Omineca. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
Many of Mount Robson Park’s trails, walks, and backcountry areas present significant hazards. Slippery rocks, cliffs, uneven trail surfaces, wildlife, fast-flowing rivers, and waterfalls can all be dangerous. For the safest trip possible:
- Please ensure your children are under constant supervision, as there are potential hazards throughout the park
- Carry a first-aid kit and make sure someone in your party knows how to manage basic first-aid emergencies
- Never consume mushrooms, berries, and other natural items, as this is illegal and can be hazardous
- Boil, filter, or treat any water taken from surface sources before you drink it or use it for anything
The nearest hospitals are in McBride to the west and Jasper to the east, both on Highway 16. There is also a medical clinic in Valemount, 35 km southwest of the park on Highway 5.
Weather conditions
Weather forecasts in the area are available from:
Special notes
- Public payphones and wireless internet are available at the visitor centre. Cellphone service is not available within Mount Robson Park.
- Cars, motorcycles, and other motor vehicles can only be used on park roads and in parking areas.
- Off-road vehicles and snowmobiles are not allowed anywhere in Mount Robson Park.
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:
Reservation policies
Get information on:
Maps and location
- Park map [PDF]
- Berg Lake Trail map [PDF]
- Lucerne area map [PDF]
- Mount Fitzwilliam Trail map [PDF]
- Mount Fitzwilliam Trail brochure [PDF]
- Robson Meadows Campground map [PDF]
- Robson River Campground map [PDF]
Bathymetric maps:
Getting there
Mount Robson Park is in east-central British Columbia, just west of the Alberta border and Jasper National Park. The Park is approximately:
- Four hours north of Kamloops on Highway 5
- Three-and-a-half hours east of Prince George on Highway 16
- Five hours west of Edmonton on Highway 16
The closest communities are Jasper, Valemount, and McBride. There are commercial airports in Prince George, Kamloops, and Edmonton. Rental vehicles are available at these locations.
Camping
Backcountry camping
Berg Lake Trail
The Berg Lake Trail is a backcountry hiking route featuring some of the finest scenery in British Columbia. It is world renowned for offering extraordinary multi-day hiking adventures to beginners and experienced wilderness hikers alike.
The Berg Lake Trail was seriously damaged following extreme weather in 2021. Trail repair work is ongoing, so watch for detours and crews working. During the summer, the trail above Whitehorn campground remains closed while the trails are being repaired. Check advisories and dates of operation for details.
During the winter, trails are covered by snow and are open for hiking and winter camping for visitors with backcountry experience. Once the snow melts, many sections of trail become impassable.
The Berg Lake Trail begins at the end of Kinney Lake Road and continues into the mountains to Robson Pass. There are several designated backcountry campgrounds along the way with tent pads and outhouses. Kinney Lake and Whitehorn campgrounds are open for the 2024 season. All other backcountry campgrounds on the trail remain closed.
There are Ranger Stations at Whitehorn and Robson Pass campgrounds.
For information on backcountry reservations, see the Berg Lake Trail reservations page.
For a trail map, see park and activity maps.
The trail connects to Jasper National Park in Alberta through Robson Pass. Check the Jasper National Park website to learn about hiking and camping there.
Snowbird Pass is closed annually between May 1 and July 1 to allow for undisturbed caribou calving.
| Backcountry camping fees (per night) |
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When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace wilderness ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, please read our backcountry guide.
Backcountry areas
Frontcountry camping
Vehicle-accessible campsites are available at Robson Meadows, Robson River, and Lucerne campgrounds. You can reserve a site at any of these campgrounds. Sites are also available on a first come, first served basis.
All reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service. Make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca. Alternatively, call 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally). For more information on making a reservation, see the frontcountry camping reservations page.
To avoid damaging the environment surrounding campsites, keep vehicles and equipment on the tent pads and driveways.
Robson Meadows
125 non-serviced campsites.
This campground by the Fraser River features large private campsites. Scenic walks are available. It is easy walking distance to the visitor centre, store, restaurant, and commercial services booking office.
First come, first served camping registration and fee payment are available at the campground entrance information shelter. For information and assistance, see the campground host at the campground entrance.
Robson River
18 non-serviced campsites, 22 electrified campsites (sites 20 to 41).
This small campground by the Robson River has large, private campsites. It is easy walking distance to the visitor centre, restaurant, and store. First come, first served camping registration and fee payment are available at the campground entrance information shelter.
