Park overview
Areas of undisturbed wetlands and patches of old-growth forests make this park particularly significant in the region. There are no roads, no camping or day-use facilities, and only a few trails, within the park.
Established Date: April 30, 1996
Park Size: 2,703 hectares
Special Features: Extensive wetland meadows complexes in Engelmann spruce- Sub- alpine Fir dry, cold subzone.
Special Notes:
- Motorized vehicles are prohibited in this area except snowmobiles in winter.
- This is a wilderness area with limited Park Ranger patrols. Visitors must be self-sufficient, and notify a responsible adult of anticipated date of return.
Stay Safe:
- If required, there is an old forestry lookout that serves as a shelter for emergency use. There are no other cabins, yurts or lodges for public use. The Kamloops Snowmobile Association has a trailer and a chalet located outside the park boundaries and is only for their private use.
- Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park.
- Camp stoves are recommended for cooking. No firewood is available and no fire rings are installed. If a campfire is required, please keep it small and ensure it is completely out before you leave. Only wood that is dead and lying on the ground can be used for campfires. Check for campfire bans before entering the backcountry. In some parks, campfires are not permitted at any time.
Advisories
Activities
Hunting is permitted only during lawful game hunting season. Check with Hunting and Trapping Synopsis for regulations.
Snowmobiling is allowed between December 15th and April 15th. In some years the opening date may be later to allow for a deeper snowpack. Please obey any closure signage.
Maps and location
At the southern end of Bonaparte Plateau, approximately 40 km northwest of Kamloops. The park is best accessed from the southeast via Watching Creek Forest Service Road.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: April 30, 1996
- Size: 2703 hectares
Nature and culture
- History: Established April 30, 1996 as a result of recommendations made in the Kamloops Land and Resource Management Plan.
- Cultural Heritage: An old Ministry of Forest lookout tower is located on the ridge. Historic pack-trail from Pass Lake to Porcupine Ridge was used by early surveyors. There is an 1828 Dominion Lands & Surveys marker on a rock beside the fire tower. Remnants of old Fruitlands Irrigation District trails are found around Carlo Lake.
- Conservation: Porcupine Meadows Park protects extensive subalpine wetlands and old-growth forests. These ecosystem features contribute special landscape representation significance within a system of six parks including Porcupine Meadows in the south and extending north through Tsintsunko, Bonaparte, High Lakes Basin, Emar Lakes and Taweel parks which, in combination, capture the biological diversity of the Northern Thompson Uplands Ecosection. The park is largely undisturbed and there is no cattle grazing.
- Wildlife: This park contains wetlands important to many wildlife species, including sandhill cranes. These wetlands are also attractive summer habitat for moose and mule deer.
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.