E. C. Manning Provincial Park

Wilderness Camping

Wilderness camping is permitted only in wilderness camp areas. All wilderness sites have a water source close by. During a long hot summer some creeks may dry up. Carry water with you and fill canteens as required. Treatment of water is recommended. A "Pack it in, Pack it out" policy is in effect. Please practice No Trace Camping. There is no charge and all sites are first come first serve. Open fires are not permitted in Buckhorn and Kicking Horse wilderness sites. In the rest of the backcountry open fires are not encouraged and fire bans may be implemented during extreme hot weather conditions. Be prepared to bring portable stoves for cooking.

A great deal of these sites are located at a high elevation and therefore are not usually accessible until late June or early July. Please check Alerts and Trail Reports for latest conditions.

• Buckhorn wilderness site located at 5 km on the Heather Trail, consists of 10 tent pads, bear cache and outhouses. This wilderness camp is situated in the sub-alpine meadows. NO OPEN FIRES ARE ALLOWED. It’s short, easy 5 km (1 - 1.5 hour) hike from the trailhead makes it a very popular spot. During the peak alpine bloom (usually late July early August) and on long weekends this site is very busy.
  
• Frosty Mountain wilderness camp is at the 1850 m elevation on the Frosty Mountain Trail. The hike to the camp is a strenuous 7 km from the Lightning Lake Day Use area. This 2 or 3 tent camp consists of pit toilet, fire ring and a shelter. During inclement weather this could be a welcome sight but come prepared as it may already be in use. A small creek runs through the campsite; when moving on be sure to fill your water bottles here. Approximately .5 km further along the trail the larch grove starts and continues on for about 1.5 km. and 5 km from camp brings you to the peak of Frosty Mountain.
  
• Grainger Creek wilderness/horse camp is on the Hope Pass Trail just past the junction of the Hope Pass/Grainger Creek trail or 6 km from Cayuse Flats and 11.5 km from Nicomen Lake camp. The camp has space for 3 tents and consists of a fire pit, pit toilet and a good water source from Grainger Creek.
  
• Kicking Horse wilderness site locate at 13.5 km on the Heather Trail consists of 8 tent pads and an outhouse. This wilderness camp is situated in the sub-alpine meadows. NO FIRES ARE ALLOWED. During the peak alpine bloom (usually late July early August) and on long weekends this site is very busy.
  
• Monument 78 wilderness/horse camp is located 11.5 km from the Monument 78 trailhead or .5 km before the Canada/US border. The camp has space for 4 tents and consists of a pit toilet, fire ring, horse corral and a good water source from Castle Creek.
  
• Mowich wilderness site is located on the Skyline II Trail, 12.5 km from Strawberry Flats or 6.5 km from the Skyline I and Skyline II junction. It is at the 1600 m elevation, has a wilderness shelter, pit toilet, bear cache and a camping area for 4 tents. During a hot and/or dry summer the water is not always readily visible and often drops to a trickle by late summer. Mowich is an Indian word meaning deer and there is almost always deer to be seen at this site. This is also a popular place to see Black Bears.
  

• Nicomen Lake wilderness site located at 23 km on the Heather Trail or 17.5 km from Cayuse Flats consists of an open 6 tent camping area near the lake, shelter and outhouse. The lake is a cold alpine lake which is a very good fishing lake for those who chose to carry the extra weight on fishing gear. This lake freezes over in the winter and does not usually thaw until early July.
  
• Pacific Crest wilderness camp is located on the Pacific Crest Trail, less than 1/2 km from the Pacific Crest trail/Frosty Mountain trail junction or 6.3 km from the PCT/Windy Joe/Frosty Mountain trailhead parking lot. While is does not have a shelter, there is a pit toilet, fire ring, space for 4 tents and a good stream for water. Fill up here if necessary as there will be few opportunities further on.
  
• Poland Lake wilderness site is located at the north/west end of Poland Lake.  After hiking a fairly strenuous 8 km from Strawberry Flats you arrive at a pristine mountain lake which is very cold but a refreshing site after the hike. Poland Lake freezes over in the winter and does not thaw until early July. The site consists of a camping area for 6 tents, bear cache, wilderness shelter, pit toilets and a creek which flows into the lake. The spring flower bloom often occurs later here than up in the sub-alpine meadows so it is an opportunity to see spring flowers that are often otherwise missed. This is also a popular destination for winter back country skiing and camping. Black bears are often seen on the trail that crosses the ski hill area.
  
• Strike Lake wilderness site is nestled in a protective grove of tall Engelman Spruce trees at the western end of Strike Lake. Strike Lake is the third of four lakes on the Lightning Lake Chain Trail.  It is a relatively easy 1 - 1.5 hour hike to the camp. The camp consists of pit toilets, bear cache and a camping area for 8 tents. As this site is one of the easiest hikes and the first site to be free of snow it is very popular throughout the season.

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