100 Mile House

100 Mile House is a town of about 1,900 people (2011), and the main service centre of the southern Cariboo region of British Columbia. Its name harkens back to the days of the Cariboo Gold Rush when the settlement was little more than a roadhouse at the 100-mile mark of the Cariboo Wagon Road. There are amenities for the traveller although little in the way of attractions, but the surrounding area has many lakes, ranch resorts, cross country skiing and other outdoor activities.

Understand
The primary industries of 100 Mile House are forestry and ranching. Log home building and tourism are also an important part of the community.



History
100 Mile House was founded as Bridge Creek House, named after the creek running through the area. Its origins as a settlement go back to when Thomas Miller owned a collection of ramshackle buildings serving the traffic of the gold rush as a resting point for travellers moving between Kamloops and Fort Alexandria, which was 98 miles (158 km) north of 100 Mile House farther along the HBC Brigade Trail. It acquired its current name during the Cariboo Gold Rush where a roadhouse was constructed in 1862 at the 100 miles (160 km) mark up the Old Cariboo Road from Lillooet.

In 1930, Lord Martin Cecil left England to come to 100 Mile House and manage the estate owned by his father, the 5th Marquess of Exeter. The estate's train stop on the Pacific Great Eastern (now CNR) railway is to the west of town and called Exeter. The town, which at the time consisted of the roadhouse, a general store, a post office, telegraph office and a power plant, had a population of 12. The original road house burned down in 1937. 100 Mile House residents often go by the demonym BX'ers, in relation to Barnard's Express.

100 Mile House is on Secwepemc unceded territory. The nearest Secwepemc band is the Tsq'escen, for whom a geographic reference point is the Canim Lake Reserve.

Climate
100 Mile House has a humid continental climate with mild summers combined with cool nights, along with cold, but not very cold winters for its latitude. In spite of the moderation that comes from its relative proximity to the Pacific Ocean, extreme winter temperatures can occasionally occur, with a record low of −48 °C (−54 °F). 100 Mile House is in a rain shadow of the coastal mountains, resulting in reduced precipitation, much of it falling as snow.

By car
The town is on B.C. Highway 97 (the Cariboo Highway), between Williams Lake and Cache Creek. It is roughly 330 km south of Prince George and 450 km north of Vancouver.

Get around
100 Mile House isn’t large, but if you want to take in the surrounding countryside, you will need a car.

Do
Befitting a place with the largest cross-country skis in the world, cross-country skiing is very popular. In a good winter, there about 150 km of groomed trails across two facilities within 20 min of the town. Use of groomed trails requires purchase of a day, week or season pass.



Eat
The town has a couple of chain grocery stores (Save-on-Foods and Safeway) along the Cariboo Highway that are good for stocking up on groceries or getting some takeaways.

Sleep
There is some choice of accommodation in and around 100 Mile House, although don’t expect five-star luxury. The chain hotels along the highway at the south end of town provide some cheaper options, while nearby guest ranches offer a more interesting albeit expensive stay.



Go next
Just south of town, take Highway 24 to the scenic Interlakes District. If you continue south on Highway 97, you’ll come to Clinton, another Cariboo Gold Rush-era small town.