Prince George off-road vehicle trails just got a significant cash injection from the provincial government. The money will be used in large part to upgrade the backcountry network that makes this area one of B.C.'s best ATV tourism and recreation destinations.
Local enthusiasts have been rolling their quads and side-by-sides and other wilderwheels through the great Omineca-Cariboo outdoors for decades. This past summer, though, it was a small army of all-terrain vehicle visitors who came in for the wow-ride, and in the wake of that - the ATVBC Quad Riders Association of British Columbia Jamboree - the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development announced that the Prince George ATV Club (PGATVC) was getting $15,000 and the Prince George Tabor Mountain Recreation Society was getting $20,000 "to improve trail riding conditions and promote rider safety."
The PGATVC money was specifically allocated to a bridge over George Creek and the rest to rehabilitate the off-road vehicle route from Prince George to Wells.
That trip was the featured tour when the jamboree came to this area in late August. The backcountry trail that links Prince George (starting at Tabor Mountain) to the arts and industry hamlet of Wells and its Barkerville historic attraction next door is one of the tourism highlights of the area, according to the event's organizers.
"There is varying terrain, different forest varieties, big lakes, impressive rivers and waterfalls, and something amazing to see around every corner, I don't care how many rides you've been on before," said John Corbett from Forest Power Sports, one of the key sponsors and himself an ATV enthusiast. They coordinated equipment demonstrations and provided quads to some of the riders on the jamboree trail.
"Where else can you see grizzly bears playing in a waterfall? It is spectacular, really special country, I don't care if you've lived around here your whole life. It's amazing. There's the Keithly Creek Cemetery, there's an abandoned eco-resort (Comet Creek Resort), there's even a library you'll come across along the way. Ghost Falls alone is worth the trip. It really is a one-of-a-kind trip you'll never forget, and you'll want to do it again and again."
The trails are quite distinct and well marked, but Corbett recommended taking the route only with a PGATVC guide the first time or two, for safety but also to get a strong interpretive experience along the way.
"They are forefront in getting people on quads and snowmobiles on those trails," he said. "They are working with the Wells Wheels ATV Club down at the Wells end, and that group has done a tremendous amount of work. They now have a trail from the Forest Rose Campsite and the Lowhee Campsite so when you come into the Wells area, you now have access right into the townsite so you can get fuel, food, provisions, and that access was important if you're at the end of the trail on the machines. Before, you were so close but not quite able to have that connection to the town and now you can go right in. It completes the mission. It will make Wells and the link to Prince George a Mecca for off-road vehicle enthusiasts."
The overall jamboree event had about 170 people attend, in a convoy of quads. It was a six-day convention altogether. The ride from Prince George to Wells was only one of the built-in tours for the attendees who came from all over B.C. and Alberta.
They received a special treat, as a historical crescendo to the P.G.-Wells trip. The caretakers of Barkerville issued the group a special one-time permit to ride their machines through the picturesque ghost town museum. A dinner for all participants was also held at the rare gold rush attraction.
"The ATV Jamboree in Wells/Barkerville was something we will remember for a long time," said Jeff Mohr, a Prince George rider as well as a veteran of the ATVBC Quad Riders Association of British Columbia. "This year was a chance to renew friendships, as we have not been at an ATV event for three years, and wow how they all made us feel fantastic.
"The ATV crowd at this event came from all walks of life and brought them together to enjoy some of the best scenery in the world on their seat of choice: ATVs and UTVs," Mohr added. "Although the forest fire smoke reduced the view from most places it did not dampen the enthusiasm that everyone had."
To find out more about this area's backcountry riding trails and opportunities to enjoy the company of other ATV/Quad riders, visit their website at pgatvc.ca.
