McClure

Location

McLure is located approximately 20 minutes north of Kamloops on Highway 5 (Yellowhead). The city of Barriere is just 15 minutes north of McLure.

Places to See

• Pinegrove Campground and RV Park
  
  Come and stay at Pinegrove Campground and enjoy the large natural sites! There are large tenting sites, clean bathroom facilities with flush toilets and free showers, a small convenience store, a playground, and a gazebo.
  
  
• North Thompson Museum
  
  Located 63 kilometres north of Kamloops, west of the Yellowhead Highway at 343 Lilley Road, the North Thompson Museum is housed in a former BC Forest Service Ranger Station. The first Forestry Office in 1920 was located on the same property. At that time, it was considered the centre of the town.
  
  Artifacts and archival material depicting the history from McLure to Little Fort (Mount Olie) and surrounding areas can be found at the museum.

Things to Do

• River Boat Tour
  
  Take a river boat tour down the North Thompson River and be treated to beautiful, ever-changing landscapes. During the summer, the North Thompson reveals shorelines of sand and gravel bars that have been sculpted and polished for generations.
  
  
• Golf
  
  Set in the beautiful North Thompson Valley and just 3 kilometres from Barriere, Chinook Cove Golf features a championship 9-hole course with unique challenges.
  
  
• Fishing
  
  Take a helicopter in to the Valley's most secluded lakes for a world class fishing adventure. There are over 100 fishing areas to explore, with many impressive resort accommodations to experience.
  
  
• Trail Riding
  
  Several hundred kilometers of horseback trails are mapped and maintained in the Lower North Thompson. There are five main trail systems you can take advantage of that are accessible from Highway 5.
  
  
• Wildlife Viewing
  
  High elevation forests around Kamloops are home to interesting species like boreal owls, moose, singing hermit thrush and chattering red squirrels. You may also see spade foot toads, badgers, dancing sharp-tailed grouse, bighorn sheep, cougars, bears, coyotes and red foxes.

Events

• North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo
  
  Every September on Labour Day weekend, for more than half a century, the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo turns tiny, friendly Barriere into a cross between an old-fashioned homecoming and the sort of country fair most folks last saw in a Walt Disney movie.
  
  What will you find at the fair? How about three days of rapid-fire rodeo action, pony chariot and chuckwagon races, an outdoor logging show, heavy horse pulls, equestrian events, 4-H and open livestock and poultry competitions, three parades, roving entertainers on the grounds, a commercial booth area, an exhibition hall fairly bulging with displays of cut flowers, baking, preserves, hobby-craft, art and photography, quilts, plus children's and group displays.
  
  And, yes, there's a midway as well, and an open-air stage where the music and excitement continue throughout the day.
  
  When the sun goes down, the adults-only cabaret style dances on Saturday and Sunday evening keep the music going into the night. Youngsters can compete in the talent competitions, everyone can judge the wheelbarrow contests, and young would-be farmers can try their hand at cow milking.
  
  
• Kamloops Cowboy Festival
  
  The annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival is a celebration of western heritage in Kamloops and showcases the best in cowboy poetry and western music, as well as cowboy artists and artisans. The two main venues - The Calvary Community Church and Forster's Convention Centre - allow the Kamloops Cowboy Festival to accommodate an ever increasing number of guests. The Cowboy Festival attracts entertainers, artists and fans from throughout North America and as far as Europe!
  
  Entertainment begins with jam sessions and a kick-off party Thursday night, and goes almost non-stop all weekend. There are three stages offering Cowboy Poetry and Western Music each day from noon until evening. On Friday and Saturday nights, guests have a choice between main stage concerts at Calvary Community Church or the dinner theatre shows at Forster's Convention Centre. Cowboy Church on Sunday morning is always very popular, followed by another day of great entertainment. The Cowboy Art and Gear Show features more than 30 artists and artisans, displaying a wide range of artwork and custom-made cowboy equipment. A series of seminars and workshops are offered over the weekend on varied topics such as ranch roping, poetry and songwriting, guitar picking styles, and learning to yodel the cowboy way.

Contact Information

Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

1332 Water Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 9P4

Phone: 250-860-5999
Toll-Free: 1-800-567-2275
Fax: 250-860-9993
E-mail: info@totabc.com
Website: www.totabc.com