Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area

For the 2008 season:

• Winching services at the Chikamin Bay Rail Portage will end for the season on August 31, 2008.

Park Info

Tweedsmuir Provincial Park appeals primarily to outdoor recreationists interested in boating, angling, camping, hiking or hunting in one of North America's most magnificent wilderness areas. Outdoor recreation opportunities are almost unlimited, but those who are not prepared to be completely self-sufficient or who do not wish to employ a professional guide should not contemplate a visit.

Park Size: 446,092 hectares for North Tweedsmuir Park and 15 hectares for Tweedsmuir Protected Area.

Special Notes:

• Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park is a wilderness area. Visitors must be prepared to be completely self-sufficient. There are no supplies of any kind.
• Parts of the park are open to hunting in the fall. Hunters must be in possession of a valid BC hunting licence and appropriate game tags and observe the current BC Hunting Regulations. Non-residents must be accompanied by a licenced BC guide. Firearms are prohibited in the park except during a valid hunting season.

Park Fees - Please note: Personal cheques and credit cards cannot be accepted.

• There is a backcountry fee for visitors to the Eutsuk Lake area of Tweedsmuir (North) Park:
  Marine Access Camping Fee: $50.00 per vessel/aircraft per trip
• Chikamin Bay Rail Portage:
• At Chikamin Bay, boaters are required to winch their boats over a 600-metre rail portage that connects Chikamin Bay on Whitesail Lake with St. Thomas Bay on Eutsuk Lake.
• Boats to about 7 metres in length can be portaged. The process takes about two hours. Instructions are posted at Chikamin Bay. Boaters may wish to carry a personal chainsaw winch to make portaging their boat easier and faster.
• There is an additional, optional fee for winching boats across the rail portage between Chikamin Bay on Whitesail Lake and St. Thomas Bay on Eutsuk Lake.
  Winching Service: $50.00 per vessel each way.
  Visitors wishing to use either the hand winch or their personal chainsaw winch are not required to pay the winching service fee.
• The funds are payable directly to the on-site park facility operator (cash or money order only please).
• The mechanical winching service at Chikamin Bay rail portage will begin operating June 15, 2008 from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. daily.
• The fees are used to assist in the management of Tweedsmuir (North) Provincial Park.
• Fees example: (1 boat with 4 persons winched in and out of Eutsuk Lake via Chikamin Bay rail portage)
• Backcountry fee $50.00
• Mechanical winching fee (into park) $ 50.00
• Mechanical winching fee (out of park) $ 50.00
• Total Payable =$150.00

The Tweedsmuir Park Fishery Study

• On arrival at Chikamin Bay, park visitors will receive a booklet that provides information about the recent studies on rainbow trout conducted in the park, including the results of the angler survey completed in 2003 and 2004. Included within the booklet is a form to complete for those visitors who catch tagged rainbow trout. Park visitors who complete and return the form will receive a Tweedsmuir Park Fishery Study ball cap.
• The study is being funded through a partnership between the Ministry and the following commercial operators in the park:
• West Coast Resorts Management Ltd.
• Van Tine Guiding and Outfitting Ltd.
• Lakes District Air Services

General Visitor Information

• Caution should be exercised when travelling on waters in the Nechako Reservoir and those in the park. Windstorms may arise very quickly and become quite severe for multiple days. May is usually the windiest month. Strong winds can be expected for about one-third of the time during the boating season. No attempt should be made to travel long distances or venture far from the shoreline of the reservoir in canoes, kayaks or car-top boats.
• Suitable clothing must be worn and proper equipment for outdoor living carried. Visitors should have appropriate maps. All arrangements for supplies, including gasoline for boats, must be made before entering the park.
• At all times, be alert for deadheads, submerged trees and unmarked reefs.

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

Location

• Location Map

Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park is approximately 480 kilometres by air northwest of Vancouver. The park is bounded on the north and southwest by the Coast Mountains and on the east by the Nechako Plateau. The park is south of Highway #16, approximately 90 to 100 kilometres, between Burns Lake and Houston.
The Nechako Reservoir (Ootsa and Whitesail Lakes) is the main access route to the northern region of the park but boaters must use caution when travelling on these lakes as the shoreline is a forest of drowned trees and floating debris that create hazardous boating conditions. A number of channels have been cut through the dead trees to give access to emergency landing areas. These are indicated by large yellow diamonds and they provide shelter from the sudden and strong winds that funnel down the lakes from the Coast Mountains. See Visitor Safety.

Nature & Culture

• History
• Cultural Heritage
• Conservation
• Wildlife

Management Planning

Management Planning Information

• Approved Master Plan

Map / Brochure

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

• Location Map
• Park Map (230 kb pdf)

Activities Available At This Park

		Canoeing

		Fishing

		Hiking

		Hunting

		Wildlife Viewing

Facilities Available At This Park

		Cabins / Huts / Yurts

		Campfires

		Drinking Water

		Pit or Flush Toilets

		Walk-In/Wilderness Camping