Northern BC

From prairies and open farmland around Dawson Creek, across the spine of the Rocky Mountains, through the heart of BC via the Rocky Mountain Trench and the Central Plateau, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. It is an area marked by vast, unsettled spaces, few main roads and lots of lakes and streams, including some of the finest fishing rivers in the world. And that's just the main set of maps. In addition, we have included maps (and write-ups) for the even vaster, even less settled areas of Northern BC. This truly is a magnificent wilderness area, interrupted only occasionally by the works of man. Here you will find names that resonate deeply in the hearts and minds of hardcore outdoor adventurers. Names like Spatsizi, Edziza, Chilkoot, Wokkpash, Muskwa Kechika are proof that we live in the greatest, wildest, most spectacular province in the country, if not the world. These are places where you can hike or horseback for weeks in one direction and still not come across a road, let alone another soul. This is truly a do it yourself landscape. While you will find many of BC's largest parks here, you won't find much in the way of developed recreation infrastructures. Trails are few. Campsites are even fewer. And outside a few main corridors (the Alaska Highway, and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway), there are very few roads. Locals and visitors alike will appreciate this book, which is the most comprehensive outdoor guide to this area.

Mussio has created one guide that tells you about all the outdoor activities in a particular area and shows you how to get there. Whether you are an angler, a hiker, an ATVer, or just an armchair enthusiast, this is the book for you. The reference section found in this book includes information on fishing, paddling routes, parks and recreation sites, multi-use trails (hiking/biking and off-road trails), winter recreation and wildlife viewing. The maps in this book highlight the backroad and logging road networks, trails systems and recreation opportunities in Central and Northern BC. A unique feature of the maps is that all recreation activities are labeled, allowing for quick and easy referencing when researching a specific area. Further, no other source provides as much detail and accuracy on the road and trail networks throughout the north.

Additional maps to consider:

• Official British Columbia Road Map and Parks Guide

Vol 1. Southwestern BC
New relief shading with contours

Southwestern BC is a beautiful area of British Columbia, Canada. The area is dominated by large wilderness parks, a fjord-like coast and the rugged coastal mountains. If you are planning on visiting the Sunshine Coast, the Sea to Sky Highway, the Fraser Valley, the Gold Bridge Area or any point in between, then this is the guidebook to use. Unique to this area are hotsprings, saltwater fishing and ocean paddling.

Additional maps to consider:

• Official British Columbia Road Map and Parks Guide
• Metro Vancouver
• Fishing BC: Lower Mainland

This book covers the southwestern corner of beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver, Gibsons and Powell River frame the western edge of the area, while Hope, Manning Park, Boston Bar and Lillooet make up the eastern edge. Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, Squamish, Whistler and Gold Bridge are just a few of the prominent cities or towns. The Vancouver, Coast and Mountains region is an outdoor recreation paradise that will rival any recreational playground in the country.

Additional maps to consider:

• Official British Columbia Road Map and Parks Guide
• Metro Vancouver
• Fishing BC: Lower Mainland

Vancouver Island - 5th edition
New relief shading with contours

The Island's best selling recreation guide just got better! The fourth edition of the Islands Backroad Mapbook is finally here. In the new edition, you will find all new maps as well as and updated and expanded reference section. If you plan on exploring the Island, we are certain you will find the new Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook an invaluable resource. Spiral bound.

Additional maps to consider:

The dry, arid interior of BC speaks summer to the thousands of tourists who flock to its beaches every year. With its big lakes (including Okanagan and Skaha), warm water and sandy beaches, this is the place for summer. It doesn’t hurt that it is home to Canada’s finest wineries and some of the province’s finest golf courses.

Vol 3. Kamloops / Okanagan
New relief shading with contours

The Backroad Mapbook will help you explore this unique area of southern British Columbia, Canada, with its rolling hillsides, open fields, and hot climate. The Kamloops / Okanagan mapbook covers all the area between Hope to 70 Mile House in the west, Grand Forks to Revelstoke to the east and Little Fork to the north.

Additional maps to consider:

Canadian Rockies

Welcome to this special edition of the Backroad Mapbook Series. This book focuses on the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks system, an interconnected system of provincial and national parks covering more that 30,000 square kilometres—about the size of Belgium.
From the world famous Banff National Park to the much quieter and smaller Elk Lakes Provincial Park there is a lifetime of recreation to enjoy in this spectacular area. If you are a follower of the series, you will notice a different twist to the book. Rather than split up the various activities we focus on the individual parks in the area as well as Kananaskis Country and the Forestry Trunk Areas of Alberta that are found in the Rocky Mountain Foothills to the east. By focusing on each park we are able to provide more details than ever before. Of course we include our ever-popular maps as well as a few helpful inset maps to help guide the people to the places we write about.