Camping fees for Robson Meadows and Robson River
| Vehicle-accessible camping | $28 per party |
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| Electrified sites (15, 30, or 50-amp service) at Robson River | Additional $8 (whether power is used or not) |
| BC seniors’ rate* (off-season only) | $14 per party |
To get information on who qualifies for the BC seniors’ rate, please see the BC Senior Camping Discount page.
Lucerne
36 non-serviced campsites.
At the east end of the park, on Yellowhead Lake, this is a small area with great views of the mountains. Some sites also have lake views. Two sites are walk-in only and ideal for cyclists. The campground has no running water or flush toilets.
First come, first served camping registration and fee payment are available at the campground entrance information shelter. For assistance, see the campground host.
Camping fees for Lucerne
| Vehicle-accessible or walk-in camping | $22 per party |
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| BC seniors’ rate* (off-season only) | $11 per party |
To get information on who qualifies for the BC seniors’ rate, please see the BC Senior Camping Discount page.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Group camping
A group campsite is available at the Robson Meadows campground. This groupsite includes a covered shelter and a grassy field.
Group camping fees
| Regular group camping | • $80 base fee • Additional $5 per adult (16+) • Additional $1 per child (6-15) • Free for children under 6 • $150 minimum charge |
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| Youth group camping | • $1 per person (6+) • Free for children under 6 • $50 minimum charge • $150 maximum charge |
For more information on youth group camping policies, and groupsites generally, see the group camping page.
Groupsites
Walk-in camping
Lucerne
Two campsites at Lucerne Campground are walk-in only and ideal for cyclists. These sites are available by reservation through the BC Parks reservation service. Make a reservation at camping.bcparks.ca or call 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally).
Walk-in camping fees
| Walk-in camping (per night) | $22 per party |
|---|---|
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $11 per party |
To get information on who qualifies for the BC seniors’ rate, please see the BC Senior Camping Discount page.
Wilderness camping
Corridor
Wilderness trails and camping are available in the Mount Robson Corridor area. This includes the Mount Fitzwilliam Trail and the Moose River route, which are accessible from the highway corridor. No fees or backcountry permits are required for this area. For trail details, see the east end wilderness trails page.
Wilderness areas
Winter camping
Berg Lake Trail
Winter backcountry camping is allowed at the campsites along the Berg Lake Trail as long as the trail is covered in snow. There is no fee collected for winter camping.
You must be equipped for avalanche conditions when using the Berg Lake Trail during winter.
For a campground map, see park and activity maps.
Things to do
Berg Lake Trail
The Berg Lake Trail is a world-renowned backcountry hiking route featuring some of the finest scenery in British Columbia. There is no fee for day-hiking.
The trail begins at the end of Kinney Lake Road and continues up into the mountains to Robson Pass. The trail above Whitehorn campground is currently closed for trail repairs.
You need a reservation to camp on the trail during the main operating season. For more information see the backcountry camping section.
East end wilderness trails
There are several trails at the park’s east end. These range from well-developed, hard-surface trails like Yellowhead Mountain Trail to remote backcountry routes like Moose River Trail. To learn more, see the east end wilderness trails page.
Corridor
Waterfalls and salmon-viewing walks can all be found along the Mount Robson Corridor. Behind the visitor centre, there is a 1 km self-guided Journey Through Time interpretive trail that is very popular.
Robson Meadows and Robson River
Interesting walks and hikes are available from the campgrounds. For more information, see park and activity maps, below.
Lucerne
The self-guided Labrador Tea Trail is an interesting walk-in mixed forest next to the campground.
Lucerne
There is a swimming beach at the campground on Yellowhead Lake. The water temperature remains cold year-round. There are no lifeguards on duty anywhere in Mount Robson Park.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Corridor
Moose and Yellowhead Lakes are suitable for canoeing and boating. Use caution, as these lakes are subject to strong winds.
Robson Meadows and Robson River
Rafting companies operate in the area along various sections of the Fraser River in Mount Robson Park.
Lucerne
You will find excellent opportunities for canoeing and boating on Yellowhead Lake in the Lucerne area.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting page.
Corridor
Portal and Whitney lakes have good stocks of rainbow trout. Yellowhead and Moose lakes offer bull trout, lake trout, rainbow trout, kokanee, and whitefish.
Robson Meadows and Robson River
There are seasonal fishing opportunities in the Fraser River.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Interpretive programs and presentations are sometimes available at Robson Meadows Campground. For details, contact the park operator.
