 Mount Edziza Provincial Park, JF Bergeron photo Northern BC's parks are as diverse as the vast, northern landscape itself, and each is filled with captivating scenery, bountiful wildlife and amazing natural wonders.
Walk the broad, sandy beaches of Naikoon Provincial Park.
Explore the remote and wild lands of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.
Camp by the clear waters of Boya Lake and tour the lava beds of Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park.
Take a guided boat tour on Muncho Lake. Get in some backcountry hiking in Stone Mountain Provincial Park. Don't miss Kinuseo Falls in Monkman Provincial Park.
A word or two on your excursion:
- Please leave the area you visit undisturbed and be sure to carry out your garbage
- If travelling with pets, be aware that restrictions may apply
A word or two on safety:
- Obey posted signs and keep to designated trails
Naikoon Provincial Park
The primary attraction of Naikoon is its broad, sandy beaches. They stretch for approximately 100 km (60 mi) to form the eastern and northern boundaries of this unique and intriguing park located on Graham Island, the largest of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Trailheads to the Pesuta Shipwreck Trail, East Beach Route and Tow Hill viewing platforms can be accessed from the small community of Tlell in the south and Tow Hill in the north.
This park is also a popular fishing spot for coho salmon and steelhead.
>Naikoon is found in the northeast corner of Graham Island, one of the Queen Charlotte Islands.
The islands are accessed via an eight-hour ferry ride from Prince Rupert. Air service is also available from Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
> Naikoon Park website
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Located in the southern part of the Queen Charlotte Islands, with no roads and few facilities, Gwaii Haanas is a wild and remote area made up of some 138 islands that stretch 90 km (56mi) from north to south. The distinct island flora and fauna have evolved over thousands of years.
Visitors to this area - accessible only by boat or chartered aircraft - will be amazed by the diversity of species. It's estimated that 750,000 seabirds alone nest along the shoreline from May through August. Grey, orca, humpback and minke whales are seen in the surrounding waters, along with dolphins, porpoises and harbour seals.
Base camps at the islands' most popular heritage sites are staffed by Haida Gwaii Watchmen, who help visitors to experience Haida culture through its sacred places, which include natural thermal pools, ancient forests, standing and fallen totem poles and longhouse remains.
If kayaking in Gwaii Haanas, reserve well in advance, as this is a popular outdoor activity.
The Queen Charlotte Islands are accessed via an eight-hour ferry ride from Prince Rupert. Air service is also available from Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
A word or two on your excursion:
- Visitors must register and attend an orientation session in Queen Charlotte City or Sandspit prior to arrival as this is a remote wilderness with variable weather conditions
- Park reservations are strongly recommended
- Be prepared for delays caused by unfavorable weather - keep travel plans flexible
A word or two on safety:
Preferred travel is with organized tour groups or commercial operators
> Gwaii Haanas website
Boya Lake Provincial Park
If you're passionate about water recreation, head to Boya Lake Provincial Park - its lake is one of the few in Northern BC warm enough for swimming. Superb water clarity as well as its many islands and bays also make Boya Lake a favourite canoeing destination. This park has a fascinating landscape of maze-like gravel ridges and pothole lakes, which were formed by glaciers approximately 8,000 years ago.
Boya Lake offers two short, interpretive trails and wonderful wildlife viewing - watch for moose and beavers, which live in and around the park's forest. The park has 50 vehicle campsites.
Boya Lake is a two-hour drive north from Dease Lake via Highway 37 or a one-hour drive south from the Highway 37/Alaska Highway Junction.
> Boya Lake Park website
Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park
Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park is jointly managed by the Nisga'a Nation and BC Parks. If volcanoes are your passion, make sure to arrange for a tour at the Nisga'a Visitor Centre. Your 6-km (3.7-mi) roundtrip guided tour will take three hours and have you hiking through scenic old-growth forest to a viewpoint overlooking the crater. There are also five short, interpretive trails you can take to further explore the park's volcanic landscape as well as to learn about the culture and legends of the Nisga'a people, who have a long history in the area. In the mid-1700s, a lava flow spilled from the crater, covered the valley bottom, redirected the mighty Nass River, destroyed two villages and killed over 2,000 Nisga'a people.
Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park is located off Highway 16, a 90-minute drive north from Terrace.
A word or two on your excursion:
- User fee in effect (guided tours)
- Approximate time required: one day
- Unguided access to the volcanic cone is prohibited
> Nisga'a Lava Bed Park website
Muncho Lake Provincial Park
Visitors can view nature in all its glory here: magnificent mountains, bountiful wildlife and brilliantly coloured wildflowers are just a few of its wonders.
Muncho Lake's cold, deep waters - tinted green by minerals - are home to lake trout, Arctic grayling, bull trout and whitefish. Toss out a line and try your luck fishing. Guided boat tours are available on the 12-km (7.5-mi) lake during the summer months. You can also glide through its serene waters in a canoe.
This is one of the best locations to view northern wildlife. Commonly observed species include caribou, moose, stone sheep and mountain goats. There are 30 vehicle-accessible provincial campsites along the lake. Private campsites, cabins and lodges are also available.
Muncho Lake Provincial Park is a three-hour drive west from Fort Nelson along Highway 97 (the Alaska Highway).
> Muncho Lake Park website
Stone Mountain Provincial Park
If it's wildlife viewing you're after, head to Stone Mountain and Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Parks. As one of the last tracts of true wilderness located south of the 60th parallel, these adjoining parks are home to a multitude of bird and mammal species.
Two of the park's most popular routes include the Flower Springs Lake Trail into the flower-strewn valleys of the northern Rocky Mountains and the multi-day Wokkpash Trail. The latter leads past the hoodoos (stone erosion pillars) of Wokkpash Gorge to glacier-fed Wokkpash Lake. If you brought your fishing rod, try catching trout in the lake or the many pools along the Wokkpash Creek.
The adjacent parks are located along Highway 97 (the Alaska Highway), a two-hour drive west from Fort Nelson.
> Stone Mountain Park website
> Northern Rocky Mountains Park website
Monkman Provincial Park
Nestled in the Hart Ranges of the Central Rocky Mountains and Foothills, Monkman Provincial Park offers a diverse, inspiring landscape of jagged mountain peaks, forested valleys, unique geological formations, crystalline alpine lakes and extensive alpine meadows.
A highlight of the park - and one of the region's natural wonders - is Kinuseo Falls. A short hike leads visitors to a viewing platform where the Murray River spectacularly plunges 60 m (200 ft) over a geological fault to the riverbed below.
Hiking opportunities abound, lasting anywhere from two hours to several days. Some of the park's most notable routes include the Stone Corral Trail, which takes you to caves, fossils and a tranquil tarn surrounded by vertical limestone cliffs. More thundering waterfalls await you on the backcountry hikes of the multi-day Monkman Lake Trail, south of the Kinuseo Falls Campground.
The park's campground offers 42 vehicle campsites, making it a perfect base for backcountry adventure.
Monkman is a one-hour drive south from Tumbler Ridge.
> Monkman Park website
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