Nilkitkwa Lake Park

Highlights in this park

Nilkitkwa Lake Park consists of two parcels of land about 3km apart, each within a bay of protected anchorage and gentle beaches. Water flows north through Nilkitkwa Lake, from Babine Lake and on to the Babine River.

The system of parks from Babine River through to Babine Lake provides fishing and boating recreational activities, with a range of rustic and developed campsites.

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

Nilkitkwa Lake Park lies approximately 100km north of Smithers. The park is accessed by following Babine Lake Road for 50km, then following the Nilkitkwa Forest Service Road for 41km, then taking the turn-off to Fort Babine. Access is then by boat via a boat launch at Fort Babine Lodge.

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

Canoeing

There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park.

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

Hunting is permitted in this park.

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

About this park

Cultural heritage

Nilkitkwa Lake Park lies within the asserted traditional territory of the Ned’u’ten (Lake Babine Nation) people. Residents of the nearby Wud’at community continue to the use area for food fishery and trapping. There are smokehouses at each of the bays which are used to prepare the fish caught in the area.

History

The two bays in Nilkitkwa Lake Park are long-standing park reserves for the use, recreation and enjoyment of the Public. In 1996, the Bulkley Land and Resource Management Plan recommended the sites be protected as part of the Babine Lake and Nilkitkwa Lake recreational boating system. The provincial government designated the sites as a class A provincial park in 1999.

Conservation

Nilkitkwa Lake Park is within the Babine Uplands Ecosection and protects an under-represented variant of the Sub-boreal Spruce biogeoclimatic zone.

Wildlife

Fish populations in the lake include rainbow trout and migrating salmonids such as sockeye and steelhead.

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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