Skeena West. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Special notes
- There are no roads or trails in this wilderness area.
- There are no facilities in this conservancy.
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
Getting there
K’nabiyaaxl/Ashdown Conservancy is only accessible by boat and is located about 40 km south of Hartley Bay and 120 km southwest of Kitimat. Ashdown Island is located at the south end of Whale Channel, between Princess Royal Island, Gil Island and Campania Island.
- Reference: Marine Chart #3724 (Caamano Sound and Approaches).
- Reference: 1:50,000 scale Topographic Map #103 H/3 (Gil Island).
Kitimat Visitor Information Centre:
PO Box 214
2109 Forest Avenue
Kitimat, BC, Canada V8C 2G7
tourismkitimat.ca
info@tourismkitimat.ca
250-632-6294 or 1-800-664-6554
Camping
Wilderness camping
Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided. All sites are on a first come, first served basis.
When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, read our backcountry guide.
Winter camping
Things to do
Swimming is possible in the ocean, but the water is cold year-round.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
This conservancy is open to hunting during lawful hunting seasons. Please check the BC Hunting and Trapping Regulations for more information.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Facilities
Firewood is not provided. We encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of campfires and using campstoves instead.
If you must have a fire, please burn only dead and down wood, and be sure to fully extinguish the fire when done. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil so please use it conservatively, if at all.
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 conservancy
The conservancy is in the asserted traditional territories of the Gitga’at and Gitxaala First Nations. Use the below link for more information or to contact these First Nations.
- Gitga’at First Nation
- Gitxaala First Nation
PO Box 149
Kitkatla, B.C., V0V 1C0
Phone: 250-848-2214
Fax: 250-848-2238
K’nabiyaaxl/Ashdown Conservancy was designated as a conservancy on July 14, 2006 following recommendations from the North Coast Land and Resource Management Plan.
On February 13, 1950 an American B-36B “Peacemaker” bomber flying from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska to Fort Worth, Texas had three of its six engines catch fire. The crew bailed out over Princess Royal Island. The pilot was the last crewmember to bail out and landed in a shallow pond on Ashdown Island. The plane itself crashed on Mount Kologet in what is now Swan Lake/ Kispiox River Park.
The conservancy protects a whole coastal island containing undisturbed old growth forests of cedar and hemlock and coastal wildlife habitat, including the marine foreshore and intertidal areas.
Steller sea lions haul-out on the unvegetated rocks 400 metres northeast of McNeill Point. Humpback whales, killer whales, Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins and harbour seals can also be seen in the waters near Ashdown Island.
General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information
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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