About 1 h from Stewart |
| Bear Glacier | Pull-out on Highway 37A, about 30 km east of StewartPull-out on Highway 37A, about 19 mi east of Stewart | About 30 min |
| Meziadin Lake Provincial Park | Drive Highway 37A east to the junction, then Highway 37 | About 45 min |
Sleep
- 5th Avenue, downtown
- Walkable core: inns, cafés and the museum within a few minutes; best if you have no car to park.
- Highway 37A / Davis St edge of town
- RV parks and motels with parking; quieter, 5–10 min drive from the cafés.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank youEnglish is spoken everywhere here |
| Where is the bear viewing platform? | Where is the bear viewing platform?at Fish Creek, past Hyder |
| Is the glacier road open? | Is the glacier road open?ask at the visitor centre |
| I have a passport to cross the border | I have a passport to cross the borderUS border at Hyder |
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
- You cross into the United States to reach Hyder and the Salmon Glacier: bring a passport or equivalent, and expect a border stop both ways.
- The Salmon Glacier road is gravel, steep in places and closed by snow for much of the year: check road status locally before setting out.
- Bears are common in and around town, at Fish Creek and at campgrounds: store food properly and keep distance.
- Most businesses open only May–September; in winter the town is close to empty.
- Fuel and grocery choice is limited and prices are high: arrive with a full tank and what you need.
A small, quiet town with no street-crime problem; the real risks are bears, the gravel glacier road and the US border crossing. Carry your passport, drive the glacier road in daylight and never leave food out at camp.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Stewart yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Salmon Glacier viewpoint
- Fish Creek bear viewing in Hyder, Alaska
- Bear Glacier on Highway 37A
- Estuary Boardwalk and 1900s mining history
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- District of Stewart: districtofstewart.com/
- Stewart tourism: stewart-tourism.com/
- Stewart Museum: www.stewartbcmuseum.com/
- BC Parks — Bear Glacier Provincial Park: bcparks.ca/bear-glacier-park/
- BC Parks — Tā Ch'ilā (Boya Lake) Provincial Park: bcparks.ca/ta-chila-park-aka-boya-lake-park/
- Wikivoyage: Stewart, revision 5244150 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244150
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Stewart
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Stewart; the nearest are in Vancouver. US citizens: the nearest US consulate is in Vancouver.
Hyder, Alaska runs on Alaska time, one hour behind Stewart: check your watch before the border.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/stewart). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.