Farwell Canyon BC Guide (Includes Hiking the Sand Dune)
I first heard about Farwell Canyon while doomscrolling on social media late at night. There, between the cat videos and people bragging about their vacations, I saw a carousel of photos with a caption: Farwell Canyon, a hidden gem of British Columbia. My first thought was: there’s no way this is BC, because it looked so different from anywhere I’d seen before.
The opening shot showed a blue river meandering through a canyon with sandstone hoodoos. Another had a hiker standing on top of a massive sand dune. The rest showed a sun-baked, desert-like landscape covered with sagebrush. It looked unusual, yet stunningly beautiful. Right then and there, I decided I had to see it for myself.
There was just one problem: getting there. Farwell Canyon is about seven hours from Vancouver, so it needed to be part of a bigger adventure. When we finally planned a road trip to Bella Coola (which is even more remote), I knew Farwell Canyon would be a non-negotiable stop along the way.
Accommodation and Camping near Farewell Canyon
Farwell Canyon is in Riske Creek in the Central Cariboo-Chilcotin Region, along Highway 20 leading to Bella Coola Valley. The closest big town is Williams Lake, about 20 minutes from the canyon turnoff.
Williams Lake has many accommodation options, from hotels to small family-run spots like Juniper Trails Bed and Breakfast. We stayed at the Historic Chilcotin Lodge in Riske Creek, the closest place to Farwell Canyon. It’s a heritage building and some rooms have shared bathrooms, so it might not be for everyone. But we had a wonderful experience there. The owners, Kurt, Brenda and Kris, were genuinely nice people, but in the real sense of the word, not just because they run a business. Breakfast was a stack of pancakes so big I needed help from Andy, who never says no to carbs.
There’s a recreation site near the turnoff for the canyon, Becher’s Pond, and a few more rec sites near Williams Lake, though we never tried them ourselves.
You can also find unofficial dispersed camping on BC Crown Land throughout Farwell Canyon. For example, you can set up camp right at the viewpoint in the elbow of the river, which is a pretty epic spot. When we arrived in the late afternoon, someone was already there, so we couldn’t stay even if we wanted to (it’s first come, first served).
prickly pear cactus 
Campers at Farwell Canyon viewpoint
Farwell Canyon Road Conditions
We tend to overprepare for our trips, so after watching several YouTube videos and reading blog posts about how difficult it is to access Farwell Canyon, we psyched ourselves up for a rough drive. Turns out, Farwell Canyon is easy to access.
Although the road to the viewpoint is labelled as a forestry road, it’s in really good condition. It’s all gravel and mostly flat. We saw regular cars and motorbikes using it, but you can’t drive fast, or you’ll damage your paint job. The washboard sections can be hard on your suspension, but any car can make it.
You only need a 4×4 with high clearance if you want to explore beyond the viewpointsand go deeper into Junction Sheep Provincial Park. There’s no cell reception and zero services, so no one is coming to save you if you get stuck. Definitely do more research and prepare to be self-sufficient if that’s what you’re planning.
For everything in this guide though, a regular car is just fine.
Things to See and Do in Farwell Canyon
Farwell Canyon Viewpoint
Sandstone hoodoos Farwell Canyon viewpoint
Once you turn off Highway 20 onto the Farwell Canyon Road, just keep following the main gravel road. Google Maps claims there’s a viewpoint, but don’t fall for it. There’s nothing there except an information board about local wildlife and a few picnic benches. Keep going over the bridge. The actual viewpoint is shortly after, on your right. Park in the lot and resist the urge to drive across the grassland to the edge, as you definitely need high clearance for that. It’s only a two-minute walk to the viewpoint, so there’s no point risking it in a normal car.
The Farwell Canyon viewpoint is the most popular stop. From here, you can see the Chilcotin River winding through the canyon in a U-shape, with beautiful hoodoos right in front of you. If you look to the right, you can sometimes spot hikers on top of the massive sand dune. You can do this hike yourself, but we’ll get to that in the next section.
The ground under your feet is crumbly sandstone. It’s getting eroded, so stay away from the edge and stick to the path. The trail looks like it goes all the way down to the river, but trust us, it’s sketchy. If you’re determined to get down to the river, you have to go back to the main road and continue a little further to find a safer route. As for the views, the viewpoint offers the best views anyway.
