Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Fort Langley is a small riverside village in the Fraser Valley, where an old fur trade post gave British Columbia one of its first footholds on the mainland. Its streets still keep a heritage look, and the farms, vineyards and parks around it make an easy getaway from Vancouver.
Fort Langley is often called the birthplace of British Columbia. The Hudson's Bay Company built its trading post here on the south bank of the Fraser River, and in November 1858 the proclamation creating the Colony of British Columbia was read at the fort.
The village around it has worked to keep its character. New buildings must follow heritage style guidelines, there are few chain stores, and independent shops line Glover Road. Beyond the village you will find berry farms, wineries and riverside parks, so it suits both a relaxed day and a full weekend.
Allow two to three hours at the former Hudson's Bay Company post above the Bedford Channel. A visitor centre and ten structures stand inside wooden palisades, and only the storehouse is original, while the rest are reconstructions.
The Colony of British Columbia was proclaimed at Fort Langley in November 1858. Photo: Mwoodbc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Glover Road is the main street of the village, lined with heritage-style buildings and roughly eighty independent businesses. Spend an hour or two browsing shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants.
Glover Road is the main shopping street of Fort Langley village. Photo: James.bc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The yellow Community Hall was completed in 1931 by hired hands and volunteers, and it has appeared in many films and television series. It houses a library branch and hosts community events and craft markets.
The Community Hall was completed in 1931 and has been used in many film and television productions. Photo: Mwoodbc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A public walkway along the riverbank, part of the Trans-Canada Trail, runs through the village past a rowing facility, with views across the Bedford Channel to McMillan Island, where the Kwantlen First Nation administers a reserve. Marina Park has the boat launch.
A riverside walkway in Fort Langley forms part of the Trans-Canada Trail. Photo: Jerry Meaden from Surrey, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The BC Farm and Equipment Museum holds a collection of antique farming machinery that shows how the Fraser Valley's fertile land was worked.
The Langley Centennial Museum exhibits local historical artifacts and offers cultural programming, which gives useful context on how the area developed. It pairs well with the fort if you want a full day of history.
Brae Island Regional Park lies across the water from the village and, together with McMillan Island, shelters the Bedford Channel from the river current.
Brae Island Regional Park lies across the Bedford Channel from the village. Photo: James Madison Alden, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Krause Berry Farms in Langley combines u-pick berries with a market, bakery, estate winery and waffle bar. It is busiest in the summer berry season and is best reached by car, so allow a couple of hours.
Domaine de Chaberton on 216 Street is one of several wineries around Langley. Its bistro overlooks the vineyard and serves French-style dishes made with Fraser Valley ingredients.
Domaine de Chaberton is one of several wineries in the Langley area. Photo: James.bc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Campbell Valley Regional Park, south of the village, has forest, grassland and wetland, with 33 kilometres of trails and a long equestrian loop around its edge. It makes an easy half-day walk after the farms.
Salmon has fed this stretch of the Fraser for centuries, and the fort once exported salted salmon in barrels, so wild BC salmon is a natural order at a village restaurant. Cranberries were harvested here in the fort's day, and the village celebrates Fraser Valley cranberries every October at its Cranberry Festival. Around Langley, berry farms sell baking and waffles in summer. For something sweet, look for Nanaimo bars, the no-bake chocolate, custard and coconut squares named for a city on Vancouver Island and found across British Columbia.
Popular dishes to try in Fort Langley
Fort Langley village suits couples and history lovers who want to walk to the fort, the riverside path and the Glover Road cafes.
Langley City, a short drive south, has downtown shops, restaurants and more services, which suits travelers who want a wider choice of places to sleep and easy highway access.
Walnut Grove, a residential suburb west of the village, connects to Fort Langley by bus and suits visitors who prefer a quieter base and have a car or do not mind transit.
Brae Island has a group campsite and RV camping beside the river, which suits campers and families with their own gear.
Where to stay in Fort Langley
Summer is the busiest and most lively season. The fort runs evening campfires, berry farms open for picking, and the village hosts Canada Day events and a jazz festival in July.
Winters in the Fraser Valley are cool and wet, so bring a rain jacket and check which fort programs run. Weekdays are calmer than weekends all year.
Fort Langley is roughly a 45-minute drive from Vancouver International Airport, and Abbotsford International Airport is about 30 minutes away.
By transit, TransLink bus 562 connects the village with Langley Centre and Walnut Grove, where you can change to routes that link with SkyTrain at Surrey Central.
The village is easy to walk, but farms, wineries and regional parks are spread out, so a car or taxi is practical for them. Ride-hailing services also operate in Langley.
Spend the morning at Fort Langley National Historic Site, then walk to Glover Road for lunch and a browse.
Visit the BC Farm Museum and the Langley Centennial Museum in the morning. Drive out to Krause Berry Farms for berries, then book lunch at Domaine de Chaberton.
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