The SANDNESS Pages - Princeton, British Columbia, Canada V0X 1W0

More questions:

1. Where is Princeton, BC anyway?
2. How's the weather there?
3. What's there to do in Princeton, BC?
4. What does the area look like?
5. How's the Fishing?
6. What's it like to live in Princeton, BC?
7. Anything else we should know?

There is some duplication in the listings below:

3. What's there to do in Princeton, BC?

Sounds of Our Heritage
"Downtown Princeton will be alive with Music on June 30 & July 1, 2007" (Princeton BC).

Camping, cycling, fishing, ghost towns, gold panning, hiking, photography, rockhounding, sightseeing, you name it:

Stop in at the Princeton & District Chamber of Commerce for ideas & directions, or try Indoor Recreation for: Princeton, BC (GetAwayBC.com).

Animal Kingdom, Birds, Fish:

Boreus (Newsletter of the Entomological Scoiety of British Columbia);
British Columbia Wildlife Watch;
Deer in Late February (65 KB);
FishWizard.com "Maps & information about fish in British Columbia, Canada"
(co-operative presentation of BC Fisheries and Fisheries and Oceans Canada);
Horse Racing: The 38th Princeton Racing Days, Sunflower Downs (BCInteriorHorseRacing.com);
Horses: Trans Canada Trail / Kettle Valley Railway (HorseTrailDirectory.com);
Horses, Iron: "Iron Horses" in place of the Klootchman's Race (85 KB);
More "Iron Horses" (330 KB);
Important Amphibian & Reptile Areas Canadian Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Network (CARCNET);
Important Bird Areas (IBA) of Canada, Yellow-breasted Chats;
Jim Smart's Nature Photography - Wildlife;
Living Landscapes (Thompson / Okanagan: Past, Present, Future);
You might see a Mountain Bluebird in season;
If not, you can at least see a Mountain Bluebird picture here (thank you, photographers!)
Nakitsilik Outdoors Adventures (Kennel Type Touring);
Pelican downtown Princeton, September 2005 (105 KB);
Pinewood Expeditions (Dogsled or ATV Tours);
Princeton Area - Fishing Guide Princeton Area Booklets (The Similkameen News Leader);
Raptors, Grey Owl, Princeton, BC;
Sibe Tribe Tours Ltd. (Dogsled Adventure);
Similkameen Wildlife;
Species at Risk, Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum);
Spotted Bats at Risk in British Columbia;
Vermillion Forks Field Naturalists have meetings, hikes, etc. in our area;
Western Christmas Bird Counts;
Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis);
In summer, you may see yellow-bellied marmots (33 KB) along the Trans Canada Trail or the riverbanks;

Fishing: Please check Fishing on these pages, as well as:

FishWizard.com "Maps & information about fish in British Columbia, Canada"
(co-operative presentation of BC Fisheries and Fisheries and Oceans Canada);
Lure of the Lakes Fly Fishing Adventures (Paul Adams);
Princeton Area Booklets (The Similkameen News Leader): Princeton Area - Fishing Guide;
Tulameen Adventure Tours, "guided ATV tours, overnight guided ATV trips, guided snowmobile tours, fly-fishing trips with pontoon boats, guided alpine hiking, & a bicycle shuttle service" (also a Princeton Fly Tyer's Guild member).

Plant Kingdom, Flowers, Forests, Gardening:

Botanical studies done in the Similkameen Valley 1894-96 (Julia Bullock-Webster paintings);
Crab apples ripening in early fall in Princeton, BC, Canada (krohn-photos.com);
Down on the farm, Mixed blessings in the Interior (Climate change, Natural Resources Canada);
Effects of Operational Brushing on Conifers and Plant Communities;
Jim Smart's Nature Photography - Flowers;
Morel Mushrooms (Morchella elata) (Friday Creek Fire Aug 2001);
Species at Risk, Mexican Mosquito Fern (Azolla mexicana);
A Study of the Water Cycle and the Influence of Forest Management on Water Yield in the Upper Similkameen River;
Sunflowers in the garden (55 KB);
Sunflowers in Princeton, BC, Canada (krohn-photos.com);
Wildflowers, Manning Park (Heather & Bonnevier trails, Eric Praetzel photo);
Wild roses in flower in Princeton, BC, Canada (krohn-photos.com);
Wild roses in flower in Princeton, BC, Canada - Wild roses #2 (krohn-photos.com);
Wineries in British Columbia, Canada (Robin Blackburne's Wine Directories.com);
Also see Manning Park below.

