Snowy Protected Area

Highlights in this protected area

Snowy Protected Area was established on April 18, 2001, to provide increased representation of the Okanagan Ranges ecosection. This is a remote area with no facilities.

The area also protects a wide range of vegetation and wildlife from dry grassland valleys to extensive alpine meadows and supports a provincially significant herd of California bighorn sheep.

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

Located 30 km southwest of Keremeos. The best place to access the Protected Area is from the Ewart Creek Trail head in Cathedral Park. To get to this trail head you turn left on the Ewart Creek Road off the Ashnola Road at about 5 km, cross over the Ashnola River and follow the road to the end. The trail leads from there, crosses over Ewart Creek and heads south on its eastern bank. The trail crosses back over the creek and then branches. Go left which takes you onto the south slopes of the protected area. There is no trail map available of the area but this trail does lead up above tree line. Remember this is pure wilderness with no facilities.

Camping

Cabins and huts

There are a number of cabins in this protected area. All cabins are either for approved permitted guide outfitters or First Nations use. At these cabins, you may encounter outfitters, cowboys, hunting, guiding or cattle grazing activities. The only public cabin at Joe Lake burnt down in the fall of 2015. Camping is still permitted in this location as a campsite.

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

This park has hiking and walking trails. The trails in this area are not marked or maintained. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.

Fishing

Fishing is available here.

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

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.

Horseback riding

The trails within this area are not marked or maintained.

Hunting

Hunting is allowed in this protected area. Please refer to the British Columbia Hunting & Trapping Regulations for the season openings and detailed information.

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

About this protected area

Conservation

The area protects habitat representative of the Okanagan Range Ecosection, the northern extension of a landscape more common in Washington State. Present in the area are old growth forests, extensive Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir grasslands and alpine wetlands and lakes. The entire Ewart Creek Watershed is protected.

Wildlife

The primary consideration of the protected area is the provincially significant California bighorn sheep herd. The species is blue listed in the province and the protected area contains important winter range and lambing grounds. Other rare wildlife found in the protected area includes blue-listed grizzly bear, Cascade mantled ground squirrel, fringed myotis, spotted bat and Townsend’s bat, and the red-listed badger and Pallid bat. Birds found in the area include the blue listed Sandhill crane and canyon wren and two red listed falcons, the Peregrine falcon and the prairie falcon.

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.

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