Park overview
Hamber Park comprises a portion of one of the world’s largest blocks of protected areas. The park was designated as part of the Canadian Rocky Mountains World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is a remote wilderness area with few facilities.
Over the past few years, BC Parks has been rehabilitating impacts of the past use at Fortress Lake. There is now a rustic campground and toilet at the east end of the lake and an air-accessed commercial fishing camp on Chisel Creek Fan (midway down the lake’s south shore). There are no other developed facilities, but several traditional campsites are identifiable along the north shore.
An old trail to access these sites is in the process of being re-opened from the east end. At present, the easiest access to lake shore features is by renting a boat from the fishing camp. No other trails exist, but midway along the north shore Washout Creek provides a steep, rugged, but relatively open access to scenic alpine tarns.
Advisories
Safety info
- Bring your own drinking water or be prepared to boil or filter water, as potable water is not available in the park.
- Windfalls are common and blow-down of large trees is a significant hazard during high winds.
- Hikers must cross the Chaba River. The river crossing can be dangerous. Please use caution. All stream crossings can be treacherous at times depending on seasonal daily run-off fluctuations.
- Bear country precautions are essential with respect to travel, camping and storage. Grizzly and black bear habitats area extensive throughout the park. Bear poles are available at the campsites.
Special notes
- If you visit Hamber, we request you conduct yourself in a manner that is compatible with a wilderness park.
- Weather in Hamber varies depending on the season. Almost half of the days during the summer have rain and wind, so hikers should come prepared for these conditions.
- Campfires are permitted in the park but lightweight stoves are recommended for cooking.
- Vehicles may be left in the Sunwapta Falls parking lot in Jasper National Park but require registration with Parks Canada. In the winter season, you can ski or snowshoe 22 flat kilometres into Fortress Lake to ice fish (no snowmobiling or ATVs allowed).
Camping
A rustic campground is located at the east end of Fortress Lake. The campsite has a pit toilet and bear cache for storing food. Visitors may camp during the winter season but be prepared for winter conditions.
At the Chisel Creek end of Fortress Lake there is the Fortress Lake Lodge. They are available during the summer months starting June 1 and can hold 12 people at a time. There is a fee for using the lodge and you can reserve by contacting the Fortress Lake Lodge.
Facilities
Campfires are permitted in the park, but lightweight stoves are recommended for cooking. Please be extremely careful with fires and only use down and dead wood.
This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
Activities
An old trail accessing the campsites on the north shore of the lake is open for hikers’ use. No other trails exist but, midway along the north shore of Fortress Lake, Washout Creek provides steep, rugged, but relatively open access to scenic alpine areas.
From Sunwapta in Jasper National Park, a 22 kilometer trail leads to Fortress Lake in Hamber Park. This trail crosses both the Athabasca and Chaba Rivers though no bridges are provided. Fording the Athabasca River is not recommended.
For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
Fortress Lake, home to brook trout, offers excellent angling opportunities. There is an air-accessed commercial fishing camp on Chisel Creek Fan (midway down the lake’s south shore). Fortress Lake is open for ice fishing in the winter season, but is a long way in to travel to fish. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
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.
Visitors are in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Climbers should check with Parks Canada and Mount Robson Park for information on climbing in the area.
There are backcountry skiing and snowshoeing opportunities in the park. There are no defined trails and is remote winter travel. There is track-setting Jasper National Park and Valemount nearby.
The park is located 22 km from the trail head parking lot at Sunwapta Falls (Jasper National Park) to the campground at the east of Fortress Lake. The closest communities are Valemount and Jasper, Alberta.
Park and activity maps
Any maps listed are for information only. They may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: September 16, 1941
- Size: 25,137 hectares
Nature and culture
History
Hamber Park was named to honour the late Eric W. Hamber, the distinguished lieutenant-governor of B.C. from 1936 to 1941. With improved access in recent years, the park now sees 400 to 500 visitors annually.
Conservation
Vegetation around the lake is thick with spruce and balsam with a very heavy understory of false azalea and rhododendron.
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.