Jackman Flats Park

Highlights in this park

Jackman Flats Park is a product of ice and wind. At the end of the last ice age, some 11,000 years ago, winds from the main trench of the Fraser River and from, what is now, Kinbasket Lake, deposited vast quantities of sand in the Jackman Flats area.

This created an ecosystem considered unique in British Columbia. Rare plant communities and shifting sand dune structures now exist in this rather small park.

Excellent recreational opportunities such as bird watching and plant identification, have been enjoyed by Robson Valley residents for many years in this special area. The parks most prominent residents are the variety of lichen species that dominate the landscape. The uniqueness of Jackman Flats can be quickly appreciated when one considers that one plant community, Juniperus-Stereocaulon, is found nowhere else in British Columbia.

Know before you go

Advisories

Safety information

This is an extremely dry area, where drought conditions generally exist through the summer season.

Special notes

Jackman Flats is vulnerable to excessive recreation use. Unregulated motorized use, primarily from all-terrain vehicles, has had a devastating effect on not only the rare plant communities but on the structural integrity of the sand dunes.
Hiking, and cross-country skiing are permitted on existing trails only. The fragile nature, distribution and abundance of these lichens can be preserved by staying on designated trails. Remember, to collect or damage any natural object in a provincial park is illegal. Tread lightly and enjoy one of BC Parks most unique landscapes.

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

Jackman Flats Park Brochure [PDF]

Getting there

Jackman Flats Provincial park is located 10 km north of Valemount, on Highway 5, and only a short driving distance from Mount Robson Park.

Things to do

Hiking

For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Look but don’t damage natural objects. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure. The fragile ecosystem will be seriously damaged if people or domestic animals go off the trail.

Wildlife viewing

There is no viewing platform at this park but visitors have the opportunity to take short walks geared to viewing the unique plant species, or take longer hikes through a variety of sand dune terrains. The park is home to mammals such as moose, deer, coyotes, and martens. Close to 40 species of birds have been positively identified in the park.

Horseback riding

Horses and horseback riding is permitted on designated trails only.

Hunting

Hunting is allowed in the park. Please consult the current BC Hunting and Trapping Regulation Synopsis for detailed hunting information.

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

Winter recreation

There are cross-country ski opportunities in the park. Use the Hiking trail map as shown on the park brochure. Trails are track set by YORA, the Valemount Cross-Country Ski Club.

Facilities

Accessibility information

Accessibility information is available for this park.

Picnic areas

This park has a day-use and picnic area. An information kiosk, pit toilet, picnic tables and garbage cans are located in the parking lot on Highway 5. The trails, due to their sandy composition, are not recommended for wheelchair access. An old road, located at the south end of the parking lot, is suitable for wheelchair use and offers good views of the area.

Pit or flush toilets

This park has one pit toilet located in the parking lot on Highway 5.

About this park

Cultural heritage

While recognized as part of the traditional territories of the Shuswap Nation (North Thompson Band) and the Carrier Nation (L’heidli T’enneh band), Jackman Flats Provincial Park has no known archaeological sites. It would, by its open and flat nature, have been well used by indigenous peoples to access the Fraser River drainage and its incredible salmon runs.

History

The adjacency of dry sand dunes and wet swamp areas make this area rich in biological diversity. Fire has played an active role in shaping the composition of species over time. While many of the park's sand dunes have been colonized by a variety of plant species and remain relatively intact, many are undergoing wind-induced change that constantly alters the composition and structure of the area.

The historic role that wildfire played in natural succession and diversity has been eliminated due to public safety issues. As a result of this lack of natural disturbance events, many lodgepole pine (Pinus-contorta) are now at an age class that makes them candidates for insect and disease events.

These disturbance events will shape the landscape and species composition of Jackman Flats in the future.

Conservation

The park lies within the Upper Fraser Trench (UFT) ecosection and is in the xeric (dry) site series of the sub-boreal (SBS dh) biogeoclimatic sub zone. The Robson Valley Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) recognized the provincial significance of the Jackman Flats area early on in the process by proposing to make it a Class A Provincial Park.

A rich mosaic of living things can be found here. Lichens, from common species to the extremely rare, mushrooms, mosses and a huge array of vascular plants thrive in this harsh yet inviting landscape. BC Parks has taken steps to protect the integrity of Jackman Flats by regulating access, relocating trails from sensitive areas and working with the locals to foster an understanding of the areas uniqueness. From a conservation perspective, Jackman Flats proves that “good things do indeed come in small packages.”

Wildlife

The dry, relatively open nature of Jackman Flats Provincial Park is not considered to be prime wildlife habitat, although it is recognized as important winter range. Caribou are no longer present in the valley bottom but in years gone by, they played an important role in the diversity and distribution of the area's many lichen species.

While the caribou have since called the higher elevations home, a number of species indicative to the west slopes of the Rocky Mountains can still be found in Jackman Flats Provincial Park. Birds in particular use the relatively open spaces and diversity of plant life in Jackman Flats. Many species can be found here throughout the seasons.

The sandy nature of Jackman Flats makes animal tracks quite apparent and one can easily determine a who’s who of the area’s species by observing tracks adjacent to the many walking trails.

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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