Grand Canyon of the Fraser

The Grand Canyon of the Fraser is a short but violent gorge on the upper Fraser River in the Robson Valley that long ranked among the river’s most dangerous obstacles. First Nations travellers developed the skills to portage around it and later guided survey crews through its whitewater in the early 20th century. Hudson’s Bay Company explorers, Overlanders, and railway-era boatmen all faced rapids, boulders, falls, and whirlpools that caused repeated wrecks and deaths. During Grand Trunk Pacific construction, sternwheelers, scows, and freight operations made the canyon briefly vital as a supply route. Today it is remembered as both a historic river hazard and a striking protected landscape.

British Columbia · Canada