Park overview
This area within the Skeena Mountains ecosection offers some of the finest hiking opportunities in west-central British Columbia. Glacier-fed lakes, rugged peaks and extensive sub-alpine meadows provide day and overnight hiking opportunities.
The area supports healthy populations of mountain goat, moose, marmot and many species of birds.
Rolling alpine plateaus, rugged mountains and an abundance of snow provides skiers, snowmobilers and snowshoers with experiences for all skill levels.
Advisories
Safety info
- Grizzly and black bears may be encountered within the park. Please be bear aware, and learn how to stay safe in bear country.
- Bring your own water, as potable water is not available in the park.
Special notes
- Mountain biking is not permitted on McCabe, Lyon Creek, Little Joe Creek, or Eagle Pass trails.
- Dogs are not allowed inside the Joe L’Orsa cabin, and must be under control when left outside the cabin.
- The Onion Mountain, Orange, and Cronin Creek Trails are not entirely within Babine Mountains Park, but, as a result of direction provided by the Bulkley Valley Land and Resource Management Plan, they are managed by BC Parks under Section 6 of the Park Act. The Onion Mountain and Orange Trails are non-motorized during summer months. The Cronin Creek Trail is non-motorized during summer months from the Higgins Creek Trailhead onwards.
Camping
The Joe L’Orsa Cabin is located in the Silver King Basin of the Babine Mountains (54°54'37.56"N x 126°53'10.73"W). Access to the cabin is via the Driftwood Road and the Silver King Trail. It is available to the public year-round. Please review the regulations document below.
The cabin will sleep 15 to 20 people comfortably and is subject to the first come, first serve rule. Be prepared to sleep outside if the cabin is full.
The cabin is nine by eight and a half metres (log construction). It is heated by a wood stove (firewood provided) and is fitted with a gray water disposal system. There is a galvanized steel counter for visitors to operate their camp stoves on and a pit toilet located outside the cabin. There is a creek adjacent to the cabin for water. All water should be treated or filtered prior to drinking. There are sleeping bunks in the cabin but no mattresses or blankets are provided. Visitors are expected to bring their own cooking stoves, pots, and utensils. Please take everything that you bring up to the cabin out with you when you leave.
The cabin use fee is $10 per adult (age +16) per night and children (age 6-15) $5 per night. It can be paid in advance to BC Parks in Smithers or deposited into a fee vault box located at the cabin. The money generated from the cabin will assist BC Parks with ongoing maintenance of the facility and firewood costs.
The Joe L’Orsa Cabin was named in memory of local resident Joe L’Orsa, who spearheaded the effort to create a park in the Babines. This cabin was made possible through the donations of many local businesses in the area.
Wilderness camping is allowed. There are rudimentary pit toilets located at Lower Reiseter Lake, 6km along the McCabe Trail, and 7.5km along the Lyon Creek Trail. To reduce the spread of impacts in alpine areas, camp at these or other previously impacted sites. Please practice Leave No Trace ethics.
Facilities
While campfires are allowed, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using camp stoves instead, especially in alpine and subalpine environments. A fire ring is provided for outdoor fires behind the Joe L’Orsa cabin. Please use the wood provided in the wood shed and do not collect firewood from surrounding areas. When having fires in other parts of the park, please use dead, downed wood. Do not cut live vegetation. Please do not burn wood from old buildings.
Pit toilets are present at the summer parking lot on the Driftwood Road and at the Joe L’Orsa cabin.
Activities
Check for trail condition reports in the summer months. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
Fishing is allowed in the park at the Lower Reiseter Lake. Please read the BC Fishing Regulations and anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Pets and domestic animals should be on a leash and under control at all times. You are responsible for their behavior and must dispose of their excrement appropriately.
Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears. Please be aware that porcupines are quite common in the park and many dogs get “quilled” each year.
A trapper operates in the park from November to the middle of February. Dogs not on a leash could get caught in traps.
Dogs are not allowed inside the Joe L’Orsa cabin and must be under control when left outside the cabin. You are responsible for their behaviour.
Bicycles are permitted on Harvey Mountain Trail, Silver King Basin Trail, Onion Mountain Road and Trail, Cronin Creek Road and Trail and Higgins Creek Trail. For further information please review sections on hiking and walking trails. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
For details on e-biking within Babine Mountains Park, see the e-biking section.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are permitted on signed or designated trails within Babine Mountains Park, provided they meet the definitions and criteria for e-bike use as outlined in the BC Parks cycling guidelines.
Horses are permitted on Harvey Mountain Trail, Silver King Basin Trail, Onion Mountain Road and Trail, Cronin Creek Road and Trail and Higgins Creek Trail.
Horseback riders must have a written letter of permission before heading out on the Lyon Creek Trail. This can be obtained from BC Parks in Smithers. For further information please review sections on hiking trails.
Hunting is allowed in the park. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis.
Babine Mountains Park contains significant avalanche terrain. Winter users should be well educated about avalanche terrain and managing risk while travelling in such terrain. Please refer to the Avalanche Canada website for information on current avalanche conditions, trips, and terrain ratings for this park.
Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Caution: Skiers and snowshoers may travel in the designated snowmobile area if they wish. If you choose to do so, yield to snowmobilers as you can hear them coming but they cannot hear you.
Notice: In the winter, the Driftwood Road is not plowed to the summer parking lot. It is an additional 4km from the winter parking lot to the summer parking lot, making the ski or snowshoe to the Joe L’Orsa Cabin substantially longer.
