Mount Edziza Provincial Park

Access Routes to Mount Edziza

Overland Access

Several overland routes can be used to gain access to the park and recreation area.

Kinaskan-Mowdade Lakes: This trail is not regularly maintained and is quite overgrown in sections. The trail is 24 km in length. A boat or a long ford is necessary to reach the trailhead on the west bank of the Iskut River near the outlet of Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park. The trail is quite wet in spots and travel times are longer than normal. The trail is in heavy timber with few viewing opportunities. About halfway to Mowdade the trail skirts the northern boundary of the old Willow Creek burn.

Klastine River Trail: The Klastine River Trail provides access to the northern part of the park. There is no Parks trailhead or signage. This is a traditional use trail of the Tahltan First Nations. The trail starts on the west side of Highway #37 approximately 200 m north of the Mountain Shadows Resort. The first 8 km is a maze of A.T.V. trails which eventually narrow down to a single path at Canyon Creek. After Canyon Creek, the trail drops down onto flats of Konthil Creek. Once past these marshy flats you get onto the sidehills north of the Klastine River. Approximately 20 km later, you can cross the Klastine River on a bridge and get into old lave flows before ascending up to Buckley Lake.

Access to Mount Edziza via this route is a minimum three to four days, making it a poor choice for those who want to do the Buckley to Mowdade Trail.

Buckley Lake Trail: Access to this trail is from the town of Telegraph Creek. You will have to arrange for a boat ride across the Stikine River to get to the start of the trail. The trail starts on the south side of the river and works its way upward in a northeast direction, roughly paralleling Mess Creek. As you near the summit of the first pass by Three Mile Lake you start to break out into the open and get some views of Mess Canyon to the west. From here, the trail drops back down into the timber (the main vegetation along the trail is white spruce, lodgepole pine and trembling aspen, with scrubbirch and willow in the wetter sections).

The trail continues along for approximately another 10 km until you come to the junction with the old Telegraph Creek Trail which heads to the south and the Buckley Lake Trail which heads off to the east. This junction is not well marked so you have to look for it so as not to miss it. Shortly after this junction you will come to Matheson Creek, a good campsite with fresh water. Water is scarce on this trail so fill up your water bottle(s) when you have a chance.

From Matheson Creek the trail heads off in a northeast direction towards Stinking Lake and then off to the west end of Buckley Lake. This section of the trail is pretty much in the trees with occasional views until you reach Buckley Lake. Once you reach Buckley Lake the trail dries out and Mount Edziza is in plain view.

This trail is overgrown in sections and it is easy to get lost. Watch for blazes in the trees as you travel.

It must be emphasized that trails in Mount Edziza Provincial Park are not marked, are often overgrown, and are always difficult to traverse. This park is not directly supervised, and few hikers frequent the area. Visitors to Mount Edziza should have skill and stamina, as this park is not a place for the ill-equipped or the inexperienced.

Air Access is listed under special notes on the Mt Edziza park page.

Return to Mount Edziza Provincial Park.