Vol 4. The Kootenays
New relief shading with contours

The southeast corner of British Columbia, Canada, is a spectacular area with unlimited recreational opportunities waiting to be discovered. This area is dominated by rugged mountain peaks, large lakes and rivers. Whether you like to fish, hike, hunt, mountain bike, paddle, ski or just explore backroads, we are sure that you will find this Backroads Mapbook useful. Unique to this area are hotsprings and gold streams.

Additional maps to consider:

Vol 5. Cariboo

This Mapbook has been recently updated and expanded. The new area covers the vast area east of the Fraser River all the way to the Rocky Mountains and Mount Robson Provincial Park. Included in this area is the popular Big Bar region, the incredible fishing around the Interlakes Highway, the world famous Wells Grey Provincial Park and the dramatic Robson Valley east of the Cariboo Mountains.

Additional maps to consider:

Vol 6. Central B.C.

Central B.C. is a vast region of beautiful British Columbia dominated by rolling hills of pine and spruce forests. The spectacular mountains common to British Columbia make an inspiring backdrop if you plan on visiting one of the many lakes, streams or trails in the area. This Backroad Mapbook extends from Prince George west to Smithers and north to MacKenzie. Abundant wildlife, peace and solitude and endless areas to explore fill the pages in between. Spiral bound.

Additional maps to consider:

Vol 7. Chilcotin

Chilcotin/ Central Coast $19.95 /$22.95 (Spiral Bound) 30% off

New relief shading with contours

Taking you from the rolling plateau of the Chilcotin, deep into the spectacular Coast Mountains, the Chilcotin Backroad Mapbook helps open up one of BC's final frontiers. This is a place like no other in the province. There are places far removed from the nearest road and relatively untouched by human development and industry. It is an area to preserve and to treasure.

Highway 20 bisects the Chilcotin and provides a lifeline for the small communties out west. Names like Bella Coola and Alexis Creek might not mean much in the bigger cities of the south, but out here they are the big cities. South of the highway lies an area of high elevation plateau, and open forest that slowly runs into the Coast mountains (in the west) and the higher mountains of the South Chilcotin (in the east). North of the highway, the Chilcotin roles on, slowly transitioning into the Interior Plateau south of Prince George.

Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Southwestern BC

Lake fishing within the Southwestern region of British Columbia is definitely overshadowed by the excellent river and saltwater salmon fishing in the area. Although salmon and steelhead receive most of the attention, there are numerous quality lakes for anglers to sample for trout and char.

Whether you are looking for that quaint mountain lake that offers small, but plenty of feisty rainbow or large cutthroat that will chase down a well-presented streamer pattern, this area offers it all. This book has divided the lakes into two general areas. The Mainland lakes range from urban lakes within the city limits to remote mountain lakes of the Chilliwack Valley and Fraser Canyon. We have also included a few interior-type lakes around Lillooet and Gold Bridge, as well as lakes around the Sea to Sky Highway (from Squamish to Whistler and Pemberton areas). The second area is the Sunshine Coast Lakes. These lakes are isolated from the Mainland lakes by large inlets and include those found from Gibsons to Powell River. The Mainland area is a diverse area that has several different types of lakes to explore. The small lakes closer to the coastal area are often acidic, nutrient poor lakes that tend to produce small fish. A unique thing is that some of these lakes have a year-round open water season since they are rarely covered in ice. During the cooler months, the fishing pressure is light and the larger fish are easier to catch. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the interior lakes around Lillooet and Gold Bridge. These lakes have much more prolific insect life that results in larger fish. Fly-fishing tends to be the favoured fishing method of these small lakes, although presentations vary depending on location and timing.

Also in the mix are some large and medium water bodies that have some very large cutthroat, lake trout and dolly varden lurking in their depths. Trolling and working the stream mouths is recommended for the bigger lakes. Fishing pressure on the lakes within an easy drive of Vancouver and the Fraser Valley can be a concern. Over half of the population of British Columbia is found in the Lower Mainland and many of the easily accessible lakes can get crowded. To find lakes that offer consistent fishing, you will need to look for stocked lakes like Francis, Moss, Rolley and Wood Lake. For those who prefer solitude, remote hike-in lakes such as Eaton, Greendrop, Lindemand and Pierce Lake are definitely worth the effort..

Pages: 95
Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Vancouver Island South

From those urban gems to hidden mountain lakes, Vancouver Isla

nd offers some of the best lake fishing in the province. With this book, you will not only find out what is in each lake, but also where to fish on the lake. If you plan to go fishing on Vancouver Island, be sure to add this book to your tackle box.

