Redfern-Keily Park

Highlights in this park

Redfern-Keily Park contains some of the most scenic landscapes in the Northern Rocky Mountains and provides backcountry tourism opportunities on an international level. Lush alpine meadows, forested valley bottoms, serrated peaks, glaciers, waterfalls and large valley lakes dominate this mountainous landscape.

Alpine tundra in the upper elevations provide wide open vistas of the surrounding mountains and excellent ridge walking. The glacial features at the Northern end of the park are magnificent. Hidden wonders such as natural arches can be found as long as you are willing to explore and Redfern Lake itself is an impressive sight reflecting the surrounded Rocky Mountain peaks.

The brilliant blue colours of Redfern, Fairy and Trimble Lakes are one of the park’s most outstanding features. Redfern Lake, about eight km long and one km wide is glacier-fed and surrounded by a narrow band of boreal forest, talus slope, alpine meadow, and rugged peaks with small glaciers. Keily Creek contains old growth spruce, and the Besa River has important hoodoos below Mount Dopp.

Abundant wildlife makes the area attractive to hunters; guide/outfitters provide a wide range of services and opportunities for visitors. Fishing, boating, camping, and hiking are also popular. River rafting, kayaking and canoeing out to the Alaska Highway is possible along the Besa/Prophet Rivers or the Sikanni Chief River (although on the latter, the falls must be portaged).

Know before you go

Advisories

Safety information

Be prepared for any weather conditions while visiting the park, you are in an isolated area and weather can change rapidly.
Avalanche training is strongly recommended for any winter recreational activities in the park. If you plan to snowmobile in Redfern-Keily Park you need to be prepared with emergency equipment as it is an isolated area and distances are great.
Carry extra snowmobile fuel. The Redfern Lake Trail is approximately 80 km, starting at the Alaska Highway. The Sikanni River Trail is approximately 32 km from the Alaska Highway to Trimble Lake.
Pack out what you pack in.
Bring your own drinking water. Potable water is not available at the park.
The public cabin at Redfern Lake is available on a first come, first served basis, so be prepared to camp outside.
Grizzly and black bears may be encountered within the park. Please be bear aware, and learn how to stay safe in bear country.

Special notes

Motorized and Biking Access

ORVs using the Redfern Lake Trail are restricted to machines weighing no more than 750 kg and must stay within 10 m of the route. Public Access Prohibition Regulation Sec. 2, ( Wildlife Act ). Map MK 2018 [PDF].
ORV access along the Sikanni River Trail does not extend into the park. Primitive campsites are found along both trails. There are approximately 26 sites along the Redfern Lake trail, of which seven are located within the park.
Mountain bike and e-bike use is restricted to locations where ORVs are allowed (i.e. can only access the park via the Redfern Lake Trail)
Snowmobile access is permitted within the Nature Recreation Winter Zone during the snowmobiling season from Nov 1 to Apr 15. All other areas in the park are closed to snowmobiles.

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

Redfern-Keily Park Zoning Map [PDF]
Google Earth KMZ file of Redfern-Keily Park Winter Recreation Zoning [KMZ]
The following GPX files of Redfern-Keily Park Zoning can be used with a global positioning system (GPS)
- Wilderness Recreation Zone — no snowmobile use [GPX]
- Nature Recreation Winter Zone — snowmobile use allowed November 1 to April 15 [GPX]

Getting there

Redfern-Keily is located in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, 80 km west of the Alaska Highway, approximately 250 km northwest of Fort St. John. It includes Redfern, Fairy and Trimble Lakes and the alpine basins and icefields of the Besa River and Keily Creek watersheds.

Camping

Backcountry camping

Primitive campsites are found along both the Nevis Creek/Besa River trail and the Sikanni Chief River/Trimble Lake Trail. There are approximately 26 sites along the Redfern Lake trail, of which seven are located within the park.

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

Cabins and huts

A BC Parks cabin located on the north east side of Redfern Lake is open to the public and free of charge. This cabin, which is maintained by the snowmobile club has several bunk beds, a woodstove and table. A pit toilet is conveniently located behind the cabin.

The cabin can accommodate approximately six to eight people comfortably and is open throughout the year. It is on a first come, first served basis, people need to be prepared to camp outside in the event that the cabin is full. Please keep this cabin clean and in good shape for the next visitor.

Winter camping

Winter camping is available. Access in winter is via snowmobile. As described above, a BC Parks cabin located on the north east side of Redfern Lake is open to the public and free of charge. The cabin is maintained by the local snowmobile club. Please keep it clean and in good shape for the next visitor.

Things to do

Hiking

This park has hiking and walking trails. Two trail systems provide access into Redfern-Keily Park.

The first, Redfern Lake Trail, follows Nevis Creek and the Besa River to Redfern Lake. The second trail follows the Sikanni Chief River to Trimble Lake. A third trail links Trimble Lake to the Besa River, completing a loop.

Both trails are open to snowmobiles, horses, hikers, and dog sleds; however, motorized vehicles, mountain bikes, and e-bikes can only access the park via the Redfern Lake Trail. Motorized access along the Sikanni River trail does not extend into the park. Primitive campsites are found along both trails. There are approximately 26 sites along the Redfern Lake trail, of which seven are located within the park.