Cycling, Hiking,
     *Kettle Valley Railway (Kettle Valley Rail / Trail, KVR, Part of the Trans Canada Trail),
   **Manning Park,
 ***Trans Canada Trail:

Check for ideas & directions at Back Roads Bike Shop, 308 Bridge St., Princeton, BC;
also 5th. & Nicola, Tulameen, BC;
Look at Hiking & Hiking Trails in BC (TrailPeak.com);
Ratings of Hiking Trans Canada Trail & Other Bike Paths in British Columbia (CanadaTrails.ca);
Get a copy of The Similkameen Hiking Guide (from Vermilion Forks Field Naturalist Society);
Submitted Trails (British Columbia Mountain Bike Guide);
Vermillion Forks Field Naturalists (VFFN) have meetings, hikes, etc. in our area.

*Kettle Valley Rail / Trail (KVR):

Take a look at A Brief History Kettle Valley Steam Railway;
Author Bio - Barrie Sanford "McCulloch's Wonder";
British Columbia's historic Kettle Valley Railway lives again (AirHighways.com Magazine).
Lots of links about cycling:
Cycling Tandem from North vancouver to Banff via Kettle Valley Railway (TrudelsKnapSack.com);
Cycling the KVR (Kettle Valley Railway) Trail;
Grand Forks Railway - GFR (TrainWeb.org);
Huffing Along the Steamy Kettle Valley Railway (Travel-Wise.com);
Kettle Valley Line (British Columbia Folklore Society);
Kettle Valley Railroad Bike Trail Passport Co.;
Kettle Valley Railroad Cycle (John Coulthard);
Kettle Valley Railroad (thekvr.com) site has info, too;
Kettle Valley Rail Trail (Elbow Valley Cycle Club);
Kettle Valley Railway Canada Trails Multi-use Trails in British Columbia;
Kettle Valley Railway, Cycle Tour Photo Album (Pali Kivinen);
Kettle Valley Railway Midway to Hope: 296 miles Going Back in Time;
Kettle Valley Railway, Midway to Princeton, BC (Ray Dykes);
Kettle Valley Railway Princeton Subdivision / Penticton to Brookmere (Trails.com);
Kettle Valley Railway, September 2001 (The Larkin's);
Kettle Valley Railway West (Canadian Trails Adventure Tours);
Kettle Valley Scenic ATV Excursions;
Kettle Valley Trail, Biking Beaverdell to Coalmont, BC (Great Explorations);
KVR Bicycle Touring Site (CycleLogicPress.com);
KVR (MotorcycleExplorer.com);
Vermilion Trails Society.

Railway links:

Great Northern Railway in British Columbia's Fraser Valley (N. Roughly);
Into the Mountains including maps (N. Roughly);
Princeton Station 1915 (N. Roughly);

**Manning Park (also see Manning Park, below):

Allison Pass (BCGNIS Query Results);
Allison Pass (The Canadian Encyclopedia);
Dewdney - Hope Pass Trail (BCMBG);
Dewdney Trail
(Nelson & District Museum, Archives, Art Gallery & Historical Society);
Dewdney Trail Interactive Map Fraser Valley to Hope Distance: 160.8 KM
(Nelson & District Museum, Archives, Art Gallery & Historical Society);
Heather Meadows hike, Manning Provincial Park, BC (Eric Praetzel photos);
Manning Park Hike Similkameen East (ClubTread.com);
Manning Park, Princeton & the Princeton / Coquihalla Kettle Valley Railway (LifeCycle.ca);
Wildflowers, Manning Park (Heather & Bonnevier trails, Eric Praetzel photo);

