tumbler ridge museum

We were surprised and delighted to discover the many attractions of Tumbler Ridge. Besides the natural beauty of the nearby waterfalls, boulder garden and hikes, there is a small world class museum that was open on an early Sunday morning on Thanksgiving Weekend. The museum is housed in a decommissioned school in a residential area, and signage is poor to the entrance. The exhibits focus mainly on local finds, but these are well displayed with interesting background information. In the small theatre room runs a multitude of videos that the user can choose, including the origin of the 2000 find by two young local boys, as well as other fossil bone discoveries before and after that date. The small entrance fee, is well worth the educational value of the museum and supports its operation.It was exciting for our family to actually hike down (<1 hour) to the location of the tracks on a nearby trail just outside of town and look at the actual fossil prints in the rock. These were easy to find with the free hiking brochure offered at the museum/community center. As a family activity, it couldn't be beat. Our only regret was missing out on the Dinosaur track tours that run during the summer, and tubing down the same creek in summer.Although it is a one hour drive from Dawson Creek, this town is hIghly recommended as a worthwhile trip for all Dinosaur fanatics. The town community center has lots of facilities for the tourist including a pool, library (with WiFi) and tourist information in the lobby if you should arrive when the Visitor Information Center is closed.

I went to see dinosaur tracks, stayed to see waterfalls and flowers and ended up discovering a young town on old rock, peopled by enthusiastic Tumblerites appropriately proud of the mountainous beauty around them. Kinuseo Falls is a big attraction, but there is much more.The town, built on the age old primary resource of coal mining, also boasts modern technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and, of course, WiFi at the magnificent library and community centre. It is a rare town where volunteers maintain a BC Parks facility rather than let it be closed for lack of public funding. Kinuseo Campground should be a lesson to BC Parks. Dry wood is provided by volunteers, the latrines are clean and stocked with the essential paper and the sites have been cleaned of the left-overs of fools. Volunteers also build and maintain hiking trails.Visitors are welcome. From the Tourist Info Centre to the Tumbler Ridge Museum to just meeting people on the street, Tumblerites are generally warm and friendly. TIPS: Before you go to Tumbler Ridge, check these websites: <www.pris.bc.ca/wnms> for hiking schedules and other good information.Tumbler Ridge Museum <www.tumblerridgemuseum.com>Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre: <www.prprc.com>Before hiking pick up the excellent information from the Visitor Centre.