Park overview
Tyhee Lake Park is situated in the beautiful Bulkley Valley. To the west are the Telkwa and Bulkley Ranges of the Hazelton Mountains and to the east is the Babine Range of the Skeena Mountains.
Back from the sandy beachfront on Tyhee Lake is a forest of second-growth aspen, replacing the original cover that was previously destroyed by fire.
Visitors enjoy hiking, walking, swimming, picnicking, and nature viewing. Paddle board rentals and a concession stand are now available. During the winter, ice fishing and cross-country skiing are popular activities in this park.
Advisories
Dates of operation
The park is open year-round
- Facility type
- Frontcountry camping
- Number of campsites
- Reservable frontcountry sites: 20
- Vehicle-accessible sites: 59
- Double sites: 2
- Main operating season
- 2024: May 10 to September 30
- Winter season
- No services
- Booking required
- 2024: May 10 to September 14
- Winter season note
- Gate and campground are closed and the campground is not accessible during the off-season.
- Facility type
- Day-use area
- Main operating season
- 2024: year-round
- Winter season
- No services
- Service note
- The access road is plowed regularly.
- Facility type
- Group camping
- Number of campsites
- Reservable frontcountry sites: 1
- Groupsites: 1
- Main operating season
- 2024: April 15 to September 15
- 2025: May 12 to September 30
- Winter season
- No services
- Booking required
- 2024: May 10 to September 14
- 2025: May 12 to September 14
- Winter season note
- Gate and campground are closed and the campground is not accessible during the off-season.
- Winter season note
- The campground gate is closed and camping is not accessible during the off-season. The day-use is open and the road is plowed regularly.
Special notes
- Licenced motor vehicles, including motorcycles, are restricted to vehicle roads and parking areas. Please keep vehicles and equipment on the camp pads or driveways.
- Unlicenced vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, are not permitted in the park.
- For safety reasons, firearms are not permitted in the park.
- Tyhee Lake Park is closed to hunting.
Camping
- Total number of campsites
- Total reservable frontcountry sites: 20
- Total vehicle-accessible sites: 59
- Total double sites: 2
- Total groupsites: 1
Campsite reservations are accepted and first come, first served sites are also available. Group campsite reservations are also accepted at this park.
All campsite and group site reservations must be made the BC Parks reservations system. When reservations are not available all campsites function as first come, first served.
The campground offers vehicle-accessible sites, including two double sites and four tent sites. The campsites are private and secluded. There is a large parking lot available for extra vehicles.
A gate is located at the entrance of the park and is locked from 11 pm to 7 am daily. To enhance visitor enjoyment, a volleyball net and horseshoe pits are provided. Campsite reservations are accepted and first come, first served sites are also available.
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $27 per party per night |
| Electrified sites | Additional $7 per night (whether power is in use or not) |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $13.50 per senior party per night |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page.
There is a group campsite available for group reservations. This site has a picnic shelter, water, toilets and a large field for games. The group campground is open from May 10 to September 18.
| Youth group camping fee | $1 per person (6+), with a $50 minimum and $150 maximum. Children under 6 are free! |
| Regular group camping fee | $120 per group site per night, plus $5 per adult (16+, minimum charge for 15 adults), plus $1 per child (6-15). Children under 6 are free! |
For information on the youth group policy see the group camping page.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Cold water taps are located throughout the park. Hose hookups are not available for campers or trailers.
An adventure playground is located in the day-use area.
A small children’s bike track, near the shower building in the middle of the campground, is available for the use and enjoyment of visitors.
A concrete boat launch and loading dock complete with parking are situated near the day-use area. A separate beach has been developed next to the swimming area for boaters and water skiers.
A coin operated sani-station is located along the entranceway into the park. The sani-station fee is $5 per discharge.
This campground offers electrical hookups.
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.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, it is prohibited to 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.
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.
