Conservancy overview
This conservancy was established in 2008, initially under the name of Sea to Sky Conservancy 1, as an outcome of the Sea to Sky and Resource Management Plan approved the same year. In 2009, it was renamed Callaghan Conservancy.
The Callaghan Valley is a year-round backcountry recreation area with winter being its primary activity season. It is also the home of the 2010 Winter Olympics Nordic sports venue (Whistler Olympic Park) for cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and Nordic combined.
Callaghan Conservancy receives an average snow pack of 275 centimetres, which may yield 150 days of skiing. The rolling subalpine terrain with interspersed meadows in the upper valley near Conflict Lake is well suited to Nordic Skiing. The steeper slopes offer telemark and alpine ski touring and heli-skiing opportunities.
Western sections of the conservancy are a main travel and activity area for skilled, experienced snowmobilers. The area is accessed from the south via the adjacent Brandywine Recreation (snowmobile) Trail.
Advisories
Safety info
- Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park.
- Area is not suitable for dogs or other pets.
- Winter backcountry travel hazards exist, including avalanches and potentially unsafe ice and snow layers on Callaghan Lake. Visitors must be familiar with recognition and avoidance of avalanche terrain and conditions and with conditions on the lake.
Special notes
- No wilderness, backcountry or walk-in camping is permitted in this conservancy.
- There are fees for the use of the groomed cross-country ski trails payable to the trail system operators.
Snowmobiling Restrictions
Snowmobiling in Callaghan Conservancy is only permitted in specific areas from November 1 to May 15 of each year.
Approximately two thirds of the conservancy is closed to winter motorized recreation during this time. This closure is to protect recreation resources and non-motorized recreation experiences.
Refer to Winter Recreation below for more information.
Camping
Activities
This park has hiking and walking trails. 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 opportunities are unknown at this time. There may be cutthroat trout in the Callaghan River and some of its feeder tributaries. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia. There are no trails in the conservancy designed for cycling.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Callaghan Conservancy. 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.
Hunting is permitted in the conservancy. Please confirm with the Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for specific details. All hunters require applicable hunting licences.
Winter recreation opportunities include cross-country skiing on groomed trails, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing (alpine touring), and some snowmobiling (limited primarily to the western portions of the conservancy).
Whether you are on or off trail in the conservancy during the winter, you are in a wilderness area. Anyone venturing into the backcountry does so at their own risk. Visitors should be well prepared, equipped and informed before entering the backcountry. The winter climate can be severe and unforgiving with weather conditions changing quickly. Heavy snow and poor weather will significantly increase the difficulty of skiing and snowshoeing. Cellular phone coverage is minimal. Do not rely on a phone for emergency or communication purposes!
Winter backcountry travel hazards exist, including avalanches and potentially unsafe ice and snow layers on Callaghan Lake. Visitors must be familiar with recognition and avoidance of avalanche terrain and conditions and with conditions on the lake. Backcountry visitors should be appropriately equipped with avalanche transceivers, probes, snow shovels, first aid kits and have adequate knowledge of avalanche assessment skills and avalanche rescue procedures.
There are no garbage facilities, so always pack out what you pack in!
To be consistent with the broader, non-motorize management direction in the Upper Callaghan Valley, prior to the establishment of the conservancy, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts issued a Recreation Order closing the upper Callaghan Valley to winter motorized use. This recreation order was carried forward into the establishment of the conservancy, includes approximately two thirds of the conservancy and is in effect from November 1 to May 15 of each year hereafter. Callaghan Conservancy remains open to snowmobiling in the Grizzly Lake and Ring Creek basins and only the top bench of Solitude Glacier during this period. For more information, please refer to this map [PDF].
Callaghan Country Wilderness Adventures operates a commercial cross-country ski operation which includes over 15km of groomed trails within the conservancy (of the total 38km in its operating area), and a backcountry lodge. The operator also may offer a shuttle service for skiers to their lodge in winter.
In the Callaghan Valley, both Callaghan Country Wilderness Adventures and Whistler Olympic Park offer an extensive, marked, snowshoe trail system (trail use fees in effect).
Helicopter skiing occurs in a western part of the conservancy under licence to Whistler Heli-skiing Ltd. This area is part of a larger tenure that also exists outside of the conservancy.
The conservancy is accessed in summer from Highway 99, 70km north of Vancouver or 20km south of Whistler. Turn north off the highway onto the paved Callaghan Valley Road for 8km, then turn left following a rough, gravel Forest Service Road (Callaghan FSR 01) for another 8km into Callaghan Lake Park. High clearance vehicles are recommended.
The Forest Service Road is not plowed in winter and instead becomes a groomed cross-country ski trail. Once at Callaghan Lake, a rough hiking trail heads west through the park for approximately 1.2km and then enters the Conservancy. In winter, the trail is a groomed cross country ski trail. The closest community is Whistler.
Learn more about this conservancy
Conservancy details
- Date established: March 5, 2009
- Size: 8,081 hectares
Nature and culture
Cultural Heritage
The conservancy is within the traditional territories of both Squamish First Nation and Lil’wat First Nation.
Wildlife
A variety of wildlife exists within the conservancy and surrounding area, such as bobcat, cougar, coyote, mink, Douglas’ squirrel and weasel. Large mammal species present or probable include black bear, grizzly bear, Columbian black-tailed deer, and mountain goat. Transient species include moose, wolverine and wolf.
Recent wildlife studies indicate the conservancy contains high value grizzly bear habitat.
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.