Francois Lake Park

Highlights in this park

Francois Lake Park is located at the east end of Francois Lake, protecting 25 km of shoreline and predominantly coniferous forests. Recreation opportunities include boating and fishing on Francois Lake, with rustic camping and picnic facilities in a dramatic viewscape.

The park’s forest and plant life provides a high quality moose winter habitat and is home to a wide range of mammals, birds and fish species.

Know before you go

Advisories

Safety information

Stay Safe

Take your own drinking water; potable water is not available in the park.
Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) are prohibited in this park. ORVs include ATVs, off-road motorcycles, snowmobiles, and side-by-sides.

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

Located at the east end of Francois Lake, Francois Lake Park is approximately 12 km from Highway 16, southwest of Fraser Lake.
From Fraser Lake, head west on Hwy 16 for 3.3 km and turn left onto the Francois Lake Road. Follow this for 7.2 km and turn left onto the Nithi Road. Follow this for 1.8 km and turn right onto Dahlgren Road. Follow this road for 4.4 km around the east end of Francois Lake to the campsite.
From Burns Lake, drive east along Hwy 16 to Endako. On the east side of Endako, head south on the Endako Mine Road to the Francois Lake Road. Turn left on this road, follow it through Glennanan, over the Stellako River, and 2.75 km further to the Nithi Road. See the directions above for Fraser Lake for the rest.

Camping

Frontcountry camping

This park offers 4 vehicle accessible campsites on a first-come, first-served basis – campsite reservations are not accepted. Rustic camping is available at Sawmill Point. Facilities include fire rings, pit toilets, picnic tables and a gravel boat ramp.

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

Hunting

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.

Facilities

Boat launch

A gravel boat launch is available at Sawmill Point. Public boat launches are available at each of the public ferry landings outside the park.

Campfires

Campfires are permitted in fire rings. Please bring your own firewood. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking.

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

Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.

Picnic areas

Day-use/picnic areas are available at Sawmill Point and Black Point.

Pit or flush toilets

Pit toilets are provided in the campground. There are no flush toilets.

About this park

Cultural heritage

The Francois Lake area has an abundant First Nations history. Along with the adjacent Uncha Mountain Red Hills Park, the area includes land claims from the Office of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and the Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council. The various bands with an interest in the greater Francois Lake and Uncha Mountain Red Hills Park include Wet’suwet’en First Nation, Nadleh Whut’en Band, Stellat’en First Nation, Burns Lake Band, Nee Tahi Buhn Band, and Skin Tyee Band. The area was traditionally used by the First Nations people for hunting, fishing and gathering and many culturally modified trees have been located in the park. A major First Nations village site was located at Anjur Bay. Trails throughout the park may have been part of a grease trail linking coastal and interior First Nations people.

History

Francois Lake Park was protected by the provincial government in 1999 following recommendations of the Vanderhoof Land and Resource Management Plan.

Conservation

Francois Lake Park is located within the Bukley Basin Ecosection and protects important habitat, including riparian zones, to many wildlife species. Remnant productive low-elevation old-growth forest is found near the lakeshore due to an unusual microclimate. Along with Uncha Mountain Red Hills Park to the west, Francois Lake Park protects a 47 km long corridor along the south shore of Francois Lake, and retains connectivity between riparian and upland ecosystems. Rare plant species and plant communities are found within the park.

Wildlife

Deer, moose and black bear are among the large mammals whose habitat is protected in the park, while sockeye salmon rearing and migrating habitat is found near the lakeshore.

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.

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