Skeena West. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
- Swan Lake is a large lake with unpredictable weather patterns and frequent strong winds. Never overestimate your paddling abilities in high wind and waves.
- There are dangerous rocks at the entrance to Club Lake. Exercise caution at this location and around the many islands of Swan Lake that have submerged reefs.
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
- Park Map with contours [PDF]
Getting there
Swan Lake Kispiox River Park is located about 75 km northwest of Hazelton. The main access is via Highway 37, which heads north from Highway 16 at Kitwanga Junction. Turn off on the east side of the highway onto Brown Bear Forest Service Road. Follow this road for approximately 14 km until you see the Brown Bear Lake sign. Turn right on this road and follow it for 3 km to the parking area and information shelter. The majority of the park is inaccessible by foot or vehicle.
Camping
Wilderness camping
A wilderness campground with a metal bear-proof food cache and a pit toilet is located at the Swan Lake end of the portage trail from Brown Bear Lake. There is a a rustic campground with a pit toilet on the island directly across from the Swan Lake campground. Other spots throughout Swan Lake and Brown Bear Lake are suitable for camping but they are not mapped and there are no facilities at any of these sites.
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
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Swan Lake Kispiox River Park offers a spectacular chain of lakes ideal for a canoe portage trip.
Access is from the north end of Brown Bear Lake. Put in here and paddle 8.5 km down the lake to find a 1.4 km portage trail leading to Swan Lake. The portage trail has several canoe rests to allow for breaks. A short rapid connects Swan Lake to Club Lake. Continuing further to Stephens Lake and the upper Kispiox River is a challenging affair.
Expect many log jams and challenging bushwacking. Suitable camping spots exist along the lakes which have no facilities and are not mapped.
Brown Bear and Swan Lakes permit electric motors only. No boat launch available.
Lake fishing:
This lake complex provides spawning and rearing habitat for Coho, chinook, Sockeye, chum, pink and steelhead that migrate up the Kispiox River each summer. As well, the lakes support a healthy population of resident rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden char and whitefish.
River fishing:
The Kispiox River offers world class steelhead fishing. Please view additional information from the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Excellent wildlife viewing opportunities exist throughout the Swan Lake Kispiox River Park. The lake chain in the southwest portion of the park contains a large diversity of wildlife and fish habitats.
This lake complex provides spawning and rearing habitat for coho, chinook, sockeye, c, pink and steelhead that migrate up the Kispiox River each summer. As well, the lakes support a healthy population of resident rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden char and whitefish.
The abundant population of salmon helps attract and support a significant population of grizzly bears. This area is also excellent for black bears, mountain goats, wolves, moose, beaver, river otter and mink.
Many forest bird species are present. Sightings of bald eagles and osprey are common. Gulls, terns and loons are abundant as well as waterfowl such as swans, buffleheads, goldeneyes, and common mergansers. Trumpeter swans are known to winter on Club Creek, given its open water conditions in most years.
You are responsible for your pet’s behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.
Hunting is permitted within Swan Lake Kispiox River Park. Please refer to the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis as well as the Limited Entry Hunting Synopsis for bag limits, season dates and area maps.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Facilities
While campfires are allowed in this backcountry area, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using camp stoves instead. When having fires please use dead, downed wood. Do not cut live vegetation. If camping on an island, please consider bringing dead, downed wood from the mainland to avoid stripping islands of all woody debris.
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, no flush toilets.
About this park
Swan Lake/Kispiox River Provincial Park lies within the traditional territories of the Gitanyow and Gitxsan First Nations, who have used the area for thousands of years. Their hunting, fishing and gathering activities have created many of the trails that are there today. This park and the surrounding area are important to First Nations peoples for sustenance and cultural activities. Although no formal sites are identified within the Swan Lake/Kispiox River Park, First Nations still actively use the park for many traditional uses.
The Swan Lake area was protected under the Forest Act as a Wilderness Area in 1991. A management plan for this area was then developed between local residents and representatives of the BC Forest Service. In 1996, the 19,273 hectare Wilderness Area was then designated as Class A Park providing full protection under the Park Act for the 19,273 hectares. In 1999, the Provincial Government accepted the recommendations of the Upper Kispiox Planning Group by designating an additional 43,046 hectares as Class A Park. BC Parks now manages the entire 62,319 hectares as Swan Lake Kispiox River Provincial Park.
The park contains a unique chain of undeveloped lakes, rivers, and swamps that contributes to the flow and water quality of the salmon-rich Kispiox River. The closed canopy old-growth interior cedar and hemlock forest provides habitat for strong populations of grizzly bear and moose.
The Swan Lake Kispiox River area is virtually undisturbed and is an unmodified natural environment with very few trails. Because of the natural integrity of this park, there is little evidence of human impact or non-native vegetation. All fish and wildlife populations are managed in their natural state.
The lake chain in the southwest portion of the park contains a large diversity of wildlife and fish habitats. This lake complex provides spawning and rearing habitat for coho, chinook, sockeye, chum, pink and steelhead that migrate up the Kispiox River each summer. As well, the lakes support a healthy population of resident rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden char and whitefish.
The abundant population of salmon helps attract and support a significant population of grizzly bears. This area is also excellent for black bears, mountain goats, wolves, moose, beaver, river otter and mink.
Many forest bird species are present. Sightings of bald eagles and osprey are common. Gulls, terns and loons are abundant as well as waterfowl such as swans, buffleheads, goldeneyes, and common mergansers. Trumpeter swans are known to winter on Club Creek, given its open water conditions in most years.
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.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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