Park overview
Spanning Spatsizi Plateau and the Skeena Mountains in northwestern B.C., Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park, is one of Canada’s largest parks. It offers visitors outstanding scenery and varied terrain. It is an excellent destination for backcountry hiking, photography, and nature study.
This park has significant ecological value and supports a large wildlife population. Surrounded by the park, Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve, provides a protected area in which wildlife and plants flourish. This allows for scientific research in an environment with very low human impact.
Parks and ecological reserves have different rules. For more information, see the Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve page.
Advisories
Safety info
There are extremely limited facilities in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. The only BC Parks facilities in the park are at Cold Fish Lake Camp and some very rustic backcountry campgrounds. There are also private guide outfitter camps throughout the park.
Before your visit, leave a trip plan with a reliable person. Bring a satellite communication device (for example, SPOT, InReach, or a satellite phone) and a survival kit. Make sure you know how to use your satellite communication device to reach help in an emergency.
Cold weather, which may include rain and snow, is common throughout the summer months. Appropriate clothing and equipment are essential.
Stay safe in bear country
- Use a personal bear-proof container or a bear-cache to store food, scented items, and anything else that may attract bears
- Take extra care to securely store potential bear attractants at night and when you are away from your camp
- Cook meals and store food and other attractants at least 50 m away from your sleeping area
- Always carry bear deterrents, such as bear spray and bear bangers, and make sure you know how to use them
- Never approach or feed any bears you encounter, and always stay at least 200 m away from them
- If hunting, protect meat using bear hangs or non-destructive measures such as portable electric fences (a meat cache is provided at Cold Fish Lake Camp)
- Report wildlife encounters or aggressive behaviours to the BC Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers and Polluters line, 1-877-952-7277
For more information on staying safe in bear country, see the bears section of the wildlife safety page.
Special notes
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
- To protect Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park’s sensitive ecosystems, ATVs, and other motorized land vehicles, are not allowed in the park
Motorboats
- From spring break (typically late March) until September 1, no motorboating is allowed on the Spatsizi River upstream of Hyland Post
- At other times, we ask motorboat users to be aware of and courteous to people in kayaks, canoes, and rafts
- Please boat safely, give appropriate right-of-way, and carry all mandatory safe-boating equipment
For information on canoeing and kayaking opportunities, please visit the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park: Canoeing page.
Aircraft
In specific conditions, airplanes may be permitted to land in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. Whenever landing aircraft, take extreme care to preserve the park’s extraordinary landscape and ecosystem.
When flying or landing, keep your distance from all wildlife. Maintain a 500 m vertical or 1,500 m line-of-sight distance. Use terrain-masking techniques where the weather conditions make this impossible.
Take-offs and landings are not allowed in sensitive areas throughout Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park.
Landings may be allowed on some sensitive bodies of water if you have a letter of authorization. To get authorization, contact the area supervisor at 1-250-771-4591, extension 1. You need authorization to land on:
- Happy Lake
- Metsantan Lake
- Spatsizi River upstream of Hyland Post
- The unnamed lake west of Tuaton Mountain
(map sheet 104H/8 UTM 481-489) - The unnamed lake west of Buckinghorse Lake
(map sheet 104H/17 UTM 241-498)
Any commercial air charter must hold a valid park-use permit to land on water or ground within BC Parks. Three air charter companies are currently permitted to land in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park:
- Alpine Lakes Air, Tyhee Lake near Telkwa, 1-250-846-9488
- BC Yukon Air, Dease Lake, 1-250-771-3232
- Klappan Air, Kluachon Lake near Iskut, 1-250-234-3020
The airstrip at Cold Fish Lake Camp is unmaintained. Avoid this airstrip except in emergencies.
For information on using aircraft in BC Parks, see these parts of the Park, Conservancy, and Recreation Area Regulation:
- Section 27 (1)
- Section 27 (2)
- Schedule A
Camping
There are six very rustic campgrounds scattered throughout Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. These are available on a first come, first served basis. They offer extremely limited facilities. Depending on the campground, facilities may include a fire ring, a pit toilet, a food cache, and areas to pitch tents.
