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Wells Gray Provincial Park, north of Clearwater
Uncrowded, unpolluted, unspoiled. That's Clearwater, the Gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park, located north of Kamloops on the Yellowhead Highway. As its name suggests, Clearwater is a place of pure, clear water, but that only hints at the untouched beauty that makes up the area around Clearwater.
The Thompson Valley was inhabited by First Nations people when the first explorers ventured south through the mountains in the 1860s in their search for gold in the Fraser Valley and Cariboo. The major First Nations band in the valley was the Okelhs, which together with the Canim band were defeated in 1870 by the fierce Chilcotins. Place names such as Fight Lake, Fight Creek and Battle Mountain all date back to that time.
The Valley was settled shortly after the turn of the century. Clearwater was originally called Raft River by prospector John Smith, the apparent real founder of the settlement.
By 1916 the Canadian Pacific Railway was constructed through the valley, to become the main mode of transportation, replacing the steamboats that had previously travelled as far north as Vavenby, 30 kilometres east of Clearwater.
Today, Clearwater is a vacation paradise, with the majestic mountains of the world famous Wells Gray Provincial Park serving as a picturesque backdrop. The remote wilderness, the virgin forest, and the rivers, lakes and streams all combine to make Clearwater all that it claims to be.
Clearwater has three centres; the old village beside the Thompson River, the new townsite on the far side of the Clearwater Bridge, and beside the highway are a few hotels, restaurants, gas stations, services and the Visitor Info Centre.
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