BC Highway 20 Road Conditions – from Williams Lake on Highway 97 through to Bella Coola connecting with BC Ferry routes to Port Hardy, Bella Bella, Ocean Falls, Shearwater, Klemtu, and Prince Rupert.
| Highway 20. Bridge maintenance at Dowling Rd (15 km west of Tatla Lake). Until Fri Oct 4 at 5:00 PM PDT. Lane Closure. Expect delays. Watch for temporary traffic signals. minor construction | last updated Mon Sep 9 at 1:45 PM PDT. |
| Highway 20, in both directions. Road maintenance work between Fisheries Pool Campground Access Rd and Rainbow Range Trailhead for 36.3 km (17 km east of Firvale to 39 km west of Anahim Lake). Until Wed May 7, 2025. From 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PDT on weekdays. Single lane alternating traffic. minor construction | last updated Tue May 28 at 6:06 PM PDT. |
| Highway 20. Muddy sections between Olsen Dr and Rainbow Range Trailhead for 77.7 km (16 km east of Bella Coola to 39 km west of Anahim Lake). minor road condition | last updated Thu Oct 3 at 3:06 PM PDT. |
Highway 97 Road Conditions Report Williams Lake
BC Ferries Bella Coola Ferry Information
Highway 20 Route Information
Highway 20 is also known as the Chilcotin Highway, and also the Alexander MacKenzie Highway.
Hwy 20 is one of the two main East-West routes in the Central Interior of British Columbia, the other being Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway).
The Chilcotin Highway (Highway 20) runs 457 km (284 mi) from Williams Lake westward through the Chilcotin region to an inlet (North Bentinck Arm) from the Pacific Ocean where the town of Bella Coola is located.
BC Ferries Bella Coola Terminal in Bella Coola, provides transportation to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, and to northern destinations such as Bella Bella, Ocean Falls, Shearwater, Klemtu, and Prince Rupert. Check Highway 20 Road Conditions.
BC Ferries has a complete route map. This map can be downloaded here – Download BCF Route Map
Driving into Bella Coola is a spectacular experience. Bella Coola has a unique location on the coast of British Columbia. You will pass through remote areas. It is important when driving in these conditions to be prepared. There aren’t a lot of facilities along the way, so start out with a full tank of gas.
You can easily make this trip in a day, especially in summer, but be sure to leave plenty of time to stop and explore.
The road is very challenging. It includes 11km of switchbacks on the way up to Heckman Pass (see weather cams to the right), nicknamed as The Hill, at 1.524m (5.000ft) above the sea level.
The road descends 43 km (27 mi) of steep, sharp hairpin turns and two major switchbacks to the Bella Coola Valley. The descent includes a 9 km (5.6 mi) section with steep grades.
