E.C. Manning Park

Hike-in camping is available at 10 backcountry campgrounds in E.C. Manning Park. There are 55 sites in total, with limited facilities.

Many of these campgrounds are located at a high elevation and are not usually accessible until late June or early July.

Backcountry camping during snow-free season is allowed only at designated campgrounds. Winter backcountry camping is allowed either at designated campgrounds or elsewhere, provided Leave No Trace ethics are practiced.

Each designated backcountry campground is close to a water source. Treatment of water is recommended. All designated backcountry campsites have at least one pit toilet.

A backcountry permit is required year-round. To learn more, see the backcountry permit registration page.

Responsible recreation

Please practice Leave No Trace ethics. If you pack it in, pack it out. Open fires are not permitted in Buckhorn and Kicking Horse backcountry sites. In the rest of the backcountry, open fires are not encouraged and fire bans may be implemented during extreme hot weather conditions. Be prepared to bring portable stoves for cooking.

Fees

Payment can be made online before your arrival, through our backcountry permit registration service or at the visitor centre, Manning Park Lodge, Skyview gatehouse, or Lightning Lake gatehouse. Payments can be made via cash, debit, or credit card. An ATM is located at Manning Park Resort. 

There are no public cabin rentals in E.C. Manning Park. For information on private cabin rentals, contact Manning Park Lodge at info@manningpark.com. 

Some backcountry campsites, including Frosty Creek, Nicomen Lake, and Poland Lake, have shelters for emergency use. These should not be considered for use instead of a tent. Buckhorn Camp has a large, non-reservable public shelter for cooking.

Group campsites are available at E.C. Manning Park.

Summer groupsites

Lone Duck I and Lone Duck II groupsites are available for summer camping. The sites are open from May to October (although these dates are subject to change depending on weather conditions). Each groupsite includes a shelter complete with picnic tables and wood stove. Both sites overlook Lightning Lake’s Lone Duck Bay. They are located 4km off highway three on Gibson Pass Road. There are several trails close to this campground and it is a very short walk to the Lightning Lake Amphitheater.

Winter groupsites

Cambie Creek groupsite is available for large group reservations. It includes a pit toilet, parking lot, and a large walk-in camping area to set up tents. No fires are permitted. This site has no running water or picnic tables.

Lone Duck II groupsite is also available for smaller groups. This site includes a cooking shelter with a wood stove as well as tables, toilets, a fire pit, and a number of locations to set up tents.

Group camping fees

• E.C. Manning Park offers vehicle-accessible campsites. There are five summer drive-in campgrounds with a total of 450 sites. There are also three areas set aside for winter camping.
• There is a maximum of two vehicles per campsite and an additional charge per night for the second vehicle.
• Once in the park, payment is by cash, debit, or credit card at the visitor centre, campsite gatehouse(s), by park collectors, or Manning Park Lodge.
• Dogs must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas. There is a dog area located to the east of Lightning Lakes day-use area.
• All campground opening dates are weather-dependent. Snowpack levels may persist into June. Early season reservations may be affected due to operational requirements or limitations. Contact the park operator to check current campground conditions.

Quiet hours are from 10pm to 7am. Music, generators, and other sources of noise must be shut off completely between these hours. Generators can only be used from 9am to 11am and 6pm to 8pm. Because the campsites are close together, please keep noise to a minimum at all times, so that other visitors can experience the sounds of nature.

The following areas are set aside for winter camping:

Lone Duck I

Walk–in winter camping parties can camp at the Lone Duck I winter camping area, which is located 4km off highway three on the Gibson Pass Ski Hill Road. This campsite includes a picnic shelter, a wood stove, pit toilets, a parking area, and a large walk-in camping area to set up your tent. You can bring your own firewood or purchase it from Manning Park Resort. Campers can stop in the Gatehouse of the Skyview campground to pay cash, card or debit.

Lone Duck II groupsite

This walk-in site is available by reservation only and consists of a shelter complete with picnic tables, a wood stove, a fire pit, pit toilets, a parking lot, and a large walk-in camping area to set up your tents or dig-in. Please check in at the Gatehouse at Skyview Campground. You can bring your own firewood or purchase it from Manning Park Resort. To learn more about groupsites, see the group camping page.

Lightning Lake day-use area (self-contained units)

Self-contained units can camp in the Lightning Lake day-use area parking lot located 3.7km off highway three on the Gibson Pass Ski Hill Road. The pit toilets are open, no fires are permitted, and no potable water or picnic tables are available. Tenting is prohibited in this location.

Cambie Creek (group campground)

Located approximately 5km west of Manning Park Resort, this area is available for reservations and consists of a parking lot, a pit toilet, and a large walk-in camping area to set up your tent. No fires are permitted. To learn more about groupsites, see the group camping page.