Silver King Basin: From the parking area north of Driftwood Canyon Park, the trail follows an old mining road and climbs gradually through the heavily forested valley. Sunny Point is reached at 6km, and at 12km skiers reach the sub-alpine and views of the surrounding peaks. Exercise caution: under certain conditions there can be avalanche hazard from 12km to near the Joe L’Orsa Cabin at approximately 13.5km.
Lyon Creek Trail and Harvey Mountain Trail: Ski tourers and snowshoers often use the Lyon Creek Trail and the Harvey Mountain Trail, which leave the Driftwood Road about 1.5km and 4km beyond the winter parking lot respectively. A loop can be made by ascending the Lyon Creek Trail and coming back down the Harvey Mountain Trail.
Snowmobiling
Please Note: The Smithers Snowmobile Association will be collecting trail fees for use of the groomed snowmobiling trails leading to Onion Mountain Cabin and into Babine Mountains Park. Snowmobile club members, who obtain an annual membership, are not required to pay trail fees. For those who are not members, a $20 day pass is required. Fees go towards grooming the trails, maintaining emergency shelters, providing insurance and promoting avalanche awareness. Snowmobile day passes can be purchased in Smithers, at Trails North Powersports, Evergreen Industrial Supplies and Wayside Industries, and online from the SSA Website (smitherssnowmobileassociation.com) and on the trail.
BC Parks, in consultation with various user groups, has designated certain areas for snowmobiling. View the Babine Mountains Snowmobile Map [PDF] and the Google Earth file of designated Babine Mountains snowmobile areas for more information. Please respect these boundaries. Skiers and snowshoers may be encountered travelling in the designated snowmobile area. If you choose to do so, yield to snowmobilers.
Ganokawa Basin Area: From the junction of Old Babine Lake Road and Babine Lake Road, follow the Old Babine Lake Road northwest (toward Smithers) about 3 km to the Onion Mountain Trail and parking area. This trail provides access to the Ganokwa Basin snowmobiling area. The Smithers Snowmobile Association grooms the trail and maintains the Burdette Cabin. Please contact the Smithers Snowmobile Association for information regarding cabin usage. Please refer to the information above regarding trail use fees for snowmobiling on the Onion Mountain Trail.
Harvey Mountain Viewpoint: The corridor to Harvey Mountain provides access to the viewpoint only. Please stay north of the posted boundary signs.
Cronin Creek Basin and Four Lakes Area: These two areas are accessible to snowmobiles by special permit only. A limited number of permits are available on an annual basis. For further information, please contact BC Parks in Smithers.
Access to the west end of the park is off of Old Babine Lake Road, which leaves Highway 16 just east of the Bulkley River bridge. Follow the signs to Driftwood Canyon Park. The summer parking lot and information map are located 7km north of Driftwood Canyon. From there, the road is not passable to vehicle traffic. The closest communities, towns and cities are Smithers and Telkwa.
To access the east end of the park, turn onto Babine Lake Road, 4km east of Smithers on Highway #16. The Little Joe Creek and Cronin Creek trailheads are found at 30.5km and 32.5km respectively along the route.
Park and activity maps
- Park Map [PDF]
- Park Brochure [PDF]
- Park Brochure and Map (print-ready) [PDF]
- Google Earth KMZ file of the hiking trails [KMZ] (For use with Google Earth or similar application)
- Google Earth KML file of designated Babine Mountains snowmobile areas [KML] (For use with Google Earth or similar application)
- Babine Mountains Snowmobile Boundary Map [PDF]
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: April 5, 1984
- Size: 31,146 hectares
Park contact
BC Parks
250-847-7260
Nature and culture
Conservation
The Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification zones of the Babine Mountains include sub-boreal spruce and alpine tundra. In the lower altitude forested areas, visitors will find white spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, trembling aspen, black huckleberry, bunchberry and feather mosses.
In general, the soils in the Babines are not particularly rich. The climate restricts vegetative growth. In the lower areas, vegetation is much quicker to recover from disturbances and in high elevations the recovery rate is extremely slow. The park contains some of the most norther known examples of whitebark pine. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park’s natural heritage. Please don’t damage or remove them.
Wildlife
The most noteworthy species commonly observed in the area are mountain goats, moose, black bear, ground squirrels, marmots and deer, as well as a host of smaller animals. Of the larger animals, only mountain goats make the area their year-round home. Occasionally grizzly bear, lynx and wolverine have been observed. Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. Get more information on bear safety.
Wood ticks are most prevalent between March and June. These parasites live in tall grass and low shrubs, and seek out warm-blooded hosts. As potential carriers of disease, they should be avoided. Protect your legs by wearing gaiters, or pants tucked into socks. After any outdoor activities, thoroughly examine yourself, children and pets. If you find a tick embedded in your skin, the best way to remove it is by grasping and pulling it, gently, straight up and out with a small pair of tweezers, and disinfecting the site with rubbing alcohol. You may wish to save the tick in a small plastic or glass container for later inspection by your doctor especially if a fever develops, or the area around the bite appears to be infected.
Culture
Babine Mountains Park lies within the traditional territories of the Wet’suwet’en and Ned’u’ten peoples, with the Wet’suwet’en occupying the Wetzin’Kwa (Bulkley/Morice River) valley and the Ned’u’ten occupying the Babine Lake area. Both nations have used, and continue to use, the area for spiritual and sustenance activities, including hunting, trapping and fishing. Many of the existing trails within Babine Mountains Park were originally trails used by the Wet’suwet’en and Ned’u’ten.
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.