A large, grassy day-use area features 26 picnic tables, most with fire pits, and an adventure playground. A picnic shelter, complete with a wood stove, is ideal for covered activities. Beside a sandy beach there is a designated area in the lake for swimmers. Visitors can also enjoy a game of volleyball. There are flush toilets, change rooms, and showers available.
Please note: the day-use area is open all year, but the snow is not plowed during the winter.
Visitors will find pit toilets located throughout the park. There are flush toilets located centrally in the campground as well as the day-use area.
Showers are located in both the campground and day-use area.
Activities
Trails connect the campground and the beach area. Follow the 2.5 km Aldermere Trail to explore the park along the shoreline of Tyhee Lake and through the aspen forest. 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.
The sandy beach is 200 metres long and is a popular spot for visitors. Swim within the designated area to avoid conflicts with powerboats and waterskiers.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Canoeing is a popular activity on Tyhee Lake.
There are opportunities for kayaking at this park.
Anglers of all ages can try their hand for cutthroat or stocked rainbow trout. Minnows like the peamouth chub, red shiner, and pygmy whitefish can challenge the younger fisher. There are also ice fishing opportunities in the park.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
There are excellent opportunities for bird watching in the marshy areas of the lakeshore. The dead trees, bulrushes and cattails provide nesting sites and protection for a variety of birds, including loons, red-winged blackbirds, and downy woodpeckers. Wildlife may be seen in the adjacent forests.
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 behavior and must dispose of their excrement.
Bicycles must be kept to roadways and designated areas. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia. There is a small bike track for kids near the shower building in the middle of the campground.
For details on e-biking within Tyhee Lake Park, see the e-biking section.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are permitted on signed or designated trails within Tyhee Lake Park, provided they meet the definitions and criteria for e-bike use as outlined in the BC Parks cycling guidelines.
There are waterskiing opportunities at this park.
Visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the park. There are also ice skating and ice fishing opportunities.
Tyhee Lake Park is near Telkwa, off Highway 16, 10km east of Smithers.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: April 11, 1956
- Size: 39 hectares
Park contact
This park proudly operated by:
Mark and Anais Drydyk
kermodeparks@gmail.com
250-877-1782
Nature and culture
History
Tyhee Lake Park was established on April 1, 1956. The Bulkley Valley and Bulkley River were named after colonel Charles S. Bulkley, U.S. army. He was commissioned by the Collins Overland Telegraph Company to construct a line through B.C. to Alaska, which would then connect with the Russian system in Siberia by crossing the Bering Strait. This ambitious project was in a race with another telegraph line, the transatlantic cable.
In 1866 the transatlantic cable was successfully completed and consequently the Collins telegraph line was abandoned only two years after it began. Little remains of the telegraph line, but one of the legacies of it was the original name for the lake, Maclure, named after one of the original surveyors of the Collins telegraph line. The name was changed to the present name, Tyhee, which means fish in the native Gitxsan language.
Cultural heritage
Another interesting historical feature of Tyhee Lake is the small town of Aldermere which was part of the Old Caribou Trail during the 1800s. The town was located on the height of land at the southwest end of Tyhee Lake, walking distance from the present town of Telkwa. The people used Tyhee Lake for gathering ice used in cold cellars in the summer, as well as a source of water obtained by filling barrels on wagons and bringing them up to the town.
The town was quite prosperous when the Collins telegraph line pushed through here. Aldermere consisted of a hotel, livery stables, and a post office, which neither Telkwa nor Smithers had. With the abandonment of the telegraph line in 1866, Aldermere was on the way to dying out by 1914. In 1915 the hotel closed and Smithers and Telkwa became the more popular towns. Little is left of Aldermere except for some foundations and timbers, which are now on private land.
Wildlife
A stroll to the marsh viewing platform will provide an opportunity to see a variety of birds and mammals including common loons, rednecked grebes, ruffed grouse, downy woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, squirrels, beaver, black bear and moose.
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.