E.C. Manning Park backcountry

Winter camping is permitted in the backcountry provided Leave No Trace ethics are practiced. ‘Backcountry’ is defined as any area at least one kilometre away from maintained roadways, parking lots, or developed winter facilities. A backcountry permit is required year-round.

Accessibility information is available for these areas of the park:

• Beaver Pond
• Blackwall Road
• Blowdown
• Cambie
• Cascade
• Cayuse Flats
• Coldspring
• Hampton
• Lighting Lake and Lone Duck
• Monument 78–83
• Muledeer
• Rhododendron Flats
• Strawberry Flats day-use area
• Sumallo Grove
• Visitor Centre
• West Gate

This park has picnic areas at eight locations: West Gate Portal, Sumallo Grove, Coldspring Campground, Lightning Lake day-use area, Spruce Bay, Sub-Alpine Meadows, Blowdown, and the visitor centre.

Backcountry campsites have pit toilets only. Frontcountry campgrounds have both pit and flush toilets (refer to the individual campground information for details).

Showers are available for campers staying at the Lightning Lake Campground, Lone Duck groupsites, Skyview Campground, and Hampton Campground.

All backcountry sites have water sources close by, although some creeks may dry up during a hot summer. Always carry water with you. Treatment of water is recommended. Water taps or hand pumps are located throughout the frontcountry drive-in campgrounds and the day-use area.

A playground is located beside site 15 and the Spruce Bay Beach access trail in Lighting Lake campground. There are also playgrounds in Hampton campground, Mule Deer campground, and Skyview campground.

A hand-launch is available next to the boat rental building at the Lightning Lake day-use area. 

No motorized boats are permitted on the parks lakes, including those with electric motors.

A sani-station is available during the summer season. It is located one kilometre east of Manning Park Lodge, at the visitor centre. Opening and closing dates are subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Open fires are not permitted in Buckhorn and Kicking Horse wilderness sites. In the rest of the backcountry, open fires are not encouraged. Bring a portable stove for cooking.

Firewood can be purchased in the park for use at frontcountry drive-in campgrounds. Alternatively, you may bring your own.

To preserve vegetation and ground cover, do not gather firewood from the area around your campsite or from anywhere in the park. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil. 

Conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented. Be prepared and bring a portable stove for cooking.

E.C. Manning Park is in the Cascade Mountains and the hiking season is dependent on snow levels. Most high-elevation trails are not snow-free until late June or early July. During the winter season, hiking trails are under snow.

Hiking resources

• Trail guide [PDF]
• Winter trail conditions report [PDF] 

Trails

Below is a list of trails in the park. Trail conditions can change quickly due to weather conditions.

Easy trails

• Beaver Pond
  500m loop, 15 minutes return, no elevation change
  Begins on highway three, one-and-a-half kilometres east of Manning Park Lodge. An easy, level walk with excellent bird-watching opportunities in May and June.
• Little Muddy
  2.5km or 1 hour each way, 100m elevation change
  Begins below the tennis courts at Manning Park Resort and follows a double track route (groomed cross-country trail in winter) to Lightning Lake day-use area.
• Paintbrush
  1.5km loop, 30 minutes return, little elevation change
  Hikers can start from either the upper or lower parking lots at the end of the Blackwall Road. The best time for wildflowers is from mid July to mid August.
• Rein Orchid
  500m loop, 15 minutes return, little elevation change
  Begins one-and-a-half kilometres along the Gibson Pass Road. The white rein orchid is best seen in July.
• Rhododendron Flats
  500m loop, 15 minutes return, little elevation change
  Located 32km west of the Manning Park Resort, this trail travels through an impressive stand of red rhododendrons with peak bloom in early June.
• West Similkameen
  2.1km or 45 minutes one way, little elevation change
  Located one kilometre up Gibson Pass Road, this relatively easy route is also the start of the Pacific Crest Trail. It ends at the Windy Joe Junction.
• Strawberry Flats
  2km or 45 minutes one way, little elevation change
  Beginning at Strawberry Flats parking, this stroll along an old fire road connects to the bottom of the ski hill and the Three Falls Trail.
• Sumallo Grove
  500m loop, 15 minutes return, wheelchair accessible
  Sumallo Grove is located on highway three about 10km east of the west entrance of the park.
• Viewpoint Loop
  600m loop, 20 minutes return, 100m elevation change
  This trail forms the start of the Heather Trail and begins at the end of the Blackwall Road. It loops back after the first viewpoint.

