Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands Park

Highlights in this park

Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands Park protects a provincially significant wetland complex with unique geological features. The wetlands formed in an earth-flow crater and evolved into a complex of raised acidic bogs.

In addition, the park protects the habitat for grizzly bears, one blue-listed plant species (bog adder’s-mouth orchid) and one blue-listed plant community (black cottonwood and red-osier dogwood). The wetlands also provide high value coho salmon and cutthroat trout rearing habitat.

Know before you go

Advisories

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

Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands Park is located about 10 km north of Kitimat, in a area east of Highway 37 and south of Nalbeelah Creek. There are old, narrow, overgrown logging roads leading into the park and access can be difficult. Use NTS Map Sheet #103 I/2.

Visitor Information Centre:

Kitimat Visitor Information Centre
PO Box 214
2109 Forest Avenue
Kitimat, BC, Canada V8C 2G7
http://www.tourismkitimat.ca/
Email: info@tourismkitimat.ca
Phone: 250-632-6294 or 1-800-664-6554

Camping

Wilderness camping

Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.

When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, read our backcountry guide.

Things to do

Hiking

For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails or old roads. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure. There are old, narrow, overgrown logging roads leading into the park and access can be difficult.

Canoeing

Canoers may enjoy exploring this park, however, access can be difficult.

Kayaking

Kayakers may enjoy exploring this park, however, access can be difficult.

Fishing

There are fishing opportunities in this park.

Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Hunting

The park is open to hunting. Please refer to the British Columbia Hunting 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

Campfires

Campfires are permitted, but 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 extinguish the fire fully. 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 park

History

Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands Park was designated as a park on May 20, 2004 following recommendations from the Kalum Land and Resource Management Plan.

Conservation

The Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands protect a provincially significant wetland complex with unique geological features, having formed in an earthflow crater. After earthflows occurred depressions were left at the landslide sites. Wetlands developed in areas where the depressions were lower than the permanent water table. These have since developed into a series of raised acidic bogs, formed from the gradual build-up of organic material. The sphagnum peat in the bog is between 2.3 and 4 m thick. This organic bog material has been carbon dated to determine the timing of the earthflows. The earthflows are thought to have occurred between 1500 and 2650 years ago.

One provincially blue-listed vascular plant has been reported in the Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands, the bog adder’s-mouth orchid (Malaxsis paludosa). Also, one provincially blue-listed plant community is reported in Nalbeelah Creek Wetland Park, the Black cottonwood / red-osier dogwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa / Cornus stolonifera).

Wildlife

Wetland habitats are very highly valued for grizzly bears. The wetlands also contain valuable rearing habitat for coho salmon and cutthroat trout. Nalbeelah Creek has been identified as having a chum salmon run that is at a high risk for extinction.

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