Graham-Laurier Park

Highlights in this park

Christina Falls, Lady-Laurier Lake and abundant wildlife populations are just some of the spectacular features of Graham-Laurier Park. Situated west of the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains, the park is a remote wilderness area.

Hunting is the main recreation activity in the park. Other backcountry activities include horseback riding, hiking, wildlife and scenery viewing and fishing. Visitors are drawn to the scenic alpine vistas, the remote wilderness character and high wildlife values.

Christina Falls, located along the Graham River, is a spectacular special feature and is accessed by the Christina Falls Trail. This undeveloped trail is 22 km long and is open to ATV only and non-motorized users. A number of other non-motorized routes can be found throughout the park along Emmerslund, Needham and Horn Creeks and the Graham River.

Know before you go

Advisories

Safety information

Hikers and campers should be prepared for all weather conditions in this changeable climate. Always carry first-aid equipment and extra clothing and food.
Water sources in the backcountry may carry giardia or other parasites. Boil or filter all water when in the backcountry.

Special notes

Special care must be taken in alpine and sub-alpine areas. These are among the most fragile because of the severe conditions and short growing season. Please walk carefully and tread lightly.
Visitors may encounter outfitter or contractor cabins in the area but these are privately owned.

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

Park Map [PDF]

Getting there

Graham-Laurier Park lies north of the Peace Arm of Williston Reach and west of the Continental Divide. It is approximately 145 km northwest of Fort St. John. Graham-Laurier is a remote wilderness area. The Halfway/Graham Forest Service road provides the only motorized access to within 10 km of the southeast corner of the park.

Camping

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

Hiking

There are no developed trails at this park. The Christina Falls Trail is a 22 km undeveloped route that is open to motorized and non-motorized use.

Canoeing

There are canoeing or kayaking opportunities in this park.

Kayaking

There are canoeing or kayaking opportunities in this park.

Fishing

The Graham River and its tributaries have some of the highest fisheries values in the Peace Liard district. Sport fish include bull trout, arctic grayling and rainbow trout.

Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Wildlife viewing

There are opportunities for viewing wildlife such as moose, elk, stones sheep, caribou, black bear and grizzly bear.

Pets on leash

Pets and 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.

Horseback riding

Graham-Laurier Park provides excellent opportunities for backcountry horseback riding. Riders should be experienced and prepared for wilderness travel, as there are no designated trails.

Hunting

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

Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Facilities

Campfires

Keep backcountry fires small.

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.

About this park

History

The Graham-Laurier area was originally identified as an Area of Interest to the Protected Areas Strategy in 1992. In 1997, the Fort St. John Land and Resource Management Plan confirmed the importance of protected status for the Graham-Laurier area.

Conservation

Graham-Laurier Park provides landscape transition from the foothills to the Rocky Mountains through representation of the Misinchinka Ranges and Peace Foothills ecosections. The Misinchinka Ranges, found in the western portion of the park, are unlike the rest of the Rocky Mountains due to their lower elevation and relief and reduced alpine and valley glaciation. The Peace Foothills are a blocky mountainous area within the rainshadow of the Misinchinka.

The Misinchinka Ranges are composed of schists of late Precambrian and Cambrian age, which lie in a belt along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountain Trench. These rocks are unable to support the sheer slopes and castle-like forms that are characteristic of other Rocky Mountain Ranges.

Only short stretches of the Graham River are actually within the park. These include the upper drainage from its source to just downstream of Poutang Creek, the Christina Falls area and stretch upstream of Crying Girl Prairie. The southern portion of the park houses the Needham Creek drainage and a portion of the Emmerslund Creek drainage. The Graham River is a tributary of the Halfway River, which empties into the Peace River; the Peace is part of the Mackenzie River watershed, which ultimately empties into the Arctic Ocean. Lady Laurier, a picturesque alpine lake, is one of the few waterbodies within the park and is surrounded by Mount Lady Laurier, the highest peak in the park.

The park has three biogeoclimatic zones within its boundaries. These zones illustrate the transition from river bottom, old-growth forests to sub-alpine and alpine areas. Only a small portion of the Boreal Black and White Spruce zone is found in the southeast corner of the park along the Graham River and contains extensive stands of old-growth habitat. The Engelmann Spruce Sub-alpine Fir occurs along the lower elevations of each drainage. This is a sub-alpine zone characterized by severe climatic conditions; heavy growth of Engelmann spruce and sub-alpine fir thins rapidly to scrubby sub-alpine fir. This vegetation is replaced by the Alpine Tundra zone at higher elevations.

Wildlife

A diverse variety of wildlife inhabits this mountain landscape. The area provides high quality habitat for moose, elk, stone sheep and mountain goat. The abundance of prey supports predator species such as wolves and grizzly and black bears. Other important wildlife includes furbearers such as marten, fisher, weasels and wolverines. Information on small mammals, amphibians, birds, invertebrates and reptiles is relatively unknown.

The Graham River and its tributaries have very high fisheries values. Inventories of the Graham River have identified bull trout and slimy sculpin. Arctic grayling is found in Lady Laurier Lake, while rainbow trout can be found at Needham Creek. Christina Falls is a natural barrier to fish migration and, as a result, populations in the rest of the park are genetically isolated.

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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