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About the Thompson-Nicola Region

Time Zone

PST - Pacific Standard Time (same as Vancouver and Los Angeles)

Location

The Thompson-Nicola region is northeast of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.

The City of Kamloops is the largest community in the region.

Municipalities

Ashcroft, Barriere, Cache Creek, Chase, Clearwater, Clinton, Kamloops, Logan Lake, Lytton, Merritt, and Sun Peaks Mountain Resort.

Unincorporated Communities

70 Mile House, Aspen Grove, Avola, Big Bar, Blue River, Brookmere, Douglas Lake, Little Fort, Loon Lake, Lower Nicola, Monte Lake, Nicola, Pritchard, Quilchena, Savona, Spences Bridge, Walhachin, and Westwold.

Landscapes

Deserts

Arid, semi-desert, hoodoos, sagebrushed, rolling hills, dried golden grasses, clay cliffs, box canyons, gullies and prickly pear cacti.

Desert areas are:

  • Kamloops and southwest
  • Cache Creek
  • Ashcroft 
  • Spences Bridge
  • Big Bar area, west of Clinton

Grasslands

Between Kamloops and Merritt - prairie-like and rolling grasslands.

Steep Mountains & Valleys

Sculpted valleys with dramatic views and rock formations, usually outlining rivers and small lakes.

  • Fraser Canyon - Vancouver through Lytton to Spences Bridge
  • Monashee Mountain Range and Cariboo Mountain Range - Blue River area
  • Turtle Valley - Chase area
  • Deadman Vidette Valley - Savona area
  • Upper Hat Creek Valley and Marble Canyon - Cache Creek area
  • Botanie Valley - Lytton area
  • Marble Mountain  - Clinton area
  • Coquihalla Mountains - Merritt area

Rivers - Large

  • North Thompson River
  • South Thompson River
  • Thompson River
  • Fraser River
  • Clearwater River

Rivers - Other:

  • Coldwater River
  • Nicola River
  • Adams River
  • Bonaparte River

Lakes

  • Kamloops Lake
  • Adams Lake
  • Clearwater Lake
  • hundreds of small lakes

Parks, Waterfalls & Trails

Ski Resorts & Hills

Climate

One of the warmest and driest regions in Canada

South: Semi-arid, dry desert-like weather

North: Continental wetter and cooler

More than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually

Snow

Snow typically arrives in late November and stays until February and March on higher elevations.

  • Abundant snow in north: Blue River, Clearwater, Barriere, 70 Mile House and Clinton.
  • Abundant snow in Logan Lake area due to high altitude.
  • Dry and unpredictable (may not stay) snowfall in southern areas.

Transportation

Driving

Vancouver - Kamloops:  3.5-hour drive via Coquihalla Highway #5

Vancouver - Kamloops: 4.5-hour drive through the Fraser Canyon on the Trans Canada Highway #1

Vancouver - Merritt: 3-hour drive via the Coquihalla Highway #5

Kamloops - Kelowna: 2 - 2.5-hour drive via Kamloops-Vernon Hwy 97C or Coquihalla Hwy #5 to Connector

Kamloops - Vernon: 1 hour 15 minute drive via Kamloops-Vernon Hwy 97C

Distance Charts

Flying

Regional Airport: Kamloops Airport (YKA) (website)

- Customs

- Restaurant & Bar

- Air Cargo Shipping

- Airplane Salvage Yard

- Hangars

- Helicopter and charter plane companies plus flight school and Control Tower

Vancouver - Kamloops: 45-minute direct flight

Calgary - Kamloops: 65-minute direct flight 

Kelowna Airport to Kamloops is a 2.5-hour drive

Municipal Paved Airports (fuel for charter planes, small planes and helicopters)

- Cache Creek Campbell Hill Airport

- Merritt Saunders Field Airport

- Blue River Airstrip

Private Paved Airstrips

- Douglas Lake Ranch near Merritt

- Clinton Echo Valley Ranch & Spa

- Clinton Blieber Ranch airstrip

Airfields - Unpaved

- Kamloops Blair Field

- Clearwater Yellowhead Helicopter pad

- Clearwater Ranch Tours airstrip

- Logan Lake/Kamloops High Kelly Ranch

Ferries

- Adams Lake Ferry crosses Adams Lake at southern tip

- Big Bar Ferry crosses Fraser River west of Clinton

- Little Fort Ferry crosses North Thompson River

- McLure Ferry crosses North Thompson River north of Kamloops

Trains

- Kamloops Steam Heritage Railway - 2141 Locomotive and heritage cars

- Canadian National Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railroad do not allow filming