The 25,691 hectares of mountain wilderness that is Stone Mountain Park, introduces Alaska Highway travellers to spectacular landscapes and incredible wildlife viewing opportunities in the northern Rocky Mountains. For the more adventuresome, backcountry hiking routes lead to mountain valleys decorated with alpine meadows and lakes.
This park offers vehicle-accessible campsites on a first come, first served basis at the Summit Lake area of the park. Campsite reservations are not accepted. Camping fees are payable in cash only.
Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $20 per party per night |
BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $10 per senior party per night |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
Wilderness camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite. We encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead. Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary from park to park. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented.
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.
This park has a day-use and picnic area.
This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
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.
In Stone Mountain Park, several short hikes start from the Summit Lake Campground area.
A 5km round-trip hike leads through lodgepole pine forest to a spectacular view of the alpine area. Recommended only for fit individuals.
A short walk (just over one kilometre) leaves across from Rocky Crest Lake and leads to a view of several hoodoos.
A 5.7km round-trip hike to alpine lakes, alpine flowers and waterfalls.
For the more adventuresome, longer hikes lead into the backcountry of Stone Mountain Park and Wokkpash area (now part of the Northern Rocky Mountains Park). Only experienced backpackers with map and compass skills and proper equipment should attempt to hike these routes. Anyone planning a backcountry trip to Stone Mountain Park or Wokkpash area should obtain and carry the appropriate topographical maps. This area is covered by maps 94K/7 and 94K/10 at a 1:50,000 scale.
Trailhead is located near kilometre 632 of the Alaska Highway across from Baba Canyon, 3km west of Rocky Crest Lake. Plan to spend two to five days on this 35km hike.
The best of both the Wokkpash and Stone Mountain Park can be explored on a 70km loop trek that can be hiked in five to seven days. The recommended start point is the Old Churchill Mine Road at km 645.25 of the Alaska Highway. Cross the MacDonald Creek and travel 17km down the road to the trailhead.
The trail follows Wokkpash Creek, then travels up through trees above Wokkpash Gorge and reaches Forlorn Creek. From here, follow Wokkpash Creek to travel around the east side of Wokkpash Lake to Plug Creek. Follow the trail markers and cairns to the pass behind Whitestone Ridge, follow the valley on the east side of Whitestone Ridge to Last Call Lake, then down alongside MacDonald Creek. The trail exits at Babba Canyon near km 632 of the Alaska Highway.
For information on hiking excursions offered by private companies, see Tetsa River Outfitters.
Anglers can try their luck for mountain whitefish, rainbow and lake trout at Summit Lake or for arctic grayling along MacDonald Creek. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
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.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Stone Mountain 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.
Stone Mountain Park offers opportunities for backcountry horseback riding. Riders should be experienced and prepared for wilderness travel, as there are no designated trails.
The park is open to hunting. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for more information. For information on hunting excursions offered by private companies, see Tetsa River Outfitters.
Located at kilometre 595 of the Alaska Highway, roughly 140 kilometres west of Fort Nelson.
This park proudly operated by:
Kootenay Forest Services Ltd.
For information concerning the campground:
kootenayforestservices@gmail.com
250-776-7000
Conservation
Stone Mountain Park provides representation of the Eastern Muskwa Ranges ecosection. The Muskwa Ranges of the northern Rocky Mountains contain complex folds, wide U-shaped valleys and rugged peaks of Paleozoic limestone and quartzite. In comparison to the southern Rocky Mountains, the older Muskwa Ranges show evidence of more complex, tectonic deformation during their uplifting and development over 50 million years ago. Throughout Stone Mountain, there are examples of tilted sedimentary strata, folds, faults and synclines. Valley bottoms in the headwaters of MacDonald Creek are characterized by vertical beds which protrude through scree less resistant to erosion.
A more localized sub-range of the Muskwas, the Stone Range represents a heavily eroded and horizontally-bedded landscape typical to northern portion of the park. Mt. St. Paul at 2127m is composed of layered sedimentary rock, mostly seabed dolomite, laid down in Devonian times and raised along with the rest of the area approximately 80 to 90 million years ago.
