Omineca. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
- Be prepared for any weather conditions while visiting the park, you are in an isolated area and weather can change rapidly.
- Carry extra snowmobile fuel. It is approximately 100km to Kakwa Lake from the staging site.
- Bring your own drinking water. Potable water is not available at the park.
- The public cabin at Kakwa Lake is available on a first come, first served basis, so be prepared to camp outside.
Special notes
Kakwa Park, together with Kakwa Wildlands Park and Willmore Wilderness Park in Alberta, make up the first interprovincial park for B.C. and Alberta called “Kakwa Willmore Interprovincial Park.” Here is more information on the Alberta parks:
Access
While travelling on the Walker Creek Forest Service Road (FSR), attention is required to navigate the surface as it is uneven, rutted, slippery and very rough. The road is not recommended for anything other than a 4x4, high clearance vehicle, and drivers familiar with this type of vehicle operation.
Walker Creek access road condition up to Bastille Creek (km 75) varies. From Bastille Creek Bridge to Kakwa Lake is approximately 29km. Any commercial air charter must hold a valid Park Use Permit to land (on water or grounds) within BC Parks.
| Road Access | Vehicle Type / Bikes Permitted | |
|---|---|---|
| From BC | Walker Creek Forest Road to Bastille Creek | All motorized vehicles permitted (high clearance, 4x4 vehicles are best suited) Snowmobiles permitted December 1 to April 15 or 30. |
| Bastille Creek to Kakwa Park Boundary (Buchanan Creek) | Off-Road Vehicles (such as ATVs, or other ORVs as defined under the Off-Road Vehicle Act) Mountain bikes and all e-bikes (Class 1, 2, and 3) Snowmobiles permitted December 1 to April 15 or 30. | |
| Park Boundary to Kakwa Lake along the Tote Road | Mountain bikes and Class 1 e-bikes Snowmobiles permitted December 1 to April 15 or 30. | |
| Any other trail within the park | Hiking and some horseback riding No mountain bikes or e-bikes permitted | |
| From Alberta | Lick Creek to Kakwa Falls | All motorized vehicles permitted (high clearance, 4x4 vehicles are best suited) |
| Kakwa Falls to Park Boundary | Please refer to Alberta Parks | |
| Park Boundary to Kakwa Lake along the Tote Road | Hiking or horseback riding Snowmobiles permitted December 1 to April 15 or 30. | |
| Any other trail within the park | Hiking and some horseback riding No mountain bikes or e-bikes permitted | |
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
- Kakwa – Willmore Interprovincial Park [PDF]
- Park Map [PDF]
- Snowmobile Area Map [PDF]
- Google Earth KMZ file of Kakwa Park — Snowmobile Zoning [KMZ]
- The following GPX files of Kakwa Park can be used with a global positioning system (GPS):
Getting there
Kakwa Park is located approximately 70km north of McBride in British Columbia. It can be accessed from McBride in B.C., Grand Prairie in Alberta, or by air charter. The closest communities are McBride, Prince George and Valemount.
Camping
Backcountry camping
There are 12 wilderness campsites with pit toilets. The walk-in wilderness campsites are all available on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations are not accepted.
There are two areas at the south end of Kakwa Lake that have been designated for camping. One is for hiker traffic (west side of Wapumun Creek) and the other is for horse traffic (east side of Wapumum Creek). These sites each have a pit toilet.
During the winter season, campers may use the cabins but usage is on a first come, first served basis. Be prepared for winter conditions and to camp outside.
When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, read our backcountry guide.
Cabins and huts
There is one public use cabin located at Kakwa Lake (53°59’54.21"N 120°10’34.62"W) that will sleep approximately 10 people.
A second rustic public cabin exists at Jarvis Lakes (54° 5’34.19"N 120°13’32.08"W) that sleeps approximately 8 to 10 people.
Both cabins are available on a first come, first served basis year-round. If fully occupied, the public needs to be prepared to camp outside in a tent. Please keep the cabins clean and tidy.
