The dominant characteristic of the Cariboo country is the interior wetbelt forest of the Columbia mountains. In these forests undergrowth is dense with Devil's club and various other kinds of vines and berries. This ecosystem is reminiscent of the rainforest on BC's outer coast, although the climate here in the Cariboo Region is colder and snow plays a much more important role. A complex of protected areas from Bowron Lake down through the Cariboo Mountains to Wells Gray helps to protect the diversity of the area. The heavier interior rainforest of this region is a dramatic contrast to the dry grasslands of the Chilcotin country to the west.
Wells Gray Provincial Park is well known for its alpine hiking, kayaking, wildlife viewing and spectacular waterfalls. The Cariboo Mountains provide world-class fly-fishing for Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout and Dolly Varden, and is also an area of exceptional scenic beauty perfect for hiking, photography, or nature viewing. Bowron Lake Park offers a top calibre canoeing circuit on mountain lakes.
Common forest types in this region include old-growth Interior Douglas-fir, old-growth western red cedar, Interior Cedar-Hemlock forests, Sub-Boreal Spruce, and important stands of riparian deciduous forests.
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