Rock Creek, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Rock Creek is an unincorporated settlement in the Boundary Country
of the Southern Interior of British Columbia
, Canada
. Located at the confluence of the Kettle River
with the eponymous Rock Creek
, site of the Rock Creek Gold Rush
of 1860, the community also lies at the junction of British Columbia Highway 33
(from Kelowna
via Big White) and British Columbia Highway 3, otherwise known as the Crowsnest Highway, which runs across the south of the province.
Rock Creek was one of the settlements along the Dewdney Trail in gold rush
times and, though very small today, remains important as a regional service centre for the farming and mining communities of the Boundary Country and the Monashee Country, which lies northwards. It is the effective basetown for Mount Baldy Ski Area
, which lies to its northwest and overlooks the Okanagan Valley town of Oliver
.
Boundary Country
The Boundary Country is a historical designation for a district in southern British Columbia lying, as its name suggests, along the boundary between Canada and the United States. It lies to the east of the southern Okanagan Valley and to the west of the West Kootenay. It is often included in...
of the Southern Interior of British Columbia
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Located at the confluence of the Kettle River
Kettle River (Columbia River)
The Kettle River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northeastern Washington in the United States and southeastern British Columbia in Canada. Its drainage basin is large, of which are in Canada and in the United States.-Course:...
with the eponymous Rock Creek
Rock Creek (British Columbia)
Rock Creek is a creek in the Boundary Country region of British Columbia. This creek is the most renowned placer gold creek in the Boundary Country. It was discovered in 1859 by a Canadian named Adam Beam. Rock Creek was originally called York Creek. Beam earned $977 in the first six weeks he...
, site of the Rock Creek Gold Rush
Rock Creek Gold Rush
The Rock Creek Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Boundary Country region of the Colony of British Columbia . The rush was touched off in 1859 when two US soldiers were driven across the border to escape pursuing Indians and chanced on gold only three miles into British territory, on the banks of...
of 1860, the community also lies at the junction of British Columbia Highway 33
British Columbia provincial highway 33
Highway 33 is a minor two-lane highway in the Okanagan region of the province. Highway 33, which is 129 km long, connects Rock Creek, on the Crowsnest Highway, north to Kelowna, on the Okanagan Highway, partially following the West Kettle River. It is also the main access to the Big White...
(from Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
via Big White) and British Columbia Highway 3, otherwise known as the Crowsnest Highway, which runs across the south of the province.
Rock Creek was one of the settlements along the Dewdney Trail in gold rush
British Columbia Gold Rushes
The presence of gold in the region that is now British Columbia is mentioned in old legends that, in part, led to its discovery. The Strait of Anian, claimed to have been sailed by Juan de Fuca for whom today's Strait of Juan de Fuca is named, was described as passing through a land "rich in gold,...
times and, though very small today, remains important as a regional service centre for the farming and mining communities of the Boundary Country and the Monashee Country, which lies northwards. It is the effective basetown for Mount Baldy Ski Area
Mount Baldy Ski Area
Mount Baldy is a small ski resort overlooking the Okanagan Valley in southern British Columbia just north of the border Washington state. Its road access is via McKinney Road from Oliver and from BC Highway 3 north of Bridesville and BC Highway 33 west of Rock Creek, in the Boundary Country...
, which lies to its northwest and overlooks the Okanagan Valley town of Oliver
Oliver, British Columbia
Oliver is a community at the south end of the Okanagan Valley in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, with a population of 4370. The community of Oliver is made up of land governed by three different bodies: the Town of Oliver, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the...
.
See also
- Anarchist MountainAnarchist MountainAnarchist Mountain is a mountain in British Columbia, Canada, which rises 1491 m above sea level. It is located east of the town of Osoyoos, very near the US border...
- Greenwood, British ColumbiaGreenwood, British ColumbiaGreenwood is a small city in south central British Columbia.It was incorporated in 1897 and was formerly one of the principal cities of the Boundary Country smelting and mining district. It earned "city" status and has retained that stature despite the population implosion following the closure of...
- Beaverdell, British ColumbiaBeaverdell, British ColumbiaBeaverdell is an unincorporated settlement in the Monashee Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, which lies to the east of the Okanagan Valley and north of the Boundary Country region...
- Midway, British ColumbiaMidway, British ColumbiaMidway is a village located in southern British Columbia in the West Kootenay region.It is located 13 km west of Greenwood and 51 km east of Osoyoos along Highway 3.-History:...
- Johnstone Creek Provincial ParkJohnstone Creek Provincial ParkJohnstone Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located west of the confluence of Rock Creek and the Kettle River and the town of Rock Creek.-References:...
- Camp McKinney