Protected area overview
Pitman River Protected Area provides important wildlife habitat to moose, grizzly bears, caribou and several fish species. It is a key wildlife corridor, providing connectivity to high value habitat in adjacent areas. The high wildlife values provide a setting for a rich native and non-native history. Visitors to the Pitman River often come by jet-boat via the Stikine River to hunt for moose in this remote wilderness park.
Advisories
Safety info
- Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park.
- There are no developed trails in this park.
Special notes
- A Letter of Permission is required for individuals or groups who wish to use horses within Pitman River Protected Area. To obtain a Letter of Permission, please contact the BC Parks Stikine Area Office at 250-771-4591. If there is no answer, please leave a detailed message stating your request for a letter of Permission, your name, contact information and the date you wish to visit the park. BC Parks will return the call as soon as possible.
- Only permitted air charter companies are authorized to fly into Pitman River Protected Area.
- Permitted Air Charter Companies for Pitman River Protected Area:
- Alpine Lakes Air Ltd.
Float plane base located on Tyhee Lake near Telkwa, B.C. 250-846-9488
- Alpine Lakes Air Ltd.
Camping
Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
Facilities
Fires should be used sparingly, as they are among the most serious visual impacts in the backcountry. Always carry a stove. Use it for most if not all of your cooking needs and only build a fire when it is safe and will not cause further damage or deplete wood supplies.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil. For more information on campfires in the backcountry, click here.
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.
Activities
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
A Letter of Permission is required for individuals or groups who wish to use horses within Pitman River Protected Area. To obtain a Letter of Permission, please contact the BC Parks Stikine Area Office at 250-771-4591. If there is no answer, please leave a detailed message stating your request for a Letter of Permission, your name, contact information and the date you wish to visit the park. BC Parks will return the call as soon as possible.
Hunting is permitted within Pitman River Protected Area. Please refer to current BC Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis for seasons and bag limits.
The Protected Area covers a corridor along the Pitman River to where it joins with the Stikine River Park. Access via the Stikine is possible by jet-boat, canoe or kayak or by float plane.
Learn more about this protected area
Protected area details
- Date established: January 25, 2001
- Size: 16,316 hectares
Nature and culture
History
Europeans first visited the area of the Stikine Country Protected Areas in 1824 and in the following year, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Russian American Company claimed areas for trapping.
The search for gold began in 1861, and by 1878 most of the Stikine River drainage had been explored. From 1896 to 1902, Andrew J. Stone conducted expeditions into the Cassiar to collect specimens for the American Museum of Natural History. With his announcements of the discovery of several “new” species of sheep and caribou, the area became a destination for hunters.
Local First Nations worked as hunting guides and camps were set up throughout the region. Scientists began studying the significant wildlife values in the area in the 1950s and with the efforts of Tommy Walker, Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park was designated in 1975.
Pitman River Protected Area was designated by the Provincial Government in 2001 following recommendations on the Cassiar Iskut-Stikine Land and Resource Management Plan.
Cultural Heritage
Pitman River lies within the asserted traditional territories of the Tahltan First Nations, Kaska Dena Council and Carrier Sekani Tribal Council. Although archaeological studies have not been done in the park, it is likely to contain archaeological sites because high wildlife values would have attracted native and non-native usage.
Conservation
Pitman River Protected Area is within the Cassiar Ranges Ecosection and the Southern Boreal Plateau Ecosection.
Wildlife
Pitman River contributes to a network of parks in the Stikine area which provide habitat to a wide range of animals. Three blue-listed species whose habitat is protected in the protected area are the wolverine, the fisher and the grizzly bear.
The whole protected area is considered high value habitat for caribou, while significant wetland moose habitat is found along the river, which also provides good quality grizzly habitat. Mountain goats and Stone’s sheep are found in the upper elevations. Other species found in the park include wolf, black bear, lynx, coyote, red fox, marten and minx.
The Stikine, Chuckachida and Pitman River Parks represent the only fully protected area in B.C. enclosing contiguous streams, large rivers and lakes believed to support bull trout in the full diversity of its life histories. Other fish species found in the Protected Area waters include Dolly varden and char, while rainbow trout and arctic grayling are likely to be found but have not been confirmed.
Pitman River Protected Area is a key wildlife corridor, providing connectivity to high value habitat in adjacent areas.
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.