There is also an emergency shelter located North of Buchanan Creek (53°53’49.68"N 120°17’49.30"W).
Things to do
A number of hiking routes exist within Kakwa Park, but these trails are unmarked and not maintained. 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.
Anglers must consult regulations and limit their catch in order to preserve angling opportunities in years to come. Kakwa and Cecilia Lake are closed to angling November 1 to April 30.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Wildlife species found in Kakwa include grizzly and black bear, caribou, moose, deer, elk, wolves, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat, wolverine, porcupine, and marten. For more information on staying safe, please view the wildlife safety page.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in park buildings. You are responsible for their behavior and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to potential wildlife issues.
Bicycles and Class 1 e-bikes are only permitted on the main hiking trail, which leads from the park boundary to the Kakwa Lake campsite on the BC side. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
Class 2 and 3 e-bikes are classified as motorized vehicles and are not permitted within the park boundary.
Horseback riding is permitted in Kakwa Park. There is an area at the south end of Kakwa Lake designated for horse traffic camping (east side of Wapumum Creek) with a pit toilet.
The creek is a crucial spawning creek for the rainbow trout that inhabit Kakwa Lake, and horses crossing along the creek would damage the spawning beds. Do not let horses swim in the lake in front of the cabin as this area is a source of drinking water for park visitors.
The park is user-maintained, please pack out what you have packed in. Please cooperate and keep the park pristine for future visitors.
There are free-climbing opportunities within the park. There are no formal routes established and visitors should be well prepared and have previous climbing experience.
Hunting is allowed in the park. Please check the BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for more information.
Firearms are not permitted in the provincial park unless during an open season specified under the Wildlife Act and anyone hunting must have a valid licence and appropriate species licence.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Visitors can backcountry ski and snowshoe along the trails in the park. Visitors should be trained in avalanche awareness.
Snowmobiling is a popular winter recreational use of the park from both B.C. and Alberta, mostly in the Kakwa and Cecilia Lakes areas. Popular snowmobiling areas are the watersheds of Babette, Cecilia and Kakwa Lakes, McGregor Pass, Mt. Ruth, Sheep Pass, Mt. Sir Alexander and there are many open ridges and meadows.
Areas open to snowmobiling are zoned as Nature Recreation Zones and snowmobiling is permitted during snowmobiling season from Dec 1 to April 15 or 30 each winter.
Subalpine and alpine areas used for snowmobiling often overlap with high-quality caribou habitat, and recreational activities may impact caribou survival and reproduction. If you encounter caribou during your adventures, please give them lots of space and leave the area. For more information on caribou recovery in this area, please see Caribou Recovery and Winter Recreation in the South Peace [PDF].
Overnight snowmobile users are restricted to the cabin at Kakwa Lake and should be aware that cabins are being used by BC Parks staff regularly. Users must supply their own wood for fuel from outside of the park. Snowmobile tent camps are not permitted in Kakwa Park.
There is no public access road into the park. In B.C., the Walker Creek Forest Road from Highway 16 currently provides access to the Bastille River at km 75, Bastille River is 10km away from the park boundary. From Grand Prairie, the 112km Kakwa River Forestry Road leads to the eastern boundary of Alberta’s Kakwa Wildland Park. Both approaches require long trips with no facilities and are only recommended for the most experienced snowmobilers. The role of the Kakwa Management Plan is to ensure that legitimate wilderness recreational snowmobiling occurs.
Avalanche training is strongly recommended for any winter recreational activities in the park. If you plan to snowmobile in Kakwa Park you need to be prepared with emergency equipment as it is an isolated area and distances are great.
Facilities
Open camp fires are not permitted. Bring a portable stove for cooking.
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.
This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
About this park
Wildlife species found in Kakwa include grizzly and black bear, caribou, moose, deer, elk, wolves, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat, wolverine, porcupine, and marten.
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.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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