Park overview
Spatsizi Headwaters Park was designated to protect the headwaters of the Spatsizi River, upper elevational glacial lakes and alpine meadows, and to provide hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Advisories
Special notes
- A Letter of Permission is required for individuals or groups who wish to use horses within Spatsizi Headwaters Park. 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.
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 and use it for most if not all of your cooking needs. 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. Click here for more information about campfires in the backcountry.
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.
Horses and horseback riding are permitted. 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.
The BCR railgrade passes within 3 km of the Spatsizi Headwaters Park. Foot or horse travel is possible along this grade which follows the Klappan River. Helicopter access is also possible.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: January 25, 2001
- Size: 427 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 natives 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.
The BCR railgrade that passes within 3km of the park was extended in the 1970’s to promote trade and resource development in the Cassiar region. The railway was not completed but the grade and a bridge across the Stikine were constructed and are used today by hikers, hunters and horseback riders.
Spatsizi Headwaters Park was designated by the Provincial Government in 2001 following recommendations on the Cassiar Iskut-Stikine Land and Resource Management Plan.
Cultural Heritage
Spatsizi Headwaters Park lies within the asserted traditional territories of the Tahltan First Nations and Carrier Sekani Tribal Council. The park is in an area of significant spiritual value for the Tahltan First Nation.
Conservation
Spatsizi Headwaters Park lies within the Eastern Skeena Mountains Ecosection and protects primarily an alpine area. Within the park upper elevational glacial lakes and alpine meadows are protected.
The park lies entirely within the Klappan Zone, an area deferred from harvesting for 15 years to observe how General Management Direction is addressing biodiversity, wildlife habitat, riparian ecosystems and recreation.
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.