Moderate trails

• Canyon Nature Trail
  2km or 45 minutes one way, 50m elevation change
  Begins one kilometre up Gibson Pass Road just over the Similkameen River on the right. Follows a canyon along the Similkameen river and returns on the other side.
• Dry Ridge 
  300m or 20 minutes one way, 125m elevation change
  Begins 500m up the gravel road leading from the Cascade Lookout.
• East Simikameen Trail (from Windy Joe Trail to Castle Creek) 
  4.7 km or  2 hours return
  Trail commences near the Similkameen River on the Windy Joe trail and rolls along as far as Castle Creek. The bridge over Castle Creek is presently closed, so this trail is an out-and-back.
• Engineers Loop
  500m loop, 15 minutes return, 200m elevation change
  Begins at the Westgate parking area.
• North and South Gibson
  7.2km loop, 2.5 hours return, 125m elevation change
  Starts at Strawberry Flats parking and follows winter cross-country routes.
• Heather
  21km one way to Nicomen Lake, 7-9 hours one way, 292m elevation change
  Start at the Upper Alpine parking lot on the Blackwall Road. Trail explores the famous meadows of the Three Brothers Ridge.
• Lightning Lake Loop
  9km loop, 3 hours return, little elevation change
  Begins at Lightning Lake day-use area or at the Spruce Bay parking lot. Follows a route around the entire lake with the option of shortening to a smaller loop at Rainbow Bridge.
• Lightning Lakes Chain to Thunder Lake
  12km one way from Lightning Lake day-use area, 10km from Spruce Bay parking, 4 hours one way, little elevation change with either route
  Travels along the shore of all four lakes of the chain.
• East Similkameen
  4.7km or 2 hours one way, little elevation change
  Trail is from the Windy Joe trail to Castle Creek. Bridge over Castle Creek is presently closed, so this trail is an out-and-back.
• Three Falls
  4.5km one way (2km follows the Strawberry Flats trail), 3 hours, little elevation change
  Beginning at Strawberry Flats parking, this route follows an old fire road to the base of the ski area where the Three Falls trailhead is located.
• Monument 78
  12km or 4-5 hours one way, 200m elevation change
  Starts at Monument 78-83 parking lot.

Difficult trails

• Bonnevier
  17km one way to Heather trail junction, 8-10 hours, 950m elevation change
  Begin at Eastgate entrance sign. Strenuous uphill hike connecting to the Heather Trail.
• Dewdney
  25km one way to Paddy’s Pond and the park boundary, 14-16 hours, 1131m elevation change
  Begins at the Cascade parking lot and ends at the Whipsaw FSR.
• Frosty Mountain
  10.4km one way from Lightning Lakes or 14.2km one way from Windy Joe parking, 4-6 hours one way, 1150m elevation change
  Begins at Lightning Lake day-use or Windy Joe parking. Distances are to the summit.
• Grainger Creek
  9.2km or 4 hours one way, 952m elevation change. 
  Starts from a junction seven kilometres up the Hope Pass trail and goes to Nicomen Lake.
• Hope Pass
  24km or 10 hours one way, 1km elevation change
  Beginning at Cayuse Flats, this historic trail was the old commerce route from Hope to Princeton.
• Hozameen Ridge
  3.9km or 2 hours one way, 450m elevation change
  Heads south from the Skyline II Trail just west of Mowich camp and picks its way along a sub-alpine ridge toward Mount Hozameen.
• Memaloose
  9km or 4 hours one way, 450m elevation change
  Begins at the Allison Pass Highways Yard and climbs to Poland Lake.
• Monument 83
  16km or 5 hours one way, 850m elevation change. 
  Begins at Monument 78-83 parking lot.
• Mount Outram
  8.2km or 6 hours one way, 1673m elevation change
  Begins at Westgate parking. Most of this route is outside Manning Park and not maintained by BC Parks.
• Nicomen Lake Trail
  7.5km or 2.5 hours one way, 300m elevation change
  The trail is from Nicomen lake to the Hope Pass trail. Rated as difficult due to its remoteness, though most of this route is physically moderate.
• Pacific Crest Trail
  12.2km one way, 4-5 hours, 450m elevation change
  Begins at Windy Joe parking on the Gibson Pass Road and ends at the US border.
• Poland Lake
  8km or 3-4 hours one way, 435m elevation change
  Begins at Strawberry Flats parking lot.
• Skagit Bluffs
  5.7km or 2.5 hours one way, 225m elevation change
  Connects Cascade parking with Cayuse Flats via a route that was once part of the old Dewdney Trail.
• Skagit River
  14.3km or 4-6 hours one way, little elevation change
  Begins at Sumallo Grove Parking and connects to 26 Mile bridge parking on the Silver-Skagit Road. Most of this trail is in Skagit Valley Park.
• Skyline I
  14.6km or 6 hours one way, 775m
  Begins at Spruce Bay parking or Strawberry Flats parking. Can be made a 20.5km loop combined with the South Gibson and Lightning Lakes trails.
• Skyline II
  18.6km or 7-9 hours one way, 500m elevation gain, 1350m elevation loss
  Connects the Skyline I trail to the Silver-Skagit Road. Mowich Camp is 12.5km from Strawberry Flats parking.
• Warburton Loop
  7km or 3 hours one way, little elevation change
  To and from the Dewdney trail. Rated as difficult due to its remoteness and the difficulty of trail-finding in sections.
• Whatcom
  9.5km or 5 hours one way, 1082m elevation change
  Starts 2.4km up the Dewdney trail. A common loop is made with the Dewdney trail for a total distance of 22.5km.
• Windy Joe Mountain
  8km or 4.5 hours one way, 525m elevation change
  Begins at Windy Joe-Pacific Crest parking lot on the Gibson Pass Road. Climbs to an old fire lookout.

