Chasing the Sun – The Breathtaking Sunrises and Sunsets of Prince George

Prince George, an outdoor recreation enthusiast’s playground. With distinct seasons come a wide range of snow sports, and summers that are marked by boating, mountain biking and lazy river floats. Surrounded by 120 parks and 1,600 lakes (all within an hour’s drive of Prince George), there’s no shortage of outdoor adventure to be had.

For this slideshow we teamed up with Tourism Prince George  to showcase twilight’s fleeting moments in and around the city. Nestled into a geographic ‘bowl,’ P.G. has many vantage points perfect for catching sunrise and sunset. From radiant HDR photos to Instagram snapshots, you’ll notice many of the images were taken at nearby lakes. However, short stay visitors need not adventure so far out. Smack dab in the city centre, Connaught Hill Park is an excellent place to catch the day’s fading light. Here are 11 stunning Prince George sunrieses and sunsets captured by you.

Norman Lake

Norman lake borders Dahl Lake Provincial Park, 40km from Prince George, amongst a staggering variety of lakes found southwest of the city.

Photo credit: Gillene Gauthier

Cityscape From the Cutbanks

This shot is taken looking west, across the city, from the sandy cutbanks that tower above PG against the Nechako River. This position overlooks the ground of the Northern Lights Estate Winery, opening in 2015.

Photo credit: Jeremy Bekken

The Nechako River

The Nechako River is a key outlet for recreation in the Prince George area. This winter shot was taken near the Takla Forest Road.

Photo credit: Kris Foot

Follow Kris on Instagram: @kfootphotography

Nechako Riverbank

A second shot from Kris, with his adventure partner, Tito. This one is taken from the banks of the Nechako River near the Foothills Bridge, within the city.

Photo credit: Kris Foot

Follow Kris on Instagram: @kfootphotography

Historic Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Bridge

The bridge was originally built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and is historically significant due to its rare “vertical lift” design, by which its lift mechanism uses counterweights on the protruding arms instead of more common cables and pulleys. They lift hasn’t been operated for decades, but the bridge is still used for train traffic. Location: Cottonwood Island Park.

Photo credit: Alan O’Reilly

Heart-Shaped Glow

Nature, lover, by Sharon Patterson. This one could be anywhere, but it’s one of our favourites in Prince George. Sharon took the shot in her backyard when she realized that the edge of a roof and some leafy branches formed a heart shape.

Photo credit: Sharon Patterson

David Douglas Botanical Garden

The botanical garden and observation deck (structure in the background) are a great place to catch a sunrise at the University of Northern British Columbia.

Photo credit: Milad Fathi

Summit Lake

Summit Lake is a prominent location for summer recreation, with a campground, a resort and good fishing. Teapot Mountain presides over the lake, and makes for a short hike with commanding views of the region.

Photo credit: Alisha Rubadeau

Reid Lake

Northwest of Prince George is home to idyllic farmland and a cluster of lakes. This photo was taken in a grain field at Reid Lake.

Photo credit: Trenton Griffith

Sunrise at Cottonwood Island Park, at the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers.  The wide space of their meeting makes for calm water and still reflections. The mills in the background are often photographed for their striking silhouette.

Photo credit: Vicki Hurford Brown

This photo looks east, over the city at dawn. The view is from a vantage point near the University of Northern British Columba.

Photo credit: Chris Leboe

Follow Chris on: Instagram, the web or Twitter.