Skeena East. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Getting there
Damdochax Protected Area is a wilderness area approximately 140 km northeast of Hazelton. There is no road access to the protected area. Access is by air only. The nearest communities are New Hazelton and Old Hazelton.
Camping
Wilderness camping
Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, read our backcountry guide.
Things to do
There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park.
There are fishing opportunities in this park.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Hunting is permitted in this park.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
About this protected area
Damdochax Protected Area lies within the asserted traditional territory of the Gitxsan First Nation. The area is rich with First Nations history and visitors should respect any values and cultural sites within the park. Damdochax is based on the Gitxsan word for “black water” and the area is often referred to as “The Blackwater.”
The Telegraph Trail runs through the Protected Area following the Damdochax River towards the headwaters of the Nass.
Damdochax Protected Area was designated by the provincial government following recommendations from the Fort St. James Land and Resource Management Plan.
Damdochax Protected Area protects a main passage between the Nass and Skeena watersheds. Within the protected area, a variety of ecosystems are protected, each with old-growth values.
The flooded willow swamps between Damdochax and Wiminasik Lakes are used by calving moose and the whole valley is used as moose winter range. Grizzly bears live and den in the area, and use the Damdochax/Slamgeesh Valleys as a travelling corridor.
High value fish habitat is found throughout the Damdochax River, with Steelhead, coho, sockeye and chum all found spawning in the Protected Area.
The Damdochax is important to migrating waterfowl in the fall, when many other bodies of water are frozen.
Other animals found in high numbers in the Protected Area include wolves, otter, wolverine, marten, black bears and eagles.
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.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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