***Trans Canada Trail:

The Trans Canada Trail website gives information;
Trans Canada Trail / Kettle Valley Railway (HorseTrailDirectory.com);
The Trans Canada Trail Challenge "Ride into Princeton on July 9, 2006.
For Cyclists, Hikers, Runners, & Equestrians."
Trans Canada Trail Princeton to Coalmont (Janice Barclay);
New site, Trail Inventory - Click, Hike & Bike;
Tulameen Adventure Tours, "guided ATV tours, overnight guided ATV trips, guided snowmobile tours, fly-fishing trips with pontoon boats, guided alpine hiking, & a bicycle shuttle service" (also a Princeton Fly Tyer's Guild member);
Vermilion Trails Society.

Cycling this area by others:

Adam K's Cycling Site, Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park to Princeton, BC;
Back Roads Bike Shop, 308 Bridge St., Princeton, BC;
also 5th. & Nicola, Tulameen, BC;
Bike Tour in BC & Washington, Hope to Princeton, BC (Bob Adair);
Craig's Mountain Bike & Touring Page (Craig J. Hunt);
Cycling British Columbia's Trans Canada Trail (BCTrail.com);
From Sea to Sea: An Exploration of Canada by Bicycle British Columbia (Trevor Hennessey);
Heading out of Princeton BC, 01 Jun 2003 (Denis Dion);
Kelly Koome's 2001 bike ride across the Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia;
KVR Bicycle Touring Site (CycleLogicPress.com);
MarkTanner.com Bike Trek Update;
My Bicycle Tours in British Columbia (N. Roughley);
Princeton - Kettle Valley Railroad MTB Ride (The Dynamo, Newsletter of the Vancouver Bicycle Club);
Sean Munro's Biking from Vancouver,BC to Waterloo, ON, Canada &
Rant Log: British Columbia (Sean Munro);
Photos from the Kettle Valley Railway (Princeton to Hope) (Mary Sanseverino);
Princeton to Brookmere (Mary Sanseverino);
Tulameen Adventure Tours, "guided ATV tours, overnight guided ATV trips, guided snowmobile tours, fly-fishing trips with pontoon boats, guided alpine hiking, & a bicycle shuttle service" (also a Princeton Fly Tyer's Guild member).

Here are some of our photos of the Trans Canada Trail near Princeton:

Scenes along the Trans Canada Trail (257 KB);
Morning walk in July along Trans Canada Trail (137 KB);
Morning walk in September along Trans Canada Trail (425 KB);
Evening walk in October along Trans Canada Trail (369 KB);
In summer, you may see yellow-bellied marmots (33 KB) along the trail or the riverbanks.

Take a look at BC Rivers - Similkameen River (BritishColumbia.com);
See the map at Cascade Alternative (Trails Society of British Columbia) for a much longer trip.

Photography, Sightseeing:

Photography - for inspiration, take a look at Cycle Logic Press Bicycle Touring & Photos Bicycle touring site. (Wonderful cycling photos from US, Canada, Europe, NZ, & Australia; Neil Anderson, author, The Lead Goat Veered Off, adventure travel book on cycle touring, also Partners in Grime: "Seeking a change in their hectic lifestyle, Neil & Sharon opt for simplicity. They chuck the house, the car, the day-to-day grind & load up their bikes to head out on the open road. Out there, they encounter a world nothing like the one they left behind . . ." See excerpts & photos; also available from Amazon.com);
Bicycle Touring 101: An Interview with author Neil Anderson;
E. C. Manning Provincial Park Photo Gallery (mouse over small image to enlarge);
Historic Walk;
Jim Smart's Nature Photography - Flowers;
Jim Smart's Nature Photography - Scenery;
Jim Smart's Nature Photography - Wildlife;
Princeton Area Booklets (The Similkameen News Leader):
Princeton Area - Fishing Guide;
Princeton Area - Ghost Towns Revisited;
Princeton Area - Historic Buildings and Landmarks;
Princeton Area - Unsolved Mysteries;
Great photography of our area by others >.

