In 1862, English prospector Billy Barker struck gold worth more than $500,000 in today’s currency in BC’s northern Cariboo area. Adventurers from around the world quickly rushed to the banks of Williams Creek, where Barker hit pay dirt. The ensuing gold frenzy turned Barkerville into the largest rip-roaring city west of Chicago and north of San Francisco.

The mighty Fraser River played a significant role in the days of the gold rush as it served as the primary transportation route to gold fever! One town on the Gold Rush Trail, Yale, once boasted a population of 30,000 at the start of the gold rush exodus and was the terminus for one of the largest sternweheeler operations on the west coast.

For those who want to try their hand at a little gold panning of their own, there are public gold panning preserves on the Fraser River in Yale and in Lytton, and many also visit the confluence of the Coquihalla and Fraser Rivers in Hope. Gold Pans, shovels and instructional information are available from the Hope Visitor Info Centre.

Almost everyone has the chance to strike it rich when they try their hand at gold panning at Hells Gate Airtram. A mother lode of opportunity awaits as they sift their way through actual gravel taken from Hills Bar along side the Fraser River. Hills Bar is home to the biggest claim ever staked in the Fraser Canyon during the great Fraser River Gold Rush in the mid 1860's.