Park overview
Great Glacier Park is a remote area in northwestern British Columbia. The only way to access this area is by water. Motorboaters, canoers, kayakers, and river-rafters all visit the park via the Stikine River.
Great Glacier itself is the largest glacier found along the entire length of the Stikine River. A short trail provides outstanding views of the glacier and its outwash lake. The trail passes through lush old-growth forest containing unusual plant life.
The park is 120 km downstream of Telegraph Creek on the Stikine River. It sits across the river from Choquette Hot Springs Park. The southwestern end of the park borders Alaska.
Advisories
Safety info
- Great Glacier Park is a remote area, accessible only by water. See our backcountry guide to learn about safe, ethical recreation in remote areas.
- Weather conditions can change quickly in this park. We recommend packing rain gear and a tarp as part of your essentials.
- Do not take your boat onto the channel that connects the river to the glacial outwash lake. Portage using the hiking trail instead.
- Use extreme caution if paddling on the glacial lake. Large waves can appear without warning when pieces of the glacier break off into the water.
- We ask motorboat users to be aware of and courteous to paddlers when travelling on the river.
Camping
Great Glacier Park offers a rustic campground. This is marked by a large yellow sign on the west bank of the Stikine River. The campground includes two fire rings, several picnic tables, an outhouse, and a bear cache locker.
The rustic campground is the only camping area in Great Glacier Park. Camping is not allowed anywhere else in the park.
Use the bear cache locker to safely store food and anything else that might attract bears. When camping in this park, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more, please read our backcountry guide.
Facilities
Campfires are allowed at the campground, but only in the two fire rings provided. We encourage you to minimize the use of fire and bring a camping stove for cooking. Fires are not allowed anywhere else in the park.
We recommend gathering dead wood from the riverbank just outside the park. Dry wood is very limited near the campground. Also, gathering wood within a BC Park is an offence under the Park Act.
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.
A pit toilet is available at the Great Glacier Park campground. There are no flush toilets or other pit toilets anywhere in the park. Please bring your own toilet paper, as it is not provided at the campground.
Activities
Great Glacier Park offers a short hiking trail, which is 1 km one-way. This leads to an excellent view of Great Glacier and its glacial outwash lake. This lake is often covered with icebergs. The water is tinted turquoise by rock flour.
The trail takes you through the glacial succession process. It begins at the campground in an old-growth forest with lush soil and vegetation. Then it travels over rock flour (made by glacial movement) to the lake.
The only access to Great Glacier Park is via the Stikine River. The Stikine offers the fastest flowing navigable water in North America. Canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and motorboating are popular ways to visit the park.
There are serious hazards that must be avoided when boating in this park. For more information, see safety info, above.
The only access to Great Glacier Park is via the Stikine River. The Stikine offers the fastest flowing navigable water in North America. Canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and motorboating are popular ways to visit the park.
There are serious hazards that must be avoided when boating in this park. For more information, see safety info, above.
Fishing is allowed in Great Glacier Park. You must have the appropriate license to fish in this park. We suggest getting a licence before leaving home, as there are few opportunities to get one in the area. Please conserve your catch and only keep what you intend to eat.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Hunting is not allowed anywhere in Great Glacier Park.
Great Glacier Park is approximately 120 km southwest of Telegraph Creek. The park’s southwestern end borders Alaska. The only way to access this park is by boat on the Stikine River. The most popular boat launch for accessing Great Glacier Park is in Glenora.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: January 25, 2001
- Size: 9,313 hectares
Nature and culture
Cultural heritage
Great Glacier Park is within the traditional territory of the Tahltan Nation. The park borders Tlingit territory on the west. Indigenous oral histories say that the melting fronts of Great Glacier and Choquette Glacier once bridged the Stikine River.
History
The rustic campground in Great Glacier Park was previously a Forest Service Recreation Site. In 2001, the BC Government designated the area around this campground as a Class A provincial park.
Designation followed recommendations from the Cassiar Iskut-Stikine Land and Resource Management Plan. The park was created to protect the scenic glacier and spectacular glacial lake, and the surrounding environment.
Conservation
The park protects various uncommon plant species, an old-growth forest, and a diversity of landforms created by the retreating glacier. The glacier has retreated at an average rate of 40 m per year since the 1960s.
Great Glacier Park is one of only two parks in the Central Boundary Ranges Ecosection. Great Glacier accounts for almost all (99.43%) of this ecosection’s representation in the protected areas system.
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.