Learning to use the digital camera:

Autumn Leaves in the Rain (40 KB);
Bird Feeders After a Late January Snowfall (64 KB);
Carver's Quilt (not digital images, but worth seeing - 147 KB);
Cave & Princeton Brewery (What remains of it - 310 KB);
More Cave & Princeton Brewery (Remains - 355 KB);
Cenotaph Names of the men of the Princeton (BC, Canada) District
who fell in World Wars I & II & the Korean War (260 KB);
Court House Stop of Interest (77 KB);
Crocuses in March (32 KB);
Deer in Late February (65 KB);
Drillers Rock (96 KB);
How's the Weather There? (130 KB);
"Iron Horses" in place of the Klootchman's Race (85 KB);
More "Iron Horses" & Ore Cart (250 KB);
Live Bear Trap (30 KB);
Maple Leaf in November (155 KB);
May Blossoms in Princeton, BC (70 KB);
Mural on Former Princeton Cultural Centre by Linda Anderson (99 KB);
Mural of Princeton by Herb Castle (160 KB);
Mural of Susan Allison, Pioneer Gentlewoman by Merrilyn Huycke (16 KB);
Mural in Princeton by K. Marion (70 KB);
Another Mural of Princeton by K. Marion & G. Elderton (403 KB);
Old Buildings in Princeton (555 KB);
A Few More Old Buildings in Princeton (530 KB);
Ore Cart (330 KB);
Pelican downtown Princeton, September 2005 (105 KB);
"Phifer's Fountain" at the Princeton, BC Gateway to the Trans Canada Trail (167 KB);
Post Office Stop of Interest (130 KB);
Quilt Panels Commemorating Princeton, BC at Okanagan Regional Library (70 KB);
Red Rock Bluff downtown Princeton, BC (three lower photos, 203 KB);
Vermilion Avenue (316 KB);
Vermilion Avenue & Bridge Street, more banners (265 KB);
Weather in January & July 2005 (78 KB);
Weeping Wall (235 KB);
Welby Stagecoach (105 KB);
Wooden Bridge or Brown Bridge (185 KB);
The Zig-Zag on Billiter Avenue, downtown (169 KB);
(We're planning to add more links here!)
Mt. Baker, Washington, USA & Mt. Slesse, BC not "in" Princeton, BC, but west of here, in the Fraser Valley (122 KB).

More Outdoor Stuff:

Princeton, BC is close to several parks:

Allison Lake Provincial Park (30 km north on Highway 5A);
Bromley Rock Provincial Park (20 km east on Highway 3);
Cascade Recreation Area (adjacent to E.C. Manning Provincial Park - see below);
Cathedral Provincial Park & Protected Area (75 km east on Highway 3);
Kentucky Alleyne Provincial Park (11 km south of Aspen Grove near Highway 5A);
Otter Lake Provincial Park (30 km west on Otter Lake, Tulameen);
Snowy Mountain Protected Area (BC Spaces for Nature);
Stemwinder Provincial Park (35 km east on Highway 3);
E. C. Manning Provincial Park (50 km west on Highway 3 - see the following):
Allison Pass (BCGNIS Query Results);
Allison Pass (The Canadian Encyclopedia);
Dewdney - Hope Pass Trail (BCMBG);
Dewdney Trail
(Nelson & District Museum, Archives, Art Gallery & Historical Society);
Dewdney Trail Interactive Map Fraser Valley to Hope Distance: 160.8 KM
(Nelson & District Museum, Archives, Art Gallery & Historical Society);
Heather Meadows hike, Manning Provincial Park, BC (Eric Praetzel photo);
More Manning Park Pictures;
Manning Park, Princeton & the Princeton / Coquihalla Kettle Valley Railway (LifeCycle.ca);
Air Highways Magazine has a website, for Manning Park Receational Area;
So does Manning Park Resort;
Manning Park Hike Similkameen East (ClubTread.com).
Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve?

