Sugarbowl-Grizzly Den Park is located on Highway 16, approximately 95km east of Prince George and includes the Grand Canyon of the Fraser. This park protects a component of old growth interior cedar-hemlock, and provides excellent habitat for grizzly bear, martin and caribou. It is also an important caribou movement corridor. The area includes a developed trail system that offers popular alpine backcountry recreation opportunities close to Prince George.
Are you prepared to travel in the backcountry?
Trails and cabins are there for your enjoyment, but they are no substitute for preparation and awareness when traveling in the backcountry.
Every year, visitors get lost in the park, usually in the subalpine/alpine areas. It can be difficult to navigate, especially if when the weather is poor and fatigue sets in. Here are some simple things you can do as a visitor to help make your visit to the park a safe and enjoyable experience.
Wilderness and backcountry camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
There are also two designated backcountry camping tenting areas, one at Raven Lake, where tent pads are provided and one at Grizzly Den.
Random tenting is permitted throughout the park.
There are three cabins available in both summer and winter for the public’s overnight use:
The cabins are rustic. It is highly recommended to bring a camp stove and fuel.
Cabins are available for reservation through the PGBRS website. The public are asked to keep the cabins clean and restock the wood bin for the next group. Those wishing to use the cabins should be prepared to camp outside in the event the cabins are full. For more information, check the park brochure [PDF].
Wilderness and backcountry camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
There are also two designated backcountry camping tenting areas, one at Raven Lake, where tent pads are provided and one at Grizzly Den.
Random tenting is permitted throughout the park.
The park is located about 95km southeast of Prince George on Highway 16. To access both the Grizzly Den Trail and Raven Lake Trail drive east following Highway 16 to Hungary Creek, a distance of approximately 88km from the east end of the Yellowhead Bridge in Prince George.
As you travel along Highway 16 east you will pass by the Sugarbowl Trailhead (80km) and the Viking Ridge Trailhead (85km), both within the boundaries of Sugarbowl–Grizzly Den Park. About 0.3km past Hungary Creek, turn right on to the Hungary Creek Forest Road and drive south keeping on the main road. After about 13km you will reach the Grizzly Den Trailhead parking lot, and about 2.6km beyond this parking lot you will reach the Raven Lake Trailhead parking lot.
History
This attractive area, developed over a number of years, is popular with both cross-country skiers and hikers. In 1973 and 1974, Northwood Pulp and Timber Ltd. built the original trails and cabins (Raven Lake and Grizzly Den). Ministry of Forests maintained the trails and cabins up until 2000, when the area was declared a Provincial Park and BC Parks is now managing the area. When harvesting was completed in the area the Hungary Creek Road was no longer plowed in the winter so the Sons of Norway built an additional cabin on the lower part of the Grizzly Den Trail in 1977. The Grand Canyon of the Fraser is also in the Park, a very dangerous spot for the river men that ran barges up and down the river. Many people lost their lives in the canyon over the years.
Cultural Heritage
The Grand Canyon of the Fraser represents a unique feature which has historic significance related to the “Overlanders” journey to the Cariboo gold field in the 1860s and the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The Fraser river is designated as a BC Heritage River.
Wildlife
The park is a refuge for caribou and grizzly bear.
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.