Fort St. John with Kids | Family Activities & Day Trip Guide
This post was originally written for a blog called Northern BC Moms. A few years ago I took the kids on an Northeastern BC road trip — Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, and Hudson's Hope. I'm reposting here now that I own Nest & Sprout, a children's boutique in Prince George. We do ship across Canada if you're visiting from Fort St. John and need to gear up before a trip.
Fair warning: our Fort St. John visit was on a cold rainy day in August. Cold feet and damp kids happened. We still had a good time — and honestly, rain makes for good stories. Here's what we found worth doing.
Things to Do in Fort St. John with Kids
Fish Creek Community Forest Trail
A great starting point for a family outing — the Fish Creek trail is accessible and stroller-friendly, with a meandering path through forest. It's the kind of walk where little kids can actually keep up without anyone losing their mind. My son had a blast on his run bike going down the hills while we followed with the stroller. Pack bug spray.
Kin Park
A solid community park with a dirt hill bike park and playground. If you have a kid with a bike or a balance bike, they'll be very happy here. There's shade, room to spread out, and since our visit the park has apparently had some nice upgrades. One of those stops where you can genuinely sit and drink your coffee in peace while the kids run wild.
Whole Wheat & Honey Café
A local favourite and a genuine gem for a Northern BC city — fair trade coffee, fresh-baked muffins, wholesome lunch options, vegetarian and vegan choices, good ambiance. Worth a stop for the adults even if the kids are just there for the treat. Located at 10003 100 Street in downtown Fort St. John.
North Peace Leisure Pool
Visiting public pools when you travel is genuinely underrated, and this one is a good one for families with small kids. The North Peace Leisure Pool has a zero-beach entry, waves, a rapid channel, spray features, and two water slides — the kind of setup where you can feel comfortable bringing toddlers solo without too much chaos. Check current hours and family swim times before you go.
Rotary Spray Park & Playground
Next door to the pool at Centennial Park — if the weather cooperates, this is a great add-on. Good shade, seating, a playground alongside the spray features, and water jumping pods that kids love. The whole area is well-designed for families spending a few hours outside.
Pomeroy Sport Centre
If you need an indoor option, the Pomeroy Sport Centre is worth knowing about — it has a free public walking track (340 metres, rubberized, climate controlled) and various indoor programming including family options. The visitor centre for Fort St. John is also located here, so it's a useful first stop if you're orienting yourself.
Charlie Lake
About 10 minutes north of Fort St. John — a scenic lake with a walking path, dock, and playground. Good for a slower afternoon. Charlie Lake Provincial Park is right there if you want a quick nature stop or a place to let the kids run around before the drive home.
McDonald's or Burger King
Look, sometimes you're cold and wet and the kids are done and you just need fries and an indoor play space. Fort St. John's McDonald's has a large indoor play area, and there's a Burger King across the highway. No shame. We've all been there.
Fort St. John is bigger than most people from Prince George expect — it has solid infrastructure and enough family-friendly options to fill a day or a weekend without running out of things to do.
Have a Fort St. John recommendation? Leave it in the comments — we'd love to hear what other families have found.
See our other Northeastern BC road trip posts: A Day in Dawson Creek with Kids and A Day in Hudson's Hope with Kids.
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