Still More Outdoor Stuff:

Bull Riding (ProBullStats.com);
Creations by Jan (Gemstone Jewelry, Crafts, Gifts, sort-of outdoor stuff!)
A Field Guide to Gold, Gemstones & Mineral Sites of British Columbia (Canadian Rockhound Geological Magazine);
GarageSaleSource.com "Saturday Morning Fever";
Gemstone Occurrences in British Columbia (Canadian Rockhound Geological Magazine);
Gemstones of British Columbia (Alpine Gems);
GoBC.ca (Select "Princeton" in the drop-down list);
Historic Walk;
Horse Racing: The 38th Princeton Racing Days, Sunflower Downs (BCInteriorHorseRacing.com);
Lots to see on Living Landscapes Thompson / Okanagan: Past, Present, & Future,
"Human & natural history of the Thompson-Okanagan, British Columbia's southern interior region." (Or, "What kind of flower was that, anyway?") More than just flowers on this website - railroad stuff, take a look;
March 2000 Logbook (Kevin Thomson, Running Into 2000 Society);
Morel Mushrooms, (Morchella elata) (Friday Creek Fire Aug 2001);
Nakitsilik Outdoors Adventures (Kennel Type Touring);
Nearby Towns: Princeton (OkanaganFoundLocally.com) ;
Outdoor Recreation for: Princeton, BC (GetAwayBC.com);
Peach City Runners Coalmont To Princeton Road Race;
Pinewood Expeditions (Dogsled or ATV Tours);
Princeton ATV Club;
Princeton, BC (GetAwayBC.com);
Princeton British Columbia Tourism (WorldWeb.com);
Princeton Golf Club, Darcy Mt. Road;
The Princeton Part of the BC Adventure Network has lots of helpful info!!
Princeton Skatepark, Princeton, BC, Canada (CoastalBC.com);
Sibe Tribe Tours Ltd. (Dogsled Adventure);
The South Okanagan-Similkameen Records Survey (19 Societies / Associations) (LivingLandscapes.BC.ca);
Neil McDiarmid at Tulameen Adventure Tours, "guided ATV tours, overnight guided ATV trips, guided snowmobile tours, fly-fishing trips with pontoon boats, guided alpine hiking, & a bicycle shuttle service" (also a Princeton Fly Tyer's Guild member).

Driving, ATV, Non-Bicycle Trips on Wheels:

Above the Clouds (Placer-Ashnola Traverse / Agate Mtn / KVR From Princeton to Brookmere / Coquihalla Tollbooth Bypass, lots of great pics!)
51st. Annual GVMC Routledge Run (Greater Vancouver Motorcycle Club);
Bus Nut Rally (RVTimes.com);
Canada Day Exploring (BC4x4.com) Agate Mt., Mascot Mine;
Dewdney - Hope Pass Trail (British Columbia Mountain Bike Guide);
Dewdney - Hope pass Trail (DirtWorld.com);
Heading to Hedley (Greg's 4wd Page);
2002 Heart of Darkness Rally (Round 2 of the BC Rally Championship);
Kettle Valley Railway, September 2001 (The Larkin's);
KVR (Motorcycle Explorer.com);
May 2002 4x4 Trip Hedley, BC (Lorilei & Bradley KATAZ Digital Photography) Allenby, Hedley, Princeton, BC;
Mazda Miata at Coalmont Hotel (CarDomain.com);
Merritt Loop (BCRider99) &
Merritt Loop Pictures (BCRider99);
Pinewood Expeditions (ATV or Dogsled Tours);
Placer Lake - Whipsaw Trip Report 1995 (BC4x4.com);
Princeton ATV Club;
Round 2 of 2002 Yokohama BC Rally Championship (WCRA Newsletter);
Team Grizzly Off Road Motorcycle Club;
Tulameen Adventure Tours, "guided ATV tours, overnight guided ATV trips, guided snowmobile tours, fly-fishing trips with pontoon boats, guided alpine hiking, & a bicycle shuttle service" (also a Princeton Fly Tyer's Guild member);
Victoria Day 2001 (BC4x4.com) Nickel Plate Mt., Hedley;
Whipsaw 22 - 24 Aug 1997 (Greg's 4wd Page);
Whipsaw Tour '97 10 - 13 Oct 1997 (BC4x4.com).

