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Park Info:

Special Notes:

• The Joe L’Orsa Cabin is available to the public year round. It is located in the Silver King Basin of the Babine Mountains and is accessible via the Silver King Trail.
• The cabin is heated by a wood stove, firewood provided, and is fitted with a gray water disposal system. There is a galvanized steel counter for visitors to operate their camp stoves on and a pit toilet located outside the cabin. There is a backcountry fee charge of $5.00 per person per night. It can be paid in advance to BC Parks in Smithers or deposited into a fee vault box located at the cabin.
• Dogs are not allowed inside the cabin. Dogs must be under control when left outside the cabin.
• The money generated from the cabin will assist BC Parks with ongoing maintenance of the facility and firewood costs. The cabin can accommodate 15-20 people comfortably and is subject to the first-come, first server rule. Be prepared to camp overnight if the cabin is full.
• BC Parks, in consultation with various user groups, has designated certain areas for snowmobiling. Please respect these boundaries. Skiers and snowshoers may travel in the designated snowmobile area if they wish. If you choose to do so, yield to snowmobilers, as you can hear them coming but they can't hear you.

Management Planning Information

• Approved Management Plan for Babine Mountain Provincial Park
• Approved Management Direction Statement for Driftwood Extension

Location:

• Location Map

Access to the west end of the park is along the Old Babine Lake Road, which leaves Highway “16 just 3 km east of Smithers. Follow the signs to Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park. The parking lot and information map are located 5 km north of Driftwood Canyon. From there, the road is not passable to vehicle traffic. The closest communities, towns and cities are Smithers and Telkwa.

To access the east end of the park, turn left onto Babine Lake Road, 6 km east of Smithers on Highway # 16. The highway turnoff is at 0 km of what becomes the Burnt Cabin Road and then the Babine Lake Road. The Little Joe and Cronin Creek trailheads are found at 32 km and 34.5 km respectively along the route.

Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Park Map (893 kb pdf)
• Location Map

Nature & Culture:

• Conservation - The vegetation of the Babines includes sub-boreal spruce and alpine tundra. In the lower timbered areas are white spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, trembling aspen, black huckleberry, bunchberry and feather mosses. In general, the soils in the Babines are not particularly rich. The climate restricts vegetative growth - in the lower areas vegetation is much quicker to recover from disturbances and in high elevations the recovery rate is extremely slow. One small area on the northern slopes of Mt. Cronin has been proposed as an Ecological Reserve to conserve the most northern known example of the Whitebark Pine. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park's natural heritage, please don't damage or remove them.
• Wildlife - The most noteworthy species commonly observed in the area are mountain goats, moose, black bear, ground squirrels, marmots and deer, as well as a host of smaller animals. Of the larger animals, only mountain goats make the area their year-round home. Occasionally grizzly bear, lynx and wolverine have been observed.   Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife. For more information on bear safety, click here.
  Wood ticks are most prevalent between March and June. These parasites live in tall grass and low shrubs, and seek out warm-blooded hosts. As potential carriers of disease, they should be avoided. Protect your legs by wearing gaiters, or pants tucked into socks. After any outdoor activities, thoroughly examine yourself, children and pets. If you find a tick embedded in your skin, the best way to remove it is by grasping and pulling it, gently, straight up and out with a small pair of tweezers, and disinfecting the site with rubbing alcohol. You may wish to save the tick in a small plastic or glass container for later inspection by your doctor especially if a fever develops, or the area around the bite appears to be infected.

General Visitor Safety Information (park safety, hazards, wildlife safety information, health risks)

Reservations:

There are only wilderness/walk-in campsites available at this park on a first-come, first-serve basis; reservations are not accepted.

Explore Parks: Fees, park listings, what you should know before you go and other useful links.