There are wildlife viewing opportunities throughout Mount Robson Park. For more information, see nature and culture, below.
Pets must be leashed, and they are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You must be in control of your pets and dispose of their excrement in the wastebins provided.
Dogs are not allowed on any overnight trips on the Berg Lake Trail. Leashed dogs are allowed on day-hikes.
Throughout Mount Robson Park, cycling is only allowed on roads, other than on the Berg Lake Trail (see below). Bicycle helmets are required in British Columbia. There are no bicycle rentals available in this park.
Berg Lake Trail
Cycling is allowed on the first 7 km of the Berg Lake Trail, from the trailhead to the north end of Kinney Lake. There is a bike rack at Kinney Lake in case you plan to stay and explore the area further.
See the e-biking section, below, for details on e-biking in Mount Robson Park.
Bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are allowed on roads and the first 7 km of the Berg Lake Trail. E-bikes must meet the definitions and criteria for e-bike use outlined on the cycling page.
Berg Lake Trail
Horses are not allowed on the Berg Lake Trail.
Corridor
Riding is permitted only on the Moose River Route, which is suited to only the most experienced backcountry travellers.
Robson Meadows, Robson River, Lucerne
No horseback riding is available in these areas.
Mount Robson Peak
Climbers from around the world come to Mount Robson Park to tackle Mount Robson Peak. At 3,954 m (12,972 ft), Mount Robson is by no means the highest peak in Canada. However, few mountains anywhere in the world can claim to offer almost 3,000 m (10,000 ft) of pure ascent.
Mount Robson is suitable only for highly experienced climbers. Unexpected changes in the weather, and in snow conditions specifically, are common. Heavy snowfalls, avalanches, icefall, and rockfall are also common throughout the climbing season.
Only properly equipped climbers, prepared and skilled in all facets of alpine mountaineering, should attempt climbing Mount Robson. We encourage all climbers to use the voluntary self-registration shelter at the Berg Lake Trailhead. For more information, download the climbers’ information links [PDF].
There are spelunking and caving opportunities in Mount Robson Park. However, all these opportunities are dangerous and involve significant personal risk. Only highly experienced and physically fit cavers with appropriate equipment should attempt them.
White-Nose Syndrome
White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has been linked to the mass die-off of hibernating bats in Eastern North America. There is evidence that humans have accelerated the spread through entering caves with contaminated clothing, gear, or equipment. To help prevent WNS from taking hold in B.C., the province is making investments in bat conservation projects.
To ensure the protection of bats and their habitats in this park, we strongly advise that personal caving gear that has been used anywhere east of the Rockies should not be used in B.C.
Before entering caves in B.C., consult the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative website, which includes information on a WNS decontamination protocol.
Help protect bats and their habitats from the spread of White-Nose Syndrome. Clothing and gear that has been used in caves east of the Rocky Mountains should not be used in B.C.
There are opportunities for snowshoeing and backcountry skiing in Mount Robson Park, but no tracks are set. Snowshoeing and backcountry skiing trails follow the hiking trails.
Plan your trip appropriately for winter conditions and visit Avalanche Canada for backcountry information and avalanche training. For maps, see the park and activity maps section, below.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for these areas of the park:
Yellowhead Lake
There is a boat launch on Yellowhead Lake, 1.9 km east of the Lucerne Campground. Canoes and small car-top boats can be launched from the main Lucerne campground.
Berg Lake Trail
Campfires are not allowed anywhere on the Berg Lake Trail. Use backpacking stoves for cooking. Any hiker found starting or maintaining an open fire may be ticketed or evicted.
Corridor
Campfires are not allowed in the Corridor area of Mount Robson Park. Anyone found starting or maintaining an open fire may be ticketed or evicted.
Robson Meadows, Robson River, and Lucerne
Campfires are allowed, and we provide campfire rings at each campsite in Robson Meadows, Robson River, and Lucerne campgrounds. You can purchase firewood from the park operator or campground host.
We encourage campers to minimize the use of fire. Please bring a camping stove for cooking. Campfire bans or restrictions may be implemented when the wildfire danger is high.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, do not gather firewood from anywhere in the park. Gathering firewood is an offence under the Park Act. Dead wood is an important habitat for many plants and animals, and it adds valuable organic matter to the soil.
Berg Lake Trail
Boil, filter, or otherwise treat water from all sources on the Berg Lake Trail before drinking or using.
Corridor
Safe drinking water is available at the visitor centre in the Mount Robson Corridor area.
