Park overview
Alexandra Bridge Park is a small park centred around the site of the original Cariboo Wagon Road bridge over the Fraser River. It provides both a rest stop and picnic facilities for travelers.
This site has been a natural stop-over and crossing of the Fraser River since the area was first populated. Because of its small size there are limited recreational opportunities within this park.
Advisories
Dates of operation
The park gate is open May 15, 2023 to October 15, 2023
Current status:
Open
- Facility type
- Day-use area
- Main operating season
- 2023: May 15 to October 15
Special notes
- The bridge itself is not in the park. It is maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Located adjacent to Highway 1, this day-use site offers six picnic tables and three pit toilets in a coastal forest setting. There are small grassy areas and most picnic sites are shaded throughout the day. There are two paved parking areas. The day-use area is open from May 15 to October 15.
This park has three pit toilets, no flush toilets. One pit toilet in the park is wheelchair-accessible.
Activities
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Alexandra Bridge Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.
Alexandra Bridge Park is situated adjacent to the Fraser River approximately 2 km north of Spuzzum and 40 km north of Hope. Access is available from both north and south bound lanes off the Trans Canada Highway.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: March 26, 1984
- Size: 51 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
Shuswap Adams Parks Ltd.
parkinquiries@telus.net
250 320-9305
Nature and culture
History
Alexandra Bridge Park was established in 1984 because of its inherent natural, historical and recreational attributes. The area has been used and inhabited by First Nations for over 9,500 years. The first European visit did not occur until Simon Fraser’s expedition passed through the region in 1808.
The first permanent trail, the Anderson Brigade trail, was then established in 1848 and subsequently, the original bridge was constructed in 1861 by Joseph W. Trutch and named after Princess Alexandra of Wales. To recover the $45,000 construction cost for the 90 metre bridge, a toll of $7.40 per ton was charged. Today a second bridge, built in 1926, sits on the site of the original which was dismantled in 1912.
Cultural heritage
Alexandra Bridge Park and other areas along the Fraser River were traditional fishing grounds for the Halkomelum (Stalo) and Lower Thompson First Nations. The local native bands still use this area for traditional fishing.
Conservation
The landscape is characterized by major low elevation valleys and the densely forested mountain slopes of a wet climate. Alexandra Bridge Park sits at the eastern border of the Western Hemlock forest subzone. As such, it contains many western hemlock, western red cedar and Douglas-fir. Rising steeply on the east bank of the Fraser River, the site contains two well defined glaciofluvial benches.
Wildlife
The Fraser River is the largest fish producing water course in the province. Because of this, millions of spring, coho, chum, pink and sockeye salmon pass through the park on their way to spawning grounds every year.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.