Rustic campgrounds on the Upper Stikine River Canoe Route:
- Tuaton Lake
- Fountain Rapids
- Chapea Rapids
- Beggerlay Canyon
Rustic campgrounds on the Eaglenest Creek Hiking Route:
- Ram Creek
- MacDonald Camp
Cold Fish Lake Camp
There are six cabins at Cold Fish Lake Camp in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. These cabins are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The camp includes a cookhouse and a shower.
The cookhouse and the shower are both available for public use. The cookhouse offers tap water and a propane stove. It is stocked with basic kitchen supplies such as dishes, utensils, pots, and pans.
Fees
| Full use of cabin and facilities per person | $20 per night |
|---|---|
| Full use of cabin and facilities per family (parents with children under 16) | $35 per night |
| Use of cookhouse and shower only per person | $10 per night |
| Firewood | $20 per wheelbarrow load |
Safety and responsible recreation
- Always boil or otherwise treat the cookhouse’s tap water before drinking or cooking with it.
- This is a user-maintained facility. Please clean your cabin before leaving and always clean the cookhouse after use.
- Store all food at the cookhouse, in the rodent-proof boxes provided. Never take food, or anything that might attract wildlife, into a sleeping cabin.
- There are no garbage facilities at the campground. Please pack out everything you pack in.
- To keep campers safe, shooting is not allowed within 1 km of the Cold Fish Lake Camp.
- Hunters must store all meat and animal parts in the provided meat cache, to avoid attracting large carnivores.
Park hosts
Park hosts are on-site to provide visitor information and safety advice. Are you interested in volunteering at Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park in the summer? Visit the volunteer with BC Parks page for more information.
Wilderness camping is allowed in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. The term ‘wilderness camping’ refers to camping in a backcountry area with no facilities. Other backcountry camping areas in the park offer some very basic facilities. For information on these, see backcountry camping and cabins and huts, above.
When wilderness camping, please take extra care to follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. For more information, see our backcountry guide.
Facilities
Lakes and streams in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park can be used as sources of drinking water. You should always purify water from these sources before using it. The tap water at Cold Fish Lake Camp must also be treated before use.
You may light a campfire in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park if you observe the following responsible campfire practices. Only light a fire if necessary and when you are sure it will not cause environmental damage.
Keep your campfire as small as possible. Always use a fire ring if one is provided at your campground. Carry a camping stove and use this to prepare food, rather than cooking with a campfire.
At Cold Fish Lake Camp, use only the firewood provided and contain your fire in a woodstove or fire ring. If you must make a fire elsewhere in the park, please use dead wood only.
For more information on campfires in the backcountry, see the campfire safety section of the responsible recreation page. Also, learn more about how to prevent wildfires on the camping and day-use guide page.
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.
This park only has pit toilets. There are no flush toilets. Please bring your own toilet paper.
There is a shower with on-demand hot water at Cold Fish Lake Camp. This is available for public use.
Activities
There are many hiking opportunities in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. For detailed information on hiking trails, see the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park: Hiking page.
The trail leading into the park along the BC Rail grade is inaccessible due to a washout at the 30 km point.
Hiking safety
Remember that these are remote backcountry trails, and they are not frequently maintained or travelled. The trails can be very challenging, especially during bad weather conditions.
For an up-to-date trail conditions report, contact the BC Parks Stikine Area Supervisor at 1-250-771-4591, extension 1.
Only attempt hiking in this park if you are in good physical condition. Bring all the equipment required for a strenuous backcountry hike. Obey posted signs and keep to designated trails.
For more information on the equipment and skills required for wilderness hiking, see our backcountry guide.
Canoeing is one of the most popular activities in this park. For more information, see the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park: Canoeing page. Many visitors choose to fly a canoe or pack raft into Cold Fish Lake. For information on flying into this park, see the special notes section, above.
There are no boats available for public use at Cold Fish Lake Camp.
