Northern Rockies: Water, Wilderness and History

Jade-colored water, mountain parks and traces of the Alaska Highway give the Northern Rockies a diverse character. Stone Mountain Park pairs remote, mountainous terrain and wildlife viewing along the highway with trails and paddling opportunities. Fort Nelson complements the natural experiences with a museum, a year-round market and a visitor centre.

Mountain Parks, Lakes and Wildlife

Stone Mountain Park covers 25,691 hectares of remote, mountainous terrain along the Alaska Highway in the northern Rocky Mountains. In the park, you can spot caribou and Stone Sheep along the highway. Muncho Lake offers a different landscape: its deep, cold waters, colored jade by minerals, stretch for 12 kilometres. The Alaska Highway corridor through Muncho Lake Park is considered a good place to view northern wildlife.

Northern Rocky Mountains Park is the third-largest provincial park in British Columbia and the largest park in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. Its high-quality habitat is home to moose, elk, Stone Sheep and mountain goats. This context adds a perspective on the park’s importance as habitat for several species to the wildlife-viewing opportunities along the highway.

Water Activities and Trails

Swimming is permitted at Muncho Lake, where canoeing and kayaking are also possible. At Summit Lake in Stone Mountain Park, you can enjoy peaceful canoe trips. Northern Rocky Mountains Park offers opportunities for wilderness paddling as well as excellent backcountry horseback riding. Options range from swimming at Muncho Lake and paddling on the lakes to wilderness paddling and backcountry horseback riding.

Alpha Pool in Liard River Hot Springs Park also offers a place to swim. There is a shallow area for children. Each of these water spots has its own focus: swimming and canoeing or kayaking at Muncho Lake, peaceful canoe trips at Summit Lake and swimming at Alpha Pool.

Stone Mountain Park has two trails of different lengths for hiking. The Erosion Pillars Trail is just over one kilometre long and suitable for a range of fitness levels. The Summit Peak Trail is a five-kilometre loop