Cache Creek - Interior of British Columbia

Found at the junction of the Trans-Canada Hwy and Hwy 97 Cache Creek is 193km (120 miles) north of Hope and 345km (215 miles) from Vancouver. Since the mid-1800’s Cache Creek has been an important stopping point for travellers. First for gold seekers needing to stock up with food and supplies and later as the midway point on the journey between BC’s Lower Mainland and Cariboo Country. Today visitors come for outdoor recreation, scenery, and the open spaces.

Cache Creek is renowned for jade hunting and carving. In downtown Cache Creek you can watch the jade being cut, polished, and mounted at the Cariboo Jade Shoppe.

The area is also famous for its Old West atmosphere with working cowboys, large cattle ranches, and wide-open grasslands. Hat Creek Ranch is a working ranch with many other attractions. Found 11-km (6.8 miles) north from Cache Creek on Hwy 97 and then .5 km (.3 miles) west on Hwy 12 you can go for a trail ride or a wagon tour. This last intact stopping house on the Old Cariboo Wagon Trail also offers an interpretive tour of BC’s ranching and transportation history, snacks, a gift shop, a blacksmith, a saddle maker, special events, farm machinery displays, and a history of the area’s First Nations people.

A particularly interesting aspect of Cache Creek is the Back to the Fifties automotive transportation theme that has been adopted. The big event in town is Graffiti Days in mid-June and the local shop owners drive vintage cars. This theme has been inspired in part by the Nl’ak’apxm Eagle Motorplex found 6km (3.7 miles) south of town on Hwy 1. The Motorplex is an NHRA (drag racing) sanctioned track with races held in the spring, summer, and fall. The highlight of the season is the Federal Mogul race being held in 1998 on May 22, 23 and 24. Some of the cars at this race are capable of covering a quarter of a mile in 5.5 seconds from a standing start and reaching speeds of 250 mph.

20km north of Cache Creek is Loon Lake. Here you’ll find a kokanee and rainbow trout hatchery and a provincial park. The Loon Creek Hatchery is one of 5 run by the province. Combined these hatcheries populate about 1,200 lakes with between 10 and 12 million fish each year. Loon Lake itself is about 12km (7.45 miles) long and only 400m (437 yards) wide and has reliable rainbow trout fishing. Loon Lake Provincial Park is set in a forest of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine, covers 3ha (7.4 acres) and has 14 campsites.

The above are a few of the highlights in and around Cache Creek. Remember this a very large area and there are many more parks, lakes, and attractions to be explored.

North to 100 Mile House

South to Kamloops