Fort Nelson
A Northern Alaska Highway Town In The Boreal Forest With The Fort Nelson Heritage Museum, A Collection Of Old Vehicles From The Highway'S Construction, A Trail Network, Birdwatching And A Base For The Liard And Muskwa Kechika Wilderness Areas. A Fuel And Rest Stop On The Way To The Yukon · Fort Nelson, British Columbia
Fort Nelson is a town of about 3,000 people on the Alaska Highway in north-east British Columbia, at Mile 300, roughly 380 km north of Fort St. John by road. A fur-trade post of the North West Company stood on the Fort Nelson River in 1805, and the Dene, Slavey and Cree peoples had lived on these rivers for far longer. The present town grew when the army built the Alaska Highway in 1942, and it is still the main service centre for the northern boreal forest. The Fort Nelson Heritage Museum shows trucks, tractors, a trapper cabin and household goods from the highway years, while trails and the Muskwa River give quick access to the forest. Many visitors stop for fuel and a night on the way to the Liard Hot Springs and the Yukon, but the town rewards a longer look. It has hotels, a hospital and wide skies, and the pace is slow, with summer light lasting very late. Wildlife such as moose and black bears often appears beside the highway.
Fort Nelson, a town of about 3,000 people on the Alaska Highway in north-east British Columbia, about 380 km north of Fort St. John by road at Mile 300; coordinates approximate, Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
The town is open all year, and the highway, the river views and the trails cost nothing at any hour. The Heritage Museum is seasonal or has limited days, usually open daily or on most days from about mid May to early September, with shorter hours in the shoulder months and winter by appointment (confirm by phone). Fuel stations, cafes and hotels keep ordinary hours, and many stay open late in summer. Summer daylight lasts past 11 pm in June, and winter is cold and dark, with the highway kept open by plows and some services reduced.