Provincial Park – Wandering Dawgs

Day 29: Thursday, June 13, 2013. Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park

The Liard River Hotsprings are a popular stopping place for travelers on the Alaska Highway. The springs are open 24 hours a day with a huge parking lot. When it fills up travelers can park across the highway in an overflow lot. Many travelers stop for a soak in the springs, get back in their vehicle and continue on their way.

While Henry took care of some maintenance on the truck and trailer, I grabbed my camera and went exploring about 10:00 am. The parking lot was filled with RV’s already. Just a short walk along a boardwalk and you are at the Beta pool. There is also an Alpha pool which has hotter water but it was closed when we were there. There is a viewing platform up some stairs above the Beta pool to see the Hanging Gardens.

I spotted a moose on my walk across the boardwalk to the hot springs

The springs are surrounded by lush green ferns

Liard River Hotsprings Beta Pool

The Hanging Gardens above the pool

The springs are open 24 hours a day

Can you see the moose through the trees? He was closer to the boardwalk when I walked by on my way back to the campsite

After a buffalo burger for lunch at the Liard Hotsprings Hotel across the highway from the park, we took a drive in search of some of the Wood Bison herd that lives in the area.

Liard River Bridge

This wood bison was very close to the truck and walking towards us. I stepped just outside the truck in case I had to get back in really fast!

He was headed my way

Bison herd with calves near Liard River Hotsprings

The mamas were checking me out

I didn’t want to get any closer to this one

Another soak in the hot springs was a perfect ending to the day.

Day 28: Wednesday, June 12, 2013. Ft. Nelson, BC to Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park, BC. Site 42. 190 miles traveled.

What better way to relax after 28 days on the road than to soak in hot springs? That hot water was just calling to me all day. To get there, we had to travel 190 miles of winding roads to cross the Rocky Mountains.

Spectacular mountain view

A small waterfall

The long and winding road

Muncho Lake

While driving along we were on the lookout for wildlife. And there was plenty to see.

Our first wildlife sighting of the day was a caribou

Stone Sheep on the Alaska Highway

A mountain goat by the road

Caribou on the Alaska Highway

Moose on the Alaska Highway

Another caribou

A herd of mountain goats

Mountain goats beside the Alaska Highway

Wood bison roam near the highway for the next 70 miles

We saw these bison with their calves just after we saw the sign

Bison near Liard Hotsprings

We had made reservations to stay in the Provincial Park – like a state park in the U.S. – and didn’t know what to expect. There were no hookups so we would be using our generator for the first time on this trip. When we saw our site, we were so glad we had decided to stay for 2 nights. With a long, very wide gravel pad and picnic table all surrounded by trees and wildflowers, it was the perfect place to take a break from traveling. A soak in the hot springs was a perfect ending to the day.