Pages: 104
Regional Cities: Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Port Alberni, Tofino, Port Renfrew

Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Lower Mainland

This edition highlights numerous lakes around Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. This area is home to a good selection of cutthroat and rainbow trout lakes that are well stocked and offer fishing for small but plentiful fish. To help you get away from the crowds, this book includes several remote hike-in lakes next to those more popular, easy to access lakes

Pages: 96
Regional Cities: Vancouver, Chilliwack, Hope, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton

Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Thompson Nicola

This book highlights B.C's most popular fishing region; the Thompson/Nicola. The area around Merritt and Kamloops is world renowned for its? fast growing and big Kamloops trout that are easily taken on a fly. In addition to those easy to access lakes, this book includes several remote hike-in lakes that rarely see an angler.

Pages: 104
Regional Cities: Merritt, Lillooet, Clinton, Kamloops, Little Fort, Salmon Arm

Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Okanagan

The Okanagan is synonymous with sun and fun. People flock to the larger valley lakes and their fabulous beaches throughout the summer months. Lurking in the depths of these valley lakes are fish legends are made of. Also included in this book are a good variety of hidden mountain lakes that offer excellent fly fishing for those feisty trout.

Pages: 104
Regional Cities: Princeton, Osoyoos, Grand Forks, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon

Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Kootenays

From Arrow lake in the west to the hidden mountain lakes in the Rocky Mountains, The Kootenays offer incredible scenery on offen secluded lakes. Anglers visiting this area of southeastern BC have an excellent variety of lakes and sportfish to choose from. From the large valley lakes with their trophy sized Gerrard trout, to the hidden mountain lakes with plentiful cutthroat trout, the fishing can be fantastic. Kokanee can also be found in the bigger Kootenay lakes while there is even a good selection of bass lakes in the region.

Pages: 104
Regional Cities: Trail, Nelson, Creston, Cranbrook, Fernie, Invermere, Golden, Revelstoke, Nakusp, Kaslo

Additional maps to consider:

Fishing BC - Cariboo

The historical Cariboo Region is an area rich with history. Today, you will find many explorers have replaced the gold pan with a fly rod. Whether it is a large lake or a tiny pond, anglers will find large trout ready for the taking. This book covers 100 of the best lakes from the famous Lakes Highway to the hills around Quesnel. If you are an angler heading to the Cariboo, you will find this book an indispensible tool for fantastic fishing.

Pages: 104
Regional Cities: 100 Mile House, Little Fort, Clearwater, Williams Lake, Quesnel, Likely, Barkerville

Additional maps to consider:

Southwestern Alberta

The premier mapbook for Alberta - this mapbook covers all of Southwestern Alberta, Canada. This large area is bound by the United States border to the south, the David Thompson Highway to the North and McLeod Trail (Highway #2) to the east. This spectacular region includes the world famous Banff National Park, the equally impressive Kananaskis Country and Waterton National Park as well as many other hidden gems.

The Backroad Mapbook for Southwestern Alberta offers detailed maps and a wide variety of activities to help you plan your outdoor adventure. Try fishing or paddling those crystal clear lakes and rushing streams. Pick your own wilderness camping location. Hike, bike or horseback ride among the beautiful mountain trails or enjoy the endless cross-country ski and snowmobile routes.

Central Alberta

The Central Alberta Backroad Mapbook takes off from where the Southwestern Alberta mapbook ends. Covering the vast area west of Edmonton, including Jasper National Park and the impressive Willmore Wilderness Park, this area is truly a backcountry explorer's paradise. The lack of crowds, the wide-open spaces and the fantastic scenery are sure to make for the adventure of a lifetime. The Backroad Mapbook for Central Alberta is an explorer's guide that takes you from the flat country to the Rocky Mountains. Along the way we note all the points of interest and the infinite recreational opportunities. From fantastic fishing holes to seldom-visited camping areas and endless trail systems, we provide the maps and information that will make your planning easier.

South Peace - Alberta (Spiral bound.)

Inside this guidebook, you will find the most comprehensive outdoor recreation resource available for the South Peace region. West Central Alberta is a sprawling area that encompasses mountains, prairies, and miles upon miles of boreal forest.

As you travel north along the BC/Alberta boundary, the Rocky Mountains begin to change. They are less hard, sharp and jagged, taking on instead a more rounded appearance. The mountains also begin to shuffle further west. Just south of the first of the maps in this book, the boundary stops following the continental divide, and spills over into BC. While there are still mountains in the Two Lakes area south of Grande Prairie, they are small, never topping 1,500 metres (4,900 feet).