Snow Stuff:

Bird Feeders After a Late January Snowfall (64 KB);
British Columbia Snowmobile Tours (WorldWeb.com);
China Ridge Cross County Ski Area "This is a tour of the China Ridge cross county ski area near Princeton, BC. No snow yet, this was a beautiful autumn afternoon in October." (PixelGems 360 Virtual Tours);
Deer in Late February (65 KB);
Ice and Snow hanging from the eaves in Princeton, BC (krohn.org);
Nakitsilik Outdoors Adventures (Kennel Type Touring);
Pinewood Expeditions (Dogsled or ATV Tours);
Sibe Tribe Tours Ltd. (Dogsled Adventure);
Skiing in BC: Cross Country & Backcountry (TrailPeak.com);
Snowmobile Interactive News Magazine Rendez-Vous 2001;
Snowmobile Interactive News Magazine Riding Conditions Getting Better in most of BC;
Tulameen Adventure Tours, "guided ATV tours, overnight guided ATV trips, guided snowmobile tours, fly-fishing trips with pontoon boats, guided alpine hiking, & a bicycle shuttle service" (also a Princeton Fly Tyer's Guild member);
Tulameen / Coalmont Map (Cheam Whiskey Jacks Snowmobile Club);
Where We Ride (Cheam Whiskey Jacks Snowmobile Club).

Places to Go - or Stay - Include (in no Particular Order):

Camp Tulahead on Highway 5A;
The Gold House B&B in Hedley - "Malone" featuring Burt Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, Lauren Hutton, etc., was filmed in part on that property (& the food is wonderful at The Gold House B&B);
Manning Park Resort - also see Manning Park, above;
Princeton & District Museum & Archives;
Young Life's Rockridge Canyon (Young Life of Canada).

Ghost Towns Nearby:

Blakeburn near Coalmont (Skookum Publications);
Blakeburn: BC's Forgotten Ghost Town by Terry Malanchuk;
Blakeburn BCGNIS Query Results (where it is);
Blakeburn - British Columbia's Forgotten Ghost Town;
Blakeburn - From Dust to Dust: The Rise and Fall of a Coal Mining Town by Don Blake;
Brookmere - well, it's pretty small!
Coalmont - not really a ghost town; we have friends living there & they aren't ghosts!
Coalmont - Granite Creek (Skookum Publications);
Copper Mountain & Allenby;
Erasing the Maps (Coalmont, Granite Creek);
Granite (Granite Creek) near Coalmont;
The Index for the Granite Creek Cemetery (near Coalmont, BC);
Harry Peterson's life at Copper Mountain, BC 1938 to 1941;
Hedley - not really a ghost town, either.

At the Edge of Wilderness 2000, A Sound-Slide Installation about Ghosttowns in British Columbia;
Check Blakeburn, Copper Mountain & Granite City.

Princeton Area Booklets (The Similkameen News Leader):
Princeton Area - Ghost Towns Revisited;
Princeton Area - Historic Buildings and Landmarks.

"Ghosts" of the past - Genealogy & the Family Tree:
Index for the Granite Creek Cemetery near Coalmont, BC, Canada 1898 - 1985;
Okanagan-Similkameen GenWeb (Canada GenWeb);
Princeton & District Museum & Archives;
What I refer to as "Railroad paperwork" (with SURNAMES for the genealogist, starting here!)
If you are interested, please look at our family tree & old family photos.

There's no place like home.