Wander Downtown & Cow Bay
Start your morning with a wander through the charming waterfront district of Cow Bay, full of unique shops housed in colourful heritage buildings. Learn about the fascinating history of the area’s namesake and grab a coffee or quick snack to keep your energy up. Next, meander past the Northland Cruise Terminal and up the hill past Mariner’s Park, enjoying the sweeping views of the Harbour.
Wandering the atlin terminal. Image by VancityWild
Explore a Museum or Gallery
With only a day in Prince Rupert, you still have plenty of time to explore one of our many museums, galleries, historic buildings, or cultural places to discover the unique history of our region and the diverse artists and Indigenous People who call Prince Rupert home. Through local Indigenous art — including formline painting, sculpture, carving, and jewellery making — you can learn about the deep-rooted culture of the Coast Ts’msyen who have called this territory home for millennia. By visiting our museums and galleries, you’ll learn about the area’s importance as a coastal hub for culture and trade going back thousands of years. The Museum of Northern BC’s monumental Northwest Coast longhouse displays exhibits representing thousands of years of local Indigenous history. With enormous bark-stripped cedar posts and beams, high ceilings, and skylights, the building’s structure is almost as impressive as the collection inside.
Ruth Harvey Gallery Inside the Museum of NBC. Image by Simon Ratcliffe.
Enjoy a Nature Walk
After exploring Cow Bay and taking in some history, spend the afternoon outside walking one of our scenic trails. For an easy loop in town, take a stroll down to Rushbrook Trail. You’ll find the trailhead just behind the Bob’s on the Rocks building. This is a wide gravel trail suitable for most abilities that skirts steep cliffs at the very edge of the water. Rebuilt in 2018, the trail features three impressive suspension bridges and stunning views up the harbour as far as Tuck Inlet. You’ll emerge in Seal Cove, where you can walk the Salt Marsh loop and watch the seaplanes taking off and landing, before walking back along the trail to Rushbrook Marina.
Walking Rushbrook Trail. Image by Shayd Johnson
Experience a Unique Meal
Finish your day with a meal at one of our fantastic restaurants specializing in locally sourced foods. Sophisticated and unique dining options are baked into Prince Rupert’s DNA, with a wide range of incredible local restaurants offering a memorable lunch or dinner experience. Nestled into beautiful heritage buildings or perched over the harbour with sweeping views, the setting offers a perfect pairing for your meal. Be sure to finish off your evening with a beer from our own craft brewery, Wheelhouse Brewing, just up the hill from the heart of Cow Bay!