There are relatively few settlements in this area. The largest of which is Grande Prairie. Grande Prairie sits in the heart of the northern prairies. It is an active city of 40,000, and growing every year. The city is built on agriculture and logging, but much of its recent growth stems from oil and gas discovery.

From the city, roads radiate outwards in every direction; farming roads, oil and gas roads and logging roads. Highways 2, 40 and 43 intersect at the city. There are very few other main roads through this region; while there are a lot of paved roads, they see little traffic. The other major towns are Peace River and Slave Lake.

Because this area has so few people, it has also seen very little recreational development. There are a few noteworthy exceptions, but these only serve to underscore the remoteness of the rest of the region.

This undeveloped nature is a double-edged sword. For people looking to get away from it all, it is not all that hard to find a place to call your own. However, there is little in the way of formalized recreational amenities. Compared to points farther south, there are few trails, few known canoe and kayak routes, and relatively few parks and campgrounds. The lack of camping options also means that the most popular provincial park campgrounds can be packed, especially on summer weekends.

People interested in motorized transportation (ATVing, snowmobiling) will find this region sometimes frustrating as well. Yes, there are seismic lines or cutlines beyond number, as well as an extensive backroad system, but few of these are actually designated as ATVing or snowmobiling routes. How are you, the visitor, to know what cutlines make for an enjoyable outing, and which are overgrown? Your best bet for many of these areas is to find a local and ask. Another issue: much of the country—especially in the eastern portion of the book—is muskeg. This makes accessing destinations such as lakes difficult in summer. Northeast of Lesser Slave Lake are a number of great fishing lakes that can only be accessed in winter, once the muskeg has frozen. However, anglers and hunters will find this region an absolute paradise. Not only is Lesser Slave Lake the best place in Alberta to fish for walleye, there are a number of other outstanding lakes as well. Some of Canada’s best rainbow trout fishing lakes are in this region, and stream fishers will be delighted to know that there are some fine creeks and rivers, especially near the mountains. Hunters will be astounded with the number and variety of wildlife in many areas of the South Peace.

Trans Canada Trail - BC Route

The premier edition of Trans Canada Trail: The British Columbia Route, available now. This book covers all activities from hiking to camping to horseback riding. It is the only book you will need, although you'll find that the Backroad Mapbook series is a perfect companion.

Burnaby, B.C. (June 28,2001) - Many people have heard of the Trans Canada Trail but few know where the route goes. This was the consensus of the local publishing company, Mussio Ventures Ltd., when approached by Trails BC last spring to create a book covering the trail in British Columbia.

Over the last year, Mussio Ventures Ltd. has amalgamated all the information into one source, the Trans Canada Trail, the British Columbia Route guidebook. The book is designed to raise awareness of the trail while providing partial proceeds to help establish and maintain the trail.

The Trans Canada Trail in BC is a multi-use trail system that follows a variety of surfaces through a host of different settings to connect communities and historical sites. The approximately 1,750 kilometre route from Victoria to the Alberta border uses everything from sidewalks and roadways to railbeds and mountain trails to create an uninterrupted trail system.

The new guidebook not only maps and describes the actual route for would be travelers but also adds a host of other features to create an interesting read for armchair travelers. The book also breaks the trail into manageable day-use sections so travelers can pick and choose a section of trail to sample. Along the way service providers, picnic sites and campgrounds have been provided so long distance travelers can plan accordingly.

Additional maps to consider:

Valleys and Vistas - West Kootenays

Pages: 192
Regional Cities: Grand Forks, Rossland, Castlegar, Nelson, New Denver, Nakusp, Revelstoke

Valleys and Vistas is an outdoor recreation guidebook for the West Kootenay, Boundary, and Columbia Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. The wealth of recreational opportunities combined with the spectacular scenery and laid back lifestyle makes this region of British Columbia a recreational paradise.

Valleys and Vistas is a comprehensive four-season outdoor recreation guidebook with some of the best opportunities available for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, ski touring, paddling, and much more. The detailed maps and route descriptions are a compilation of many hours of research and personal travel.

With Valleys & Vistas, you can discover a diverse range of routes, many of which reflect the historical past of the region. Among the trails and rock crags lie traces of a by-gone era of mining and forest harvesting. Communities have both thrived and died in the course of a century and remnants of these historic days can still be found hidden in the hills.

This book is a guide to adventure. It will show you a world of wilderness and help you discover why so many people love to experience the mountains. Routes range from short walks to multi-day excursions, all offering a unique experience in one of the most beautiful parts of British Columbia.

Additional maps to consider:

All descriptions on this page are from Mussio Ventures LTD's product catalogue.