Redfern-Keily Provincial Park

About This Park

Redfern-Keily Provincial Park contains some of the most scenic landscapes in the Northern Rocky Mountains and provides backcountry tourism opportunities on an international level. Lush alpine meadows, forested valley bottoms, serrated peaks, glaciers, waterfalls and large valley lakes dominate this mountainous landscape.

Alpine tundra in the upper elevations provide wide open vistas of the surrounding mountains and excellent ridge walking. The glacial features at the Northern end of the park are magnificent. Hidden wonders such as natural arches can be found as long as you are willing to explore and Redfern Lake itself is an impressive sight reflecting the surrounded Rocky Mountain peaks.

The brilliant blue colours of Redfern, Fairy and Trimble Lakes are one of the park’s most outstanding features. Redfern Lake, about eight km long and one km wide is glacier-fed and surrounded by a narrow band of boreal forest, talus slope, alpine meadow, and rugged peaks with small glaciers. Keily Creek contains old growth spruce, and the Besa River has important hoodoos below Mount Dopp.

Abundant wildlife makes the area attractive to hunters; guide/outfitters provide a wide range of services and opportunities for visitors. Fishing, boating, camping, and hiking are also popular. River rafting, kayaking and canoeing out to the Alaska Highway is possible along the Besa/Prophet Rivers or the Sikanni Chief River (although on the latter, the falls must be portaged).

Park Size: 80,712 hectares

Know Before You Go

Trails

Two very important features of Redfern-Keily Provincial Park are the trail systems into the area; one trail follows Nevis Creek and the Besa River to Redfern Lake, and a second trail follows the Sikanni Chief River to Trimble Lake. Another trail links Trimble Lake to the Besa River, completing a loop.
Both trails are open to snowmobiles, horses, hikers, mountain bikes, and dog sleds; however, motorized ATV vehicles can only access the park via the Redfern Lake trail.

ATV Use and Motorized Access

ATVs using the Redfern Lake ATV trail are restricted to machines weighing no more than 500kg. Public Access Prohibition Regulation Sec. 2, (Wildlife Act).
Motorized access along the Sikanni River trail does not extend into the park. Primitive campsites are found along both trails. There are approximately 26 sites along the Redfern Lake trail, of which seven are located within the park.

Location and Maps

Please note: Any maps listed are for information only; they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

Location Map

Redfern-Keily is located in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, 80 km west of the Alaska Highway, approximately 250 km northwest of Fort St. John. It includes Redfern, Fairy and Trimble Lakes and the alpine basins and icefields of the Besa River and Keily Creek watersheds.

Maps and Brochures

Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

Park Map [PDF]

Nature and Culture

Management Planning

Management Planning Information
BC Parks is in the process of developing a management plan for this park.

Activities Available at this Park

Canoeing

River rafting, kayaking and canoeing out to the Alaska Highway is possible along the Besa/Prophet Rivers or the Sikanni Chief River (although on the latter, the falls must be portaged).

Cycling

Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.

Fishing

Redfern Lake is 539 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 81 metres. Lake trout, lake whitefish, pygmy whitefish, and rainbow trout are resident to the lake and its associated streams. Fairy Lake is 151 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 56 metres. Rainbow trout are the only residents of this high elevation lake. Trimble Lake is 314 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 34 metres. Arctic grayling, bull trout, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout are resident to the lake.

Please consult the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis for fishing information Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.

Visitors to the area in winter can ice fish on Redfern, Trimble or Fairy Lake. Due to the cold temperatures, the ice freezes extremely thick making it quite the workout just to drill a hole (unless you have a power auger).

Hiking

This park has hiking and/or walking trails.

Horseback Riding

Horse Riders’ Backcountry Ethics

Horses are the traditional way to travel and riding is real pleasure. But horses’ hooves each exert over 1,500 p.s.i. of pressure every time they hit the ground, which can really impact trails and campsites.

Hunting

The park is open to hunting. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis.

Pets on Leash

Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.

Wildlife Viewing

Views abound! The journey up the valley to Redfern Lake is surrounded by spectacular peaks, flowing rivers and wildlife. At Redfern Lake a good day hike can be had up to Fairy Lake which is surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of high Rocky Mountain peaks. Glaciers to the north of the lake glitter a deep blue. In the fall, the autumn colours dominate the landscape. Through Sikanni Lake, keep an eye out for bison which, although not natural to the area, have made it their home and have multiplied in number. They are large and gregarious – so if you see one, chances are you will see dozens more. Other note worthy species of wildlife common to the area are moose, Stone sheep, caribou, and of course the predators that follow them – wolves, black and grizzly bear, lynx, and wolverine.

Winter Recreation

Cross country skiing can be done in many locations within the park. One of the better areas is along the shore of either Redfern or Fairy lake. No tracks are set and the trail up to Fairly lake is steep. There are no defined snowshoeing trails; however, there are numerous multi-use trails in the vicinity of Redfern Lake which can all be snowshoed. The frozen lake is also a good location to take a walk along.

Snowmobiling into Redfern Lake is by far the most common form of access into the area. There are two routes which can be used to access the area. The first and most commonly used route is via Nevis Creek, the other is via the Sikanni River to Trimble Lake and across to where it rejoins the Nevis Creek route.

The area is subject to extremely cold winter conditions. Visitors to this area are reminded to be prepared. Temperatures of -40°C and colder are a reality in this area and the temperature can drop dramatically from one valley to another. The BC Parks cabin located on the north east side of the lake is a good shelter to keep the frost off.

Facilities Available at this Park

Cabins / Huts

A BC Parks cabin located on the north east side of Redfern Lake is open to the public and free of charge. This cabin, which is maintained by the snowmobile club has several bunk beds, a woodstove and table. A pit toilet is conveniently located behind the cabin. The cabin can accommodate approximately 6–8 people comfortably and is open throughout the year. It is on a first-come, first-served basis, people need to be prepared to camp outside in the event that the cabin is full. Please keep this cabin clean and in good shape for the next visitor.

Campfires

Use of local dead vegetation is allowed. Please keep campfires small.

Walk-In/Wilderness Camping

Primitive campsites are found along both the Nevis Creek/Besa River trail and the Sikanni Chief River/Trimble Lake Trail. There are approximately 26 sites along the Redfern Lake trail, of which seven are located within the park.

Winter Camping

Winter camping is available. Access in winter is via snowmobile. A BC Parks cabin located on the north east side of Redfern Lake is open to the public and free of charge. This cabin, which is maintained by the snowmobile club has several bunk beds, a woodstove and table. A pit toilet is conveniently located behind the cabin. The cabin can accommodate approximately 6-8 people comfortably and is open throughout the year. It is on a first-come, first-served basis, people need to be prepared to camp outside in the event that the cabin is full. Please keep this cabin clean and in good shape for the next visitor.

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