Lighting Lake is a great spot for a dip, but often remains cool well into the summer. 

There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.

There are canoeing and kayaking opportunities on Lightning Lake. Canoe, kayak, and paddle board rentals are seasonally available at Lightning Lake day-use area.

Lightning Lakes chain offers easily accessible fishing opportunities for rainbow trout. For the hardy hiker, Poland Lake and Nicomen Lake also offer good fishing for rainbow trout.  Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.

Motorized boats, including boats with electric motors, are not permitted on any lakes within the park.

Interpretive programs at E.C. Manning Park run from late June through early September at Lightning Lake Amphitheatre. Interpretive nature walks are also available at the Alpine Meadows, Rein Orchid Trail, and other locations. There are also periodic special events including the Lightning Lake Lantern Festival, special guest speakers, and programs in conjunction with Jerry’s Rangers. Programs run rain or shine. Dress appropriately.

Visit the Manning Park Resort website, email camping@manningpark.com, or call the visitor centre (summer only) at 604-668-5953 for program themes and locations. 

Interpretive walks

Join the park naturalist on an interpretive tour of one of Manning’s many trails. Themes will vary, so be sure to dress appropriately. Suitable for all ages. Everyone is welcome.

Jerry’s Rangers

A summer program for kids and families. Get an official Jerry’s Rangers certificate and earn stickers, pins, or badges after completing these programs.

Evening programs

The naturalist presents and evening of fun and education at the Lightning Lake Amphitheatre. Appropriate for all ages. Everyone is welcome. Parking is available at the Spruce Bay Beach parking lot.

There are excellent opportunities to view a variety of wildlife in E.C. Manning Park. The animal life includes squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, pika, coyotes, beaver, muskrat, deer, bears, and moose. More than 200 bird species have been spotted here.

Good locations for wildlife viewing include Beaver Pond, Rein Orchid, Lightning Lake day-use area, and the Similkameen Trail, especially in the early morning.

Domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or in park buildings, unless designated. You are responsible for your pets’ behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.

Part of Lightning Lake day-use area is set aside for pets. This is located at the east end of the lake and it includes a picnic area and beach. There is also a designated pet area on the east side of the restaurant at Manning Park Resort.

Mountain bikes are permitted on roadways and the following trails: Monument 83, Windy Joe, Poland Lake, East Similkameen, West Similkameen, Lone Duck, North Gibson, and South Gibson. Cyclists must yield to hikers and horses. 

For details on e-biking within E.C. Manning Park, see the e-biking section.

Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.

Bicycles are allowed on signed or designated trails within E.C. Manning Park. Bikes with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are allowed on these trails if they meet the criteria for e-bike use outlined on the cycling page.

Horses are allowed on designated trails only. These include:

• Monument 83 (closed to horses at the five kilometre mark)
• Dewdney
• Windy Joe
• Similkameen East and West
• North Gibson
• Hope Pass
• Poland Lake
• Monument 78
• Little Muddy

Skagit Bluffs Trail is closed to horses.

Riders should camp only in designated areas. Horse camping is available at the Headwaters Corral located at Manning Park Resort. Backcountry horse camps are available on the Dewdney and Hope Pass trails. Carry backpacking stoves and avoid having campfires. Unless otherwise noted on the trail description, all horse camps include a toilet, fire ring, water, a hitching rail, and grazing.

Hunting at E.C. Manning Park is only allowed in the MU 2-17 portion of the park (the former Cascade Recreation Area). This area is only open to the discharge of firearms, bows, and crossbows from September 10 to June 15, during lawful game hunting season. Please check the fishing and hunting guide for more information.

There are backcountry trails for ski-touring and snowshoeing, as well as groomed cross-country ski trails. For more information, download the trail conditions report [PDF].