	No vehicle accessible camping facilities at this park.
	Wilderness, backcountry or walk-in camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
	No group campsites.
	No day-use or picnic facilities.
	There are no wheelchair accessible facilities at this park.
	Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park.
	Pit toilets are present at the summer parking lot on the Driftwood Road and at the Joe L’Orsa cabin.
	No showers.
	No sani-station/dump facilities.
	While campfires are allowed, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using camp stoves instead, especially in alpine and subalpine environments. A fire ring is provided for outdoor fires behind the Joe L’Orsa cabin. Please use the wood provided in the wood shed and do not collect firewood from surrounding areas. When having fires in other parts of the park, please use dead, downed wood. Do not cut live vegetation. Please do not burn wood from old buildings.
	BC Parks do not have electrical hook-ups.
	There are no regularly scheduled interpretive programs at this park.
	Click here for detailed trail information. 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.
	This park does not have a playground.
	No swimming.
	There are no opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park.
	This park does not have a boat launch.
	Fishing is allowed in the park at the Lower Reiseter Lake. Please read the BC Fishing Regulations and anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
	Bicycles are permitted on Harvey Mountain Trail, Silver King Basin Trail, Onion Mountain Road/Trail, Cronin Creek Road/Trail and Higgins Creek Trail. For further information please review sections on hiking and walking trails. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
	Horses are permitted on Harvey Mountain Trail, Silver King Basin Trail, Onion Mountain Road/Trail, Cronin Creek Road/Trail and Higgins Creek Trail. Horseback riders must have a written letter of permission before heading out on the Lyon Creek Trail. This can be obtained from BC Parks in Smithers. For further information please review sections on hiking and walking trails.
	Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. Dogs are not allowed inside the cabin. Dogs must be under control when left outside the cabin. 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.
	No wildlife viewing opportunities.
	There are cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities: CAUTION - Skiers and snowshoers may travel in the designated snowmobile area if they wish. If you choose to do so, yield to snowmobilers as you can hear them coming but they cannot hear you. SILVER KING BASIN - From the parking area north of Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park, the trail follows an old mining road and climbs gradually through the heavily forested valley. Sunny Point is reached at 6.5 km, and at 12 km skiers reach the sub-alpine and views of the surrounding peaks. Exercise caution: under certain conditions there can be avalanche hazard from 11 km to near the Joe L’Orsa Cabin at approximately 13.5km. LYON CREEK TRAIL AND HARVEY MOUNTAIN TRAIL Ski tourers and snowshoers often take the Lyon Creek Trail, which leaves the Driftwood Road about 2 km beyond the winter parking lot. A loop can be made by coming back down the Harvey Mountain Trail. CRONIN CREEK BASIN From the trailhead at 34 km on the Babine Lake Road, follow the Cronin mine road 9 km to the old mining camp at 1100 m elevation. Another 4 km brings you to Hyland Pass at the top end of the basin. A wide variety of ski terrain exists in the Cronin Creek Basin, ranging from easy to difficult. Parties attempting more difficult terrain should have the ability to evaluate avalanche hazards. Snowmobiling: CAUTION - Rugged terrain in some areas may produce zones of high avalanche hazard. It is recommended you familiarize yourself with such hazards and have at least one member of your party who has experience in evaluating avalanche hazards. GANOKAWA BASIN AREA - From the parking area at the Old Babine Lake Road junction, follow the Old Babine Lake Road northwest (toward Smithers) about 3 km to the Onion Mountain Road. This road climbs for about 3 km to timberline. The Smithers Snowmobile Club maintains two day-use cabins in the area, the main cabin (out of the park) and the Burdette Cabin. Please contact the Smithers Snowmobile Association for information regarding cabin usage. Please check at the main cabin for a map of the snowmobile area boundaries and the visitors’ sign in book. HARVEY MOUNTAIN VIEWPOINT - The corridor to Harvey Mountain provides access to the viewpoint only. Please stay north of the posted boundary signs. CRONIN CREEK BASIN AND FOUR LAKES AREA - These two areas are accessible to snowmobiles by special permit only. A limited number of permits are available on an annual basis. For further information, please contact BC Parks in Smithers.
	No SCUBA diving or snorkelling opportunities.
	No windsurfing opportunities.
	No waterskiing opportunities.
	Hunting is allowed in the park. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting Regulation synopsis.
	No climbing or rock climbing opportunities.
	No spelunking or caving opportunities.
	The Joe L’Orsa Cabin was named in memory of local resident Joe L’Orsa, who spearheaded the effort to create a park in the Babines. This cabin was made possible through the donations of many local businesses in the area. The Cabin is located in the beautiful Silver King Basin of Babine Mountains Provincial Park. Access to the cabin is via Driftwood Road located approximately 8 km east of Smithers. The cabin will sleep 15-20 people comfortably and is subject to the first-come, first-serve rule. Be prepared to sleep outside if the cabin is full. The cabin replaces the old bunkhouse that had been standing for 60 years. The cabin is 9x8.5 meters log construction. The cabin is heated by a wood stove, firewood provided and is fitted with a gray water disposal system. There is a galvanized steel counter for visitors to operate their camp stoves on and a pit toilet located outside the cabin. There is a fee to use this public facility. This can be paid in advance to BC Parks in Smithers or deposited into a fee vault box located at the cabin. The money generated from the cabin will assist BC Parks with ongoing maintenance of the facility and firewood costs. Cabin Use Fee: $5.00 per person / night