Fish are often abundant in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park. Rainbow trout, lake trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic grayling, mountain whitefish, and burbot are the most common gamefish species.
You need a licence to fish in this park. We advise getting one online before you come to the area. There is extremely limited internet access on the Highway 37 corridor. Please conserve your catch and only keep what you intend to eat.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park offers many opportunities to view a variety of birds, furbearers, and other animals. For information on safely observing wild animals, see the wildlife viewing section of the wildlife safety page.
Horseback riding is allowed in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park under certain conditions. You must get a letter of authorization for horseback riding before coming to the park.
To request authorization, contact the BC Parks Stikine Area Supervisor at 1-250-771-4591, extension 1. If there is no answer, please leave a detailed message including your contact information and the dates of your planned visit.
Horses must be fed only with certified weed-free pellets for 72 hours before entering the park and throughout your stay. This helps minimize the spread of invasive species.
If you wish to hunt within Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park, read the provincial Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis. Additionally, you must strictly observe the following rules and regulations:
- Shooting is forbidden within 1 km of Cold Fish Lake Camp and hunting is forbidden in Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve
- Hunting of moose, caribou, mountain sheep, and mountain goat is allowed by limited entry hunting authorization only
- At Cold Fish Lake Camp, do not salt or store meat or other animal parts anywhere other than in the meat cache
For more information on hunting regulations in British Columbia, see our fishing and hunting guide.
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park is approximately 500 km north of Smithers. The best way to access the park is by float plane. For details, please see the special notes section, above.
Park and activity maps
- Park map [PDF] (Updated June 2008)
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: December 3, 1975
- Size: 698,659 hectares
Nature and culture
Cultural heritage
The area now known as Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park has been heavily used by the Tahltan Nation for many generations. It is still culturally significant for the Tahltan Nation. Archaeological finds (including obsidian, tools, and other artifacts) must be left in place and reported to BC Parks or the Tahltan Central Government.
History
This area is the traditional hunting ground of the Tahltan First Nation. It was seldom visited by outsiders before 1926. That year, the Hyland brothers established a post to trade with Indigenous fur trappers.
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park was named for a Tahltan term meaning ‘red goat’. This term describes the area’s mountain goats who have a habit of rolling in dust coloured red by iron oxide.
In 1948, Tommy and Marion Walker began to operate their hunting guide outfitting business in the area. They hired indigenous people from Caribou Hide to work as guides and wranglers.
By the late 1950s, the Walkers and other guide outfitters in the area collaborated as part of a research group. This eventually became the Spatsizi Association for Biological Research (SABR).
The SABR involved researchers, the B.C. government, and the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia. Its goal was to conduct research necessary to managing and preserving large-mammal ecosystems.
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park was established on December 3, 1975. The park was established to protect a large enough portion of the landscape to keep these ecosystems intact.
Conservation
The park spreads across two broad regions: the Spatsizi Plateau and the Skeena Mountains. The plateau ranges in elevation from 1,600 m to 2,000 m. It extends in a broad curve broken by wide valleys. The Skeena Mountains dominate the northwest, with Mount Will towering over Gladys Lake.
Surrounded by the park, an area just south of Cold Fish Lake, is designated as Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve. This was created for the study of Stone’s sheep and mountain goats in an undisturbed habitat. You can hike into the reserve to view these animals.
Activities like harvesting, hunting, and camping are not allowed in Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve.
Wildlife
Parts of Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park support large wildlife populations. Relatively shallow snow in the rain shadow of the Eaglenest Range creates one of B.C.’s most important woodland caribou habitats.
The Spatsizi River Valley is an excellent moose habitat. Its many flooded areas and oxbow ponds provide aquatic vegetation, which moose forage in the summer. During the winter, they browse the valley’s willow flats.
Grizzly and black bears, wolverines, beaver, hoary marmot, and Arctic ground squirrels are abundant. Over 140 bird species have been spotted, including gyrfalcons, Smith’s longspurs, and American Golden Plovers.
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.