Glacial water flows down the upper Atna River to give Atna Lake its emerald green colour. This remote lake and river system are nestled on the lee side of the Coast Range. Landscape and wildlife views are abundant in this isolated wilderness.
Atna River Park includes the Atna River, Atna Lake and most of the area surrounding the lake to the height of land. The park protects a broad subalpine valley with vegetation that is transitional between coastal and interior ecosystems and contains important Grizzly Bear and Mountain Goat habitat, and an extensive wetland complex along the Atna River. The park also contains important fish habitat, including spawning habitat for Sockeye Salmon.
Recreational activities include canoeing, hiking, mountaineering, hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. A series of three short portages along the Atna River and around the dramatic waterfall allow canoeists access to Atna Lake from Morice Lake.
Established Date: July 11, 2008
Park Size: 21,092 hectares
Wilderness camping is allowed, but there are no developed or maintained campsites in Atna River Park. Please keep your camping impacts to a minimum.
Portage trails link all the lakes and waterways of lakes, and provide safe routes around rapids and waterfalls. During the rainy season, portage trails may become rugged and muddy making passage challenging in places.
Other than portages, there are no developed trails in the park.
To access Atna River Park by canoe you must first drive to Morice Lake Provincial Park. Launch your canoe from the campsite at the NE end of Morice Lake. Most canoe parties plan to arrive at the campsite the night before in order to have an early morning departure. Morice Lake often has high winds and large waves making it dangerous for canoe parties. The safest time to paddle is early in the morning. From the campsite, the safest route is to follow the lakeshore to the north east and proceed around the head of the lake to reach the west shoreline. Proceed south west along the shoreline to reach Atna Bay. At the back end of Atna Bay, you will find the Atna River mouth. Proceed past the river mouth to the next small cove to find the portage trailhead.
The first short portage (200m) is known as the “Corkscrew” as it winds around some old blow-down. After completing the portage, paddle upstream along the still pools of the lower Atna River to the waterfall and find the next portage to the right of the base of the falls. This portage is also short (200m), but the first portion around the falls is very steep. Paddle across the next pool of the Atna River to reach the final portage at the right side of the river outlet. This portage is the longest of the three at 320m.
The sport fish in the lakes are lake trout, Dolly Varden and whitefish. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Hunting is allowed in the park. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis.
Atna River Park is located in west-central British Columbia, approximately 100 km southwest of Houston. Access to the park is by air or by the Morice River Forest Service Road from Houston to Morice Lake, then by canoe to Atna Bay, and three short portage trails to Atna Lake. Please see our Morice Lake Park page for detailed road directions.
Please note: Road access to Morice Lake Park follows a radio controlled logging road; public vehicles are permitted, but please proceed with caution and be aware that loaded logging trucks have the right of way.
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.