The topography of Stone Mountain Park is steep, with elevations ranging from 1200m to 2500m. Elevations within the park exceed 2300m only in the southern potion of the MacDonald Creek headwaters. Mt. St. Magnus at 2550m serves as a southern boundary marker and represent the highest mountain in the park.
Glaciation has been responsible for forming the present-day landscape. A large ice sheet extended over the park and scoured the lower peaks of the Stone Range. The U-shaped MacDonald valley illustrates one of the many ice valleys in the area. As glacial ice melted, the area of Summit Lake received an immense deposition of gravel and boulders; this was followed by an intense period of fluvial erosion. As a result, major outwash plains were formed in the headwaters of the North Tetsa River. Five distinct terrace levels indicate the intensity of fluvial action that scoured this particular portion of the park.
Runoff is a dominant hydrological process in Stone Mountain due to steep slopes, little soil and vegetation and the amount of rainfall. A variety of water bodies and kettle holes scattered throughout the park are recharged by spring meltwater and summer rains. Deep canyons trace the flow of intermittent creeks.
Summit Lake is the largest water body in the park. The deep blue waters are recharged annually by snow melt and precipitation. West of the pass lies Rocky Crest Lake, a small sub-alpine lake. Between these two lakes, a broad wetland marks the divide between the watersheds of the Tetsa-Muskwa and Racing-Toad River systems. Although the Tetsa River drains to the east and the Toad to the west, both river ultimately run into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River.
A unique outwash plain formation lies in the headwaters of the North Tetsa River, southeast of Mt. St. George. A series of stepped terraces record the catastrophic drainage pattern which occurred during the later stages of the glacial retreat. As Summit Lake was blocked by ice and debris, outwash from the retreating MacDonald valley glacier escaped south of Mt. St. George carrying glacial drift down the valley of the North Tetsa. Water erosion, caused by the melting ice-front in the Tetsa headwaters, quickly carved an intricate pattern of channels thorough the newly deposited till.
Due to its mountainous location, Stone Mountain Park supports only two biogeoclimatic zones. The subalpine spruce/willow/birch zone contains open forests of mainly white spruce and subalpine fir. A stand of lodgepole pine north of Summit Lake Campground, is indicative of a wildfire which probably occurred during the construction of the Alaska Highway. Above 1500m lies the alpine tundra zone. Scrub birch and willow species are found along wet areas, and grasses and alpine flowers occur in areas that have enough soil to support them.
On shady sites in upland locations, small basins of alpine muskeg occur. These boggy areas are accumulations of moss layers that have grown in successive layers over glacial till. When walked upon, the ground of these areas feels soft and spongy. Please be careful and avoid these areas, as they are very sensitive to trampling and major disturbance. Alpine meadows host the southern limit of the Lapland rosebay shrub. This small shrub is from the rhododendron genus and bears showy clusters of bright rose-purple flowers. Unlike other rhododendrons, the Lapland rosebay grows on calcium-rich soils.
Wildlife
Few fur-bearing mammals inhabit Stone Mountain Park. High elevations and harsh winter conditions limit the range of many species. Squirrel, hoary marmot and chipmunk are the more observable species. Other species known to occur include grizzly and black bear, wolf, coyote, lynx, marten, fisher and beaver. Populations of caribou, stone sheep and mountain goat winter in the park. Caribou and stone sheep are visible along the highway. Please reduce speeds and watch for wildlife when travelling the Alaska Highway. Other ungulates that use the park in summer include mule deer and elk. Summit and Rocky Crest Lakes are congregation areas for migratory birds. Raptors, such as golden eagles, can be seen circling the skies. Many other avian species occur, but have not been recorded. Ptarmigan are a common sight above treeline.
Summit Lake offers angling opportunities to visitors. The lake has been stocked in past years with rainbow and lake trout and mountain fish are also present. Summit Lake is a low productivity lake, with fish exhibiting slow growth and late maturation. As a result, fish populations are easily overfished. Please be prudent and refer to the current BC Environment Fishing Regulations Synopsis. Arctic grayling and bull trout can be found in MacDonald Creek.
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.