Introduction

Barriere British Columbia is a small town located 65 kilometres north of Kamloops. The population is around 2000 people. Barriere is a pretty quiet town with a lot to do and great scenery. Even though Barriere is small there is a great variety of restaurants, campgrounds, hotels and tons of activities year round.

Here are some of the best things to do when you visit Barriere, B.C.

North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo

The North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo takes place every year on labour day weekend. Last year would have been the 71^st annual rodeo but sadly it was cancelled due to COVID-19. Even if you are not a huge fan of rodeos there is still so much to do!

During the weekend there is:

• Heavy horse pull
• Animal exhibits
• A few rides
• Many exhibits (animals, photographs, food)
• a family dance (Friday evening)
• A dance (Saturday night, 19+)
• Entertaining shows (music, magic shows, etc.)
• 4-H animal showing
• All types of rodeo events
• A lot of food vendors to try out
• There is camping at the fair grounds

This event brings in approximately 10 000 people each year. This is a great place to come with your family or friends to have some fun, try out some new things and even meet some new people!

Lakes

There are so many lakes in Barriere and many more in the surrounding area. The lakes are a great place to go with your family or friends. Here are some of the top ones in Barriere.

Saskum Lake. Saskum lake is a great place to go out on the water kayaking, canoeing, fishing or even just for a swim. There is a nice sandy beach at the lake which is great for relaxing! There is a campground located at Saskum lake but there is no reserving ahead of time so make sure to get there early.

Another great lake is North Lake. This lake is great for families as there is a nice sandy beach for kids to play on. North lake is great for boating and fishing, there is even an annual fishing derby that happens father’s day weekend. You can reserve a campground or even a cabin at this lake. There is more information on this site on what all amenities are at the lake and how you can reserve a spot. http://northbarrierelakeresort.com

East Lake is another popular lake in Barriere. You can go swimming in this lake although the only public access to the lake is from the boat launch so if you’re looking for a lake with more of a beach, I would recommend one of the others mentioned. But this lake is great for anyone wanting to go out boating or go fishing. There is also a campground located at this lake but again you cannot reserve ahead of time. Here is the website for this lake. http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/search/search-result.aspx?type=Site&site=REC1533

Here is a list of a few other great lakes that are worth checking out!

• South Lake
• Johnson Lake
• Adams Lake
• Forest Lake

Of course you can go to these lakes in the winter as well for ice fishing but the campgrounds are just not open.

Chinook Cove Golf course

There is a great golf course located just north of Barriere right off of highway 5. They offer 9 holes and all prices are located on the website, you can also buy a pass for multiple games. There are deals for students, seniors and for certain days of the week. They rent carts and clubs, so this is a great place to go even if you do not have your own equipment. There is also a campground located right at the golf course. Here is the website where you can view all the information and all the rates. http://www.chinookcovegolf.com

Farmers Market

Barriere has a farmers market that runs throughout the entire year. From the beginning of May until the end of October it takes place outside at Sams Pizza (4307 Yellowhead Hwy). It happens every Thursday from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. After October the Market moves inside and happens on Saturdays from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. The indoor market is located at the seniors centre. There is always a great variety of vendors and always something new! Check out their Facebook page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/barrierefarmersmarket 

Barriere Forks Regional Park

There is some great activities in Barriere in the winter as well! If you are someone who enjoys skiing or snowshoeing there are some trails located approximately 15 Km up Barriere Lakes road. These trails are very well kept. There are specific trails for skiing only and then others for snowshoeing.

Wildfire Dragon Monument and Spirit Square

A large part of history for Barriere was the 2003 fire. The fire started on July 30^th, 2003 and was not officially declared over until August 31^st. The fire reached a total of 26 420 hectares, 3800 people were evacuated, and 72 homes and 9 businesses were unfortunately lost. If you are travelling from South of Barriere you will notice burnt trees on the mountain side and in Louis Creek there is a fire monument where the Tolko mill which was lost in the fire once was. The monument is dedicated to the firefighters, volunteers, and all the other individuals, organizations and services that helped. This is a great place to stop and look at the monument as well as read about the history. This article is from the local newspaper 10 years after the fire. https://www.barrierestarjournal.com/news/the-mclure-wildfire-of-2003/

Other nearby attractions

There are also many attractions nearby Barriere that are great to check out.

• Wells Gray provincial park (approximately 45 mins North of Barriere)
• Sun Peaks ski resort (approximately 45 minutes south of Barriere)

Both of these places are great to check out all year round!