There used to be an old cottage by the river where many photographers and people searching for petroglyphs would go, but a landslide took it down and now there’s little left. Locals told us the landscape changed significantly after the landslide. For example, there used to be a small island in the middle of the river right below the viewpoint, but it completely disappeared. We never saw it before, so to us, the place still felt beautifully unique.
Sheep Creek Bridge
Right before the Farwell Canyon viewpoint, you’ll cross a large bridge. If you visit in the fall, stop here and look for members of one of the Secwépemc and Tsilhqot’in nations fishing below, just as their ancestors before them did. Using long poles with huge nets at the end, they skillfully sweep through the river to catch salmon as they make their way to the spawning grounds farther north.
Farewell Canyon Sand Dune Hike
The Farwell Canyon dune is the largest sand dune in all of British Columbia. The hike to the top was one of the highlights of our visit (and the road trip to Bella Coola in general).
The parking lot is at the 19 km marker. It’s small, but so are the crowds. At the very start of the trailhead, you’ll see a sign saying you’re entering the private property of Douglas Lake Cattle Company, so follow the rules on the sign and leave no trace.
Although the trail is short, it is quite steep in some places, so good footwear and a single hiking pole will be helpful. It starts with a really steep downhill section. Then you pass through a couple of small canyons, so there’s some up and down, but the path is easy to follow. After that, you reach a plateau covered with grass and sagebrush, a flat section with expansive views all around. Eventually, you’ll come to a Y-junction. If you go left, you’ll go down a steep slope and then up a very steep section to the dune. It will be tough because of the soft sand. You take one step and slide back half a step, which may be fun on the right day, but we weren’t up for it. Instead, we went right at the junction and around the dune, which was much easier. On the way back, we took the steeper route and ended up at the same junction. Other than the steepness and softness of the sand, the trail is straightforward, and you can do the whole loop in about an hour and a half.
Watch out for the little prickly pear cactus on the trail (love this name), especially if you’re bringing a four-legged friend! These cacti don’t grow tall and sit right on the ground, so they’re easy to step on if you’re not careful.
The top of the dune feels unreal. Who would have thought we had dunes inland in BC? This is one of the largest sand dunes in the province, and it’s worth taking some time to admire the views from up here. Remember the hoodoos you saw from the Farwell Canyon viewpoint? Well, now you’re standing right on top of them, looking down at the Chilcotin River winding through the canyon. It’s a beautiful view, and right next to it on the left, the road winds its way between the hills, creating a visually striking landscape.
We did this hike at sunset, which, in hindsight, wasn’t the best choice. In the evening, the canyon is in the shade, so the colours aren’t as vivid. If we could do it again, we’d probably aim for midday to make sure everything is in the sun. Mornings might work too, but it also depends on the time of year and how high the sun is. We visited in mid-September and around 4 pm, the canyon was already starting to get in the shade.
One last thing. The sand dune sits right on the edge of a cliff. It’s active, so it’s always shifting and changing form with the wind. By entering, you do so at your own risk.
Wildlife in Farwell Canyon (Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park)
If you’ve followed us for a while, you know we always look for wildlife on our trips. The canyon is in Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park, first set up as a wildlife reserve to protect herds of California bighorn sheep and their grassland habitat, which is increasingly rare in British Columbia. It later became a Provincial Park in 1995. The area once had one of the largest bighorn sheep populations, and while there are still many, the numbers aren’t what they used to be. We didn’t spot any this time. Maybe you’ll have better luck. Mule deer wander these same slopes, and you can see them, too, especially in spring.
Many bird species depend on these grasslands and we were lucky to see a few, including waterfowl (a type I’d be lying if I claimed to know) and white-throated swifts. As we hiked down after sunset, a chorus of smaller critters filled the air. The whole area right below the dune was alive with their music.
We finished the dune hike at 7:40 pm just as the light faded away. Driving back in the dark, we found a Great Horned Owl by the side of the road and then another one, pale in our headlights and looking almost like a ghost! It was amazing to see them .
Best Time to Visit Farwell Canyon, BC
The Junction Sheep Range Park is only open between May and October so that’s the best time to visit. The Farwell Canyon Road is open year-round, but it’s not maintained in winter.