Canoeing

River rafting, kayaking and canoeing out to the Alaska Highway is possible along the Besa/Prophet Rivers or the Sikanni Chief River (although on the latter, the falls must be portaged).

Fishing

Redfern Lake is 539 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 81 metres. Lake trout, lake whitefish, pygmy whitefish, and rainbow trout are resident to the lake and its associated streams.

Fairy Lake is 151 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 56 metres. Rainbow trout are the only residents of this high elevation lake. Trimble Lake is 314 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 34 metres. Arctic grayling, bull trout, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout are resident to the lake.

Please consult the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis for fishing information.

Visitors to the area in winter can ice fish on Redfern, Trimble or Fairy Lake. Due to the cold temperatures, the ice freezes extremely thick making it quite the workout just to drill a hole (unless you have a power auger).

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

Wildlife viewing

Views abound! The journey up the valley to Redfern Lake is surrounded by spectacular peaks, flowing rivers and wildlife. At Redfern Lake a good day hike can be had up to Fairy Lake which is surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of high Rocky Mountain peaks. Glaciers to the north of the lake glitter a deep blue. In the fall, the autumn colours dominate the landscape.

Through Sikanni Lake, keep an eye out for bison which, although not natural to the area, have made it their home and have multiplied in number. They are large and gregarious, so if you see one, chances are you will see dozens more. Other note worthy species of wildlife common to the area are moose, stone sheep, caribou, and of course the predators that follow them, such as wolves, black and grizzly bear, lynx, and wolverine.

Pets on leash

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.

Cycling

Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.

Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Redfern-Keily Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.

Horseback riding

Horses are a traditional way to travel in the area; however, horses’ hooves each exert over 1,500 psi of pressure every time they hit the ground, which can greatly impact trails and campsites. Review the Horse Riders’ Backcountry Ethics adapted for Redfern-Keily Park to reduce impacts to the environment and keep the park accessible to riders in years to come.

Hunting

The park is open to hunting. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis.

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

Winter recreation

Cross-country skiing can be done in many locations within the park. One of the better areas is along the shore of either Redfern or Fairy lake. No tracks are set and the trail up to Fairly lake is steep. There are no defined snowshoeing trails, however, there are numerous multi-use trails in the vicinity of Redfern Lake which can all be snowshoed.

Snowmobiling into Redfern Lake is by far the most common form of access into the area. There are two routes which can be used to access the area: the Redfern Lake Trail and the Sikanni River Trail. Snowmobiling is allowed in the Nature Recreation Winter Zone from November 1 until April 15.

The area is subject to extremely cold winter conditions. Visitors to this area are reminded to be prepared. Temperatures of -40°C and colder are a reality in this area and the temperature can drop dramatically from one valley to another. The BC Parks cabin located on the north east side of the lake is a good shelter to keep the frost off.

Facilities

Campfires

Use of local vegetation is only allowed if it is already dead and fallen. Please keep campfires small.

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

Cultural heritage

Redfern-Keily Park overlaps with the traditional use areas of the Kaska Dena, Slavey, Beaver and Sekani cultures of the Lower Post, Fort Nelson, Prophet River and Halfway River First Nations.

History

The area was historically used for hunting and trapping and supplied fur to the Hudson’s Bay Company outposts in Fort St. John and Hudson’s Hope. Knox McCusker, a dominion land surveyor, measured the snowfields of the Ulysses group in 1932. The Bedeaux expedition camped at Redfern Lake in 1934 on their search for an east-west passage through the Rocky Mountains. Portions of the Bedeaux Expedition trail still exist in the park.

Efforts to protect this area have been underway since 1969 when a recreation reserve was placed around Redfern and Fairy Lakes. Redfern Lake, often referred to as the “Lake Louise of the north,” was designated as an Area of Interest to the Protected Areas Strategy in July 1993. The Fort St. John Land and Resource Management Plan (1997) later confirmed the importance of protected status for this area.

Conservation

Representing the Muskwa Foothills and Eastern Muskwa Ranges ecosections, Redfern-Keily Park is a diverse 80,712 hectare area of serrated alpine peaks, glaciers, waterfalls, large valley lakes, rounded ridges and alpine meadows. The area contains important habitat for a number of large mammal species including mountain goat, stone sheep, elk, caribou, moose and grizzly bear. Important fish habitat is also protected in the park’s many rivers and lakes which support populations of bull trout, rainbow trout and grayling.

Wildlife

The habitat protected in Redfern-Keily Provincial Park supports numerous large and small species of wildlife. Wolves, grizzly bears, lynx and other predators freely range throughout the park’s many wide valley meadows and forested areas. Caribou, stone sheep, moose and other herbivores can also be found in abundance. Several of the species found in this park area also identified as either endangered, threatened or vulnerable. These species include:

Small-flowered willowherb (provincial blue list)
Hornemanns willowherb (provincial blue list)
Smooth draba (provincial blue list)
Jordal’s locoweed (provincial blue list)
Porslide’s draba (provincial blue list)
Marsh felwort (provincial blue list)
Grizzly bear (provincial blue list)

Sensitive species and habitats found within the park include:

Mountain goat
Free roaming herd of Plains bison (escaped from an imported herd)
Stone sheep habitat
Elk habitat
Caribou habitat
Moose habitat
Fur bearers
Wolf

Other important species found in the park include:

White-tailed deer
Mule deer
Black bear

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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