For getting to know Prince Rupert, its trails and museums offer two different perspectives: the Rushbrook Trail focuses on coastal scenery and harbor watching, while the museums tell stories of railways, urban development, and firefighting. You can choose the focus of your stay based on the subjects that interest you.
Coastal Trails and Harbor Watching
The Rushbrook Trail is approximately 2 kilometers long and runs between downtown Prince Rupert and Rushbrook Floats. It follows the coast through coastal rainforest and open shoreline areas. Visitors can watch fishing boats, floatplanes, and ship traffic in the harbor. The trail thus offers two perspectives along the same route: the shoreline landscape and the activity in the harbor.
The Moresby Trail offers a different kind of route: it is a 1.6-kilometer loop off 2nd Avenue, behind the 2nd Avenue Bridge in Prince Rupert. At approximately 2 kilometers, the Rushbrook Trail is longer; it runs between downtown and Rushbrook Floats. The trails differ in length and route type: the Moresby Trail is a loop, while the Rushbrook Trail runs between downtown and Rushbrook Floats. If you prefer a loop, the Moresby Trail is a clear option; if coastal rainforest, open shoreline areas, and harbor traffic are what you’re looking for, the Rushbrook Trail may be a better fit.
Railways, Local History, and Firefighting
The Kwinitsa Railway Station Museum is located in Prince Rupert’s Waterfront Park and shares the history of northern Canada’s railway and the many small stations along its route with adults and children. The exhibits also show the development of early Prince Rupert, from a tent settlement at the terminus of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to a city in the 1920s. The museum thus connects the history of the railway and its stations with the city’s early development. Visitors interested in the railway and the town’s origins can explore both subjects here.
Firefighting is the focus at the Prince Rupert Fire Museum, which houses a large collection of related artifacts. The 1925 REO Speedwagon fire engine is the centerpiece of the exhibits; the museum also has a fully restored 1958 American LaFrance fire engine. The two vehicles offer different points of interest: the REO’s central role in the exhibits and the restored condition of the American LaFrance. This sets the museum apart from the railway and local history at the Kwinitsa Railway Station Museum.
At the Museum of Northern BC, visitors can see unique artifacts that tell a 10,000-year-old history. This offers a different historical perspective from the development of early Prince Rupert explored at the Kwinitsa Railway Station Museum. Choosing between the two perspectives means choosing between different subjects: the railway and the city’s transformation on the one hand, and the long history represented by the artifacts on the other.
Discover more destinations: Skeena-Queen Charlotte E, Tlell, Port Edward
Return to the regional travel overview: Skeena-Queen Charlotte.
