Cassiar Mountains

The Cassiar Mountains are a remote mountain range in northwestern Canada that span northern British Columbia and southern Yukon. They are part of the Interior Mountains and include peaks and plateaus with elevations commonly exceeding 2,000 metres.

This is a wilderness destination frequented for backcountry hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing and remnant mining heritage rather than large visitor facilities. Routes and trails are often informal; users should be prepared for long distances between services and for river and terrain navigation.

The area has a long geological history as part of complex terranes that composed the western Canadian Cordillera. Human use intensified during the late 19th and 20th centuries with small-scale mining and the establishment of short-lived mining communities, some of which are now abandoned.

The range straddles the northern interior of British Columbia and the southern Yukon Territory, lying well inland from the Pacific coast. The region is sparsely populated; the nearest regional service centres are small communities along the Alaska and Stewart-Cassiar corridors.

• Access: The range is remote with limited services and sparse road access; plan logistics carefully and expect limited cell coverage.
• When to go: Best visited in the snow-free months when high passes and trails are most accessible; many valleys remain snowbound well into spring.