Park overview
Foch-Gilttoyees Park and Protected Area protects 61,183 hectares of rugged coastal and mountainous terrain, from sea level to alpine tundra.
The park is nestled in the Coast Mountain Range on the north side of the Douglas Channel and it envelops a diversity of landscapes and features including pristine freshwater drainages, bordered by steep rocky slopes covered with old-growth forests, numerous waterfalls, tidal estuaries, unique tidal narrows, and a windswept coastline.
Snow-covered peaks, glacial tarns, cirque basins, and receding glaciers cap the park. In conjunction with Gitnadoiks River Park and Protected Area to the north, Foch-Gilttoyees completes a contiguous protected area corridor between the Douglas Channel and the Skeena River.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Safety info
- There are no developed trails at this park. Please obey posted signs.
- Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
- Exercise caution and good judgement when considering boating through the tidal narrows at entrance to Foch Lagoon. The best time to make this passage is during slack tide.
- Jet boat access up Foch River is very limited due to rocks.
- Jet boat access up Gilttoyees Creek is possible to about 2.5 km west of Peechugh Creek.
Camping
- Total number of campsites
- Total cabins: 2
There are two cabins in the park for public use. They are trapper’s cabins built by the Haisla First Nation and are available for public use. Each cabin is 15 ft by 12 ft with double bunk beds and a small wood stove. There is sheltered boat anchorage near both cabins. The cabins are available on a first come, first served basis. Be prepared to sleep outside if the cabins are full.
- The first cabin is located at the north end of Gilttoyees Inlet and the UTM coordinates are: Zone 09U; 5971320 m North; 0500850 m East.
- The second cabin is located on the west side of Drumlummon Bay and the UTM coordinates are: Zone 09U; 5957089 m North; 0497947 m East.
Both Haisla cabin sites have a fire ring and adjacent small fresh water stream. The Gilttoyees cabin burned down in August 2010 and was rebuilt by the Haisla in the summer of 2012. Please exercise caution with fires at these cabin sites and completely extinguish all fires before leaving.
Prior approval is needed for the use of the Haisla First Nation cabins. Please contact the Haisla Nation at 250-639-9361 (ext. 207 or 213).
Wilderness camping is permitted, but no facilities are provided.
Winter camping is permitted in the park. The park is accessible year-round.
Facilities
Please conserve firewood. Limited burning hours may be in effect at some parks and fire bans may be implemented during extremely hot weather conditions. No firewood available. While campfires are allowed in this backcountry area, we encourage visitors to use campstoves for cooking purposes. To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather wood for fires from the area unless required for emergency situations. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Foch-Gilttoyees Park and Protected Area is located roughly 33 km southwest of Kitimat on the west side of Douglas Channel. Access is by boat only. Use Marine Chart #3743 (Douglas Channel) and NTS Map Sheets #103 H/14,15 & 103 I/2,3. The closest communities to this park are Kitimat, and Kitamaat Village.
Visitor Information Centre:
Kitimat Visitor Information Centre
PO Box 214
2109 Forest Avenue
Kitimat, BC, Canada V8C 2G7
tourismkitimat.ca/
info@tourismkitimat.ca
Phone: 250-632-6294 or 1-800-664-6554
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: May 20, 2004
- Size: 61,089 hectares (58,338 ha upland and 2,751 ha foreshore)
Nature and culture
History
Foch-Gilttoyees was designated as a class A provincial park on May 20, 2004 following recommendations from the Kalum Land and Resource Management Plan. The protected area portion was designated a year later on March 22, 2005. Drum Lummon Mines and Paisley Point Mines established mineral claims north of Drumlummon Bay in the early 1920’s for extraction of copper, gold and silver. Some mineral claims still exist in this area (adjacent to the north side of the protected area) but are excluded from the park.
Cultural Heritage
Foch-Gilttoyees contains part of a historical First Nations travel route between the Douglas Channel and the Skeena River (the remainder of the route is in Gitnadoiks River Park).
Conservation
Foch Lagoon is one of the largest and most remote lagoons on the B.C. coast. It includes a highly productive and unique tidal narrows at its entranceway. Because of the heavy tide influence in the narrows the oceanic productivity in this area is very high compared to the rest of the Douglas Channel. The kelp beds that are found in this area support nurseries for a wide array of sea life.
Wildlife: Foch-Gilttoyees protects a regionally significant estuary complex at the north end of the Gilttoyees Inlet. The Gilttoyees Creek and Peechugh Creek estuary is notable for its well developed inter-tidal flats and relatively under developed mud flats. Saltwater marsh and meadow communities dominate the inter-tidal flats. The estuary has very high wildlife values, particularly over-wintering habitat for the blue-listed trumpeter swan, Barrow’s goldeneye, harlequin duck, surf scoter, long-tailed duck and western grebe.
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.