Park overview
The dramatic landscape blended with the rich native culture makes this park a special experience. The area offers visitors a chance to explore many unique and interesting features of a volcanic landscape and to learn about the culture and legends of the Nisg̱a’a people.
Just outside of the park, there are five communities, four of which are Nisg̱a’a villages. Their names are Gitlax̱t'aamiks (New Aiyansh), Ging̱olx (Kincolith), Gitwinksihlkw (Canyon City), and Lax̱g̱altsʼap (Greenville). All communities are road accessible from the park. Within the communities there are amenities like grocery stores, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, gift shops, gas stations and health services.
Anhluut’ukwsim Lax̱mihl Angwinga’asanskwhl Nisg̱a’a (Nisg̱a’a Memorial Lava Bed Park) is the first park within the Province of British Columbia established to combine interpretation of natural features and native culture. The park is included in the landmark treaty, the “Nisg̱a’a Final Agreement”, between the Government of Canada and the Nisg̱a’a Nation. Nisg̱a’a Memorial Lava Bed Park is also the first park to be jointly managed by a First Nation and BC Parks.
The Nisg̱a’a alkali basalt flow is one of the youngest and most accessible volcanic features in British Columbia. The guided volcanic tours offer the park visitor a chance to hike 3km through a scenic old growth forest and past a variety of volcanic features to a viewpoint overlooking the crater. To protect the special features of the area, unguided access to the volcanic cone is prohibited. The hike is rated as moderate with some hills and steep stairs.
Advisories
Dates of operation
The park is open May 15, 2024 to September 15, 2024
- Facility type
- Frontcountry camping
- Number of campsites
- Vehicle-accessible sites: 16
- Main operating season
- 2024: May 15 to September 15
- Winter season
- Not known
- Service note
- Self-registration, running water, and firewood are available. There are no sani-dump facilities. The Visitor Centre is located next to the campground.
Safety info
- Mushroom harvesting is not permitted within the park. Check with Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government for licensing requirements for harvesting mushrooms on Nisg̱a’a Lands.
- Explore with care, lava rock may be sharp and unstable, and surfaces may be thin, especially along lake and stream edges.
Camping
This park offers 16 vehicle-accessible campsites on a first come, first served basis. Campsite reservations are not accepted.
There are large sites, double sites and wheelchair-accessible sites available. Most sites are shaded due to the surrounding deciduous forest. Additional parking is available at the visitor information centre, which is located next to the campground. Self-registration, running water, and firewood are available. There are no sani-dump facilities.
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $20 per party per night |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $10 per senior party per night |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
Wilderness camping is permitted in the backcountry and alpine areas, but there are no developed trails to access these areas. Camping is not permitted in the frontcountry or on the lava beds.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for these areas of the park:
There is a water pump located at the Nisg̱a’a Memorial Lava Bed Park campground.
A gravel, single lane boat launch accessing the Nass River can be found at the park’s north end. A gravel, single lane boat launch accessing Lava Lake can be found at the park’s south end. Parking space is available for vehicle and boat trailers at both locations. Overnight moorage is not recommended at the Nass River boat launch location due to fluctuating river levels.
There are fire rings available for use at the visitor centre and the campground. While campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead.
Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary from park to park.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
Nisg̱a’a Visitor Centre
The visitor centre is located at the campground and offers merchandise, maps, stories, pictures, and information about attractions. Learn about Nisg̱a’a language, culture, history, feasts, and laws.
Hours of operation:
- May 15 to June 29:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday only 10am to 5pm - June 29 to August 31:
Monday closed
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 5pm
Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm - September 1 to close:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday only 10am to 5pm
Hlgu Isgwit (Nass Valley or Nisg̱a’a) Hot Springs
For those visitors wishing to enjoy the Hlgu Isgwit (Nass Valley or Nisg̱a’a) Hot Springs, please contact Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government at 250-633-3000 to reserve a time. Reservations must be made at least 24hrs in advance. If you are visiting the hot springs please be respectful. This area is a sacred place and must be treated with respect. Thank you for your cooperation. Please note that the Hot Springs are not within the park.
- Hlgu Isgwit hotsprings information [PDF] (July 4, 2022)
This park has several day-use and picnic areas. One is located at Vetter Falls, another at Lava Lake, and one at the Visitor Information Centre. There are fire rings available at the visitor information centre and the day-use area.
Pit toilets are available at Lava Lake, Vetter Falls, Nisg̱a’a campground, the visitor information shelter and the Tseax River pullout. A wheelchair-accessible pit toilet is located at the Nisg̱a’a campground.
Activities
The Lava Cone is accessible to visitors by guided tour only. Check the Nass Valley Tours website for tour dates, time and prices.
Tours depart from the base of the Cone Trail access road, 1.4 km north of Lava Lake picnic site. The tour is a 6 km, 4 hr hike, and the trail is moderately difficult. Bring sturdy footwear, water, snacks, and bug spray.
Nass Valley Tours
250-641-4400
Interpretive tours are offered by Nass Valley Tours. See the hiking section for details.
The easiest way to access the Lava Beds is to take Highway 16 to Terrace, then north for 100km on the Nisg̱a’a Highway, which is paved for the first 70km. The alternate route is through Kitwanga on Highway 16. From Kitwanga, head north for 78km on paved Highway 37 to the Cranberry River. Here the unpaved Nass Forest Service Road leads west to New Aiyansh, a distance of 86km.
Park and activity maps
- Park Map [PDF] (June 2008)
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: April 29, 1992
- Size: 17,717 hectares
Park contact
Nass Valley Tours
Nass Valley Tours website
nassvalleytours@gmail.com
250-641-4400
Nature and culture
Cultural Heritage
The history of the region is tied to legends handed down from past generations. The Nisg̱a’a house system is composed of four main families: Wolf, Raven, Killer Whale, and Eagle. Each family owns stories and passes them on to the next generation.
One of the most well known stories is about the genesis of the volcano. Legend has it that children had shown disrespect to the life-giving salmon by putting stones and burning sticks into their backs and watching them swim. The elders warned the children repeatedly to stop but they did not listen. Soon the ground began to rumble. The volcano and the lava flow then covered the valley bottom, redirected the mighty Nass River and destroyed two villages. This resulted in 2000 Nisg̱a’a people perishing.
Conservation
This park has important special features such as the lava flows. As the lava spilled from the crater an estimated 250 years ago, it followed a creek bed downslope to Lava Lake and down the Tseax Valley to the Nass River. The lava travelled at different speeds depending on the steepness of the slope. Some types of lava flow and interesting features include:
- Tree cast: formed by burned out tree trunks leaving holes in the lava.
- Lava tube: formed as the top layer cooled and hardened. The crust insulated the lava flowing inside which eventually flowed out leaving the crust as the roof and walls of the tube.
- Pahoehoe: lava that often has a smooth surface or is ropey in form.
- AA: rough and jagged lava.
- Blocky: large chunks of lava.
Some lava flow features are very delicate and need protection. Lichens cover the majority of lava flow and a single footprint can set back hundreds of years of growth. Please stay on the trails.
Wildlife
If you plan on exploring the Nass Mountain Range, you will be in the company of moose, goats, marmots, bears and many other species of wildlife. Always use good judgement when in the presence of wildlife. When visiting the Vetter Falls viewpoint, visitors might get a chance to catch a glimpse of a “phantom” steelhead.
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.