Robson Meadows and Robson River
There are cold-water taps throughout the campgrounds. Taps are shut off during the off-season.
Lucerne
Well water is available via two hand pumps. Boil, filter, or otherwise treat water before drinking or using.
Robson River
Robson River Campground offers 15-amp, 30-amp, and 50-amp electrical hook-ups at 22 campsites (sites 20 to 41). There is an additional charge of $8 per night for these sites, whether you use power or not.
The Mount Robson visitor centre is at the park’s western entrance, within easy walking distance of campgrounds, a restaurant, and a store. The visitor centre provides information on Mount Robson Park, BC Parks, and B.C. tourism. The centre also features natural history displays.
Berg Lake Trail
There are several picnic tables at the south end of Kinney Lake, approximately 5 km from the parking lot and trailhead. There are no fees for picnicking and reservations are not available. Picnic tables are available on a first come, first served basis.
Corridor
There are various picnic sites along the highway corridor. These span East Portal, at the park’s eastern entrance, to the Mount Robson Park viewpoint at the western boundary. There are no fees for picnicking and sites are available on a first come, first served basis.
Berg Lake Trail
There are pit toilets at all campgrounds on the Berg Lake Trail. Toilet paper is not provided at any sites along trail, so come prepared.
Corridor
All day-use picnic areas along the highway corridor have pit toilets.
Robson Meadows, Robson Rivers, and Lucerne
There are pit and flush toilets throughout the campgrounds.
Robson Meadows
There is a playground next to the campground.
Visitor centre
There is a playground and climbing frame at the west end of the visitor centre.
A sani-station is available on the Kinney Lake Road next to the visitor centre. The fee is $5 per discharge.
There are hot showers available at Robson Meadows and Robson River campgrounds.
About this park
Mount Robson Park is the second-oldest provincial park in B.C. It was established in 1913 to protect the Fraser River’s headwaters. With seven connected parks, it is part of one of the world’s largest protected areas. It is also part of the Canadian Rocky Mountains Parks World Heritage Site.
To the Secwepemc People, Mount Robson is traditionally known as Tsyécelcten in the Secwepemctsin language. This loosely translates to ‘Mountain of the Spiral Road’ in English.
Mount Robson Park’s flora and fauna epitomize the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, North Continental Range. On some trails, you can travel between three different vegetation zones during a day-hike.
More than 182 species of birds have been documented in the park. All wildlife indigenous to the Rocky Mountains can be found here. Wildlife populations are allowed to ebb and flow with minimal intervention from humans.
Mule and whitetail deer, moose, elk, and black bears call the lower elevations home. Grizzly bears, caribou, mountain goats, and mountain sheep inhabit the higher elevations.
There are excellent wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the park. From mountain goats on the many cliffs and rockslides to moose in low wetland areas, patient observers will be rewarded.
Mount Robson crosses four bio-geoclimatic zones and a series of interconnected mountain ecosystems. The University of Victoria’s Mountain Legacy Project (MLP) has been conducting a decades-long project to understand landscape change.
MLP teams have been comparing photographs from 1911 to new images taken in the same locations. You can see image pairs on the MLP website. Change-analysis results are available on the Visualizing 100 Years of Landscape Change site.
Mountain Legacy Project work was completed in part with funding provided by the BC Parks Living Lab Program.
History
Established by a special act of the British Columbia legislature in 1913, Mount Robson Park is the second oldest park in the Province of British Columbia's park system. It was designated as a world heritage site, part of the Rocky Mountains World Heritage Site, in 1990 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Mount Robson has a colourful early history of trade and transportation. From the early 1800s with trappers, explorers, hunters, prospectors, and ordinary folks seeking the end of the rainbow, to the present day.
Transportation is still an important part of the park with a national highway (Highway 16), a national railway, a national fiber optics system, and a major pipeline that connect the prairies to the Pacific Ocean. Now as then, all transportation corridors are confined to a narrow valley bottom strip keeping the vast majority of the park as wilderness.
Many locations in the park recognize the role played by early explorers. Magnificent Overland Falls, at the park's western entrance, honours the journey undertaken in 1862 by 115 men and one woman, through the Yellowhead Pass.
Cultural heritage
The Texqakallt Nation, the earliest known inhabitants of the upper Fraser area, called Mount Robson 'Yuh-hai-has-kun' meaning 'the mountain of the spiral road'. This referred to the layered appearance of the huge mountain. Although not always given credit, Indigenous peoples played a major role in the early exploration and trading in the Yellowhead Pass—Tete Jaune area. They guided and provided game to those who may have otherwise floundered.
Conservation
Mount Robson Park provides full representation of the North Continental Ranges’ landscape. The park protects a complex mountain ecosystem represented by four biogeoclimatic zones.
From Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) in the valley bottoms, the vegetation communities change as the elevation increases. Sub-boreal Spruce (SBS), Englemann Spruce-subalpine Fir (ESSF) and finally up slope to the Alpine Tundra (AT) zone.
As these vegetation communities change, so do the birds and animals. The diversity of species is very much a product of elevation change. 182 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Predator-prey relationships are maintained within the 80% of the park-zoned wilderness. Vast areas and intact watersheds carry a wilderness conservation zoning label where all human use is unsupported by facility or trail development. In fact, our most important 'customers' in these large wilderness areas are the wide variety of flora and fauna that depend on an undisturbed, intact wilderness.
In addition to protecting the largest peak in the entire Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson at 12,972 feet / 3,954 m, the park also protects the imposing Ramparts formation that forms a portion of our border with Jasper National Park. Beautiful, expansive alpine areas, clear rivers, lakes, and highly valued wetland habitat is also protected.
While big mountains and imposing rock formations inspire and awe us, the main feature of the park, at least from a conservation perspective, is the headwaters of the Fraser River. Protected for all time within Mount Robson Park are the headwaters of one of the world's great rivers. Coming into the province of British Columbia from Alberta, one crosses over a small, crystal clear creek. It's almost beyond belief that this is the same river that empties into the Pacific Ocean, over 1,200km away in Vancouver. The source of the great river lies in the south east corner of the park in Fraser Pass. Imagine dipping your cup and drinking the water from the start of one of the great rivers on this planet.
Future generations will no doubt praise the wisdom of protecting over 100km of the Fraser River's headwaters within Mount Robson Park.
Recent boundary additions on the west end of the park, the result of the Robson Valley Land, Resource Management Plan, will add important Interior Cedar Hemlock variants. These additions also help make the previous straight line boundary more logical from a management and ecological perspective.
In order to maintain viable levels of species and genetic diversity, it is critically important to consider how the land is managed on a larger scale. Working with our neighbors, be it the National Parks or the various forest companies, remains a high priority to ensure Mount Robson Park does not become an isolated biological 'island'.
Wildlife
To date, 42 species of mammals, four amphibians, one reptile, and 182 species of birds have been recorded in the park. These species are typical of the moist, western slope of the Rocky Mountains.
From the valley-bottom-loving moose to the mountain goats and golden eagles of the Alpine Tundra Zone, all four biogeoclimactic zones within the park provide habitat for varied species that favor the unique characteristics found in each zone. This is not to say that species like grizzly bear or mule deer find suitable habitats in only one zone, but generally certain zones or elevations attract specific species.
Excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing are available within the park. On one drive through the highway corridor in late May, park staff observed mule deer, whitetail deer, moose, elk, wolf, coyote, black bear, grizzly bear, and a large variety of waterfowl.
In the spring, cow elk become extremely protective of their new calves. Moose and deer also actively defend their young, but the elk seem most prone to short tempers when confronted with anything they perceive as a threat to their young. In the fall, the males of these species that can become aggressive. The mating or rutting season in September and October can make even the most seemingly docile elk, moose, or deer aggressive.
Although they are beautiful to look at, keep clear of all wildlife and give them the space they need to ensure their safety and yours. Binoculars are a great aid to the traveler in Mount Robson Park. Mountain slopes, slide paths and cliffs can be safely examined from the highway corridor. Mountain goats and grizzly bears can often be spotted.
A long tradition in Mount Robson Park, the Bird Blitz takes place in June each year. Bird enthusiasts from far and wide come to enjoy the beautiful spring scenery as well as the opportunity to observe and count the parks incredible bird population. A number of the valleys in the park have no routes or trails and extremely low levels of human use. This is in keeping with our belief that wilderness means wild and the grizzly bears, caribou, wolverines, and other wild species seem quite happy to keep it that way.
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
Frontcountry park information:
- Quartz Contracting
northquartz@aol.com
1-250-964-3489 (this is not a reservations information line)
Visit the Facebook page
Follow on Twitter
For information on reservations, call the BC Parks reservation service. Call 1-800-689-9025 toll-free from Canada and the U.S. or 1-519-858-6161 internationally. For more information on the Berg Lake Trail, please visit the Berg Lake Trail reservations page.