Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park

For the 2008 camping season :

• Trail Updates and Access Conditions [PDF]
• The Lytton Ferry is open to light vehicles only. No heavy loads will be carried.
• BC Parks is requesting all visitors to this park to complete an on-line Comment Form in order that management can obtain valuable information from those that have visited the park.
• School Group Information – please read
• NO open fires are permitted at any time.
• Do Not Touch or Tamper with any Pictographs, Petroglyphs or Culturally Modified Trees. Contact between these artifacts and your fingers transfers oils and acids which damage them. In some cases these pictographs have existed for several thousand years. Please, join us in protecting them for future generations. It is an offence under the Park Act to damage or destroy any park resource, including cultural artifacts.

Park Info

This is a wilderness park containing spectacular scenery and outstanding historical, cultural and spiritual values. It protects the entire Stein River watershed. This is a user-maintained area, with 150 km of hiking trails and routes, four cable crossings, a suspension bridge and several wilderness campsites. The park offers limited opportunities for easy day hikes (primarily in the lower valley) and extensive opportunities for multi-night backpacking trips over moderate to difficult terrain. With limited Ranger and Stein Valley Warden patrols, visitors must be self-sufficient and prepared for all eventualities.

For more information about Stein Valley landforms, the Stein River and its tributaries, visit this page: Stein Valley Landforms.

A revised version of the Stein Valley Wilderness Guidebook by Gordon White is now available. It is a comprehensive guide to the valley, with detailed trail and route descriptions and maps, as well as information on the natural and cultural history and various recreational opportunities. A second edition was released in June 2008 and is available from bookstores and outdoor equipment stores.

A detailed topographic map of the valley showing trails, routes, campsites and other features of interest is available from International Travel Maps in Vancouver. The map is waterproof. The title is Stein Valley and the scale is 1:66,000.

Special Features: The park protects an intact watershed, in addition to preserving the First Nation’s history of the area.

Park Size: 107,191 hectares. The Park boundary follows the watershed boundary for approximately 195 kilometres along a continuous line of summits and ridges.

Special Notes:

• Vehicles are not permitted in the park - access is only via hiking; no horses or mechanized access (4x4s, ATVs, mountain bikes, snowmobiles, helicopters, float-planes) are allowed.
• In consideration of wildlife & safety hazards related to bears, dogs should not be taken into the Stein.
• Open fires are not permitted; carry a backpacking stove. Recent forest fires in the Stein were caused by camp fires that "got away."
• Sections of the trails may be closed due to natural hazards of wildlife, weather, and trail conditions. Visit our Stein Valley Trails and Routes page for more details.

Stay Safe:

• Do not underestimate the demands of hiking the full length of the valley. Routes out of the valley include steep ascents and descents and rugged terrain.
• Weather changes quickly here. You may experience sun, rain and snow all on the same day. Be prepared.
• Sudden storms can cause white-out conditions and necessitate travel by compass, particularly at higher elevations. Solid route-finding skills are a necessity.
• Rugged terrain and deadfalls across the trail can significantly lengthen the amount of travel time required. Allow extra time to complete your trip.
• Sections of some trails may be wet, steep or difficult to see. Bring appropriate footwear, a good map and compass and watch carefully for trail markers.
• In most locations of the park you will be several days from any form of help. Bring a good first aid kit and exercise caution.

General Visitor Information

• Park User Fees
• What to Know Before You Go
• General Safety & Ethics
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Fishing and Hunting Information
• Other Links

Location

• Location Map

The park lies west of Lytton and approx. 185 km southwest of Kamloops or 290 km northeast of Vancouver, both via the #1 Highway. The main trail head is located on the west side of the Fraser River by Lytton, accessed by crossing the Lytton Ferry. After disembarking from the ferry, follow the road to the right for 4.8 kilometers to the junction with the Stein Valley Road (marked). Turn left and follow it to the parking lot.

Alternative access to the main Stein Valley trailhead is available via the Westside Road south from Lillooet, on the west side of the Fraser River. This is a slow 2-3 hour drive on a rough dirt road. There is also a pedestrian walkway along the CN railway bridge that crosses the Fraser River south of Lytton. The trailhead is roughly 8 km north from the west end of the bridge. Other trailheads for accessing the park are located at Lizzie Lake, Blowdown Pass and Texas Creek. See Trail Updates and Access Conditions for current road conditions to these trailheads.

General Enquiries for road conditions:

• VSA Highway Maintenance Ltd.
  1-888-315-0025 or 1-250-315-0166
  Fax: 1-250-315-0169

Nature & Culture

• History – The park was established on November 22, 1995, following a 25 year debate over development versus protection. The name comes from the Nlaka'pamux word "Stagyn," which means "hidden place," referring to the fact that the valley and the extent of the watershed is not very noticeable from the Stein River's mouth on the Fraser River. The valley has been extremely important to the Nlaka’pamux people for thousands of years, both spiritually and for sustenance. This is evinced by the large number of pictographs still visible today in various parts of the valley, ranging in size from single symbols to one of the largest pictograph sites in Canada. One such site is Asking Rock near Stryen Creek. Here the Nlaka’pamux stop to pray and ask permission to travel the valley safely. Some make offerings of burnt sage and tobacco to accompany their prayers. Please respect the rock-paintings and do not touch them.
• Conservation – The Stein Valley straddles the transition from the dry interior to the wetter Coastal Mountains. This, combined with the large elevational gradient, has resulted in very diverse vegetation communities within the park. Dry ponderosa pine forests characterize the lower valley, while Douglas fir is predominant in the mid-valley and hemlock, cedar, spruce and fir become predominant in the western end of the valley. Patches of cedar exist throughout the valley, even at the eastern end in moist, cool locations along creeks such as Stryen and Teaspoon. Floodplain forests along the river are dominated by black cottonwood mixed with aspen and birch. Higher elevations are noted for stands of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir, and above those are white bark pine and alpine tundra. Spectacular flower blooms occur in the spring and summer, particularly at higher elevations.
• Wildlife – Due to its size and relative lack of disturbance, the park contains populations of many species of wildlife that indicate its relative health as wilderness. It is thought to contain over 50 species of mammals, including mountain goat, cougar, wolverine, black bear and grizzly bear. Bird species include golden eagles, sharp shinned hawks, barred owls, pigmy owls, white-tailed ptarmigan, pileated woodpeckers and rufous hummingbirds, as well as several species of chickadees, warblers and nuthatches. The Stein River contains dolly varden char, rainbow trout and Rocky Mountain whitefish, as well as steelhead trout, coho, pink and chinook salmon that return to the river at certain times of the year to spawn.

Management Planning

Management Planning Information

• Approved Management Plan

Map / Brochure

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

• Park Map [PDF 132KB]
• Trail Clearing Map [PDF 468KB]
• Brochure [PDF 733KB]

Activities Available At This Park

		Canoeing

		Fishing

		Hiking

		Hunting

		Pets on Leash

		Wildlife Viewing

		Winter Recreation

Facilities Available At This Park

		Group Camping

		Picnic Areas

		Pit or Flush Toilets

		Walk-In/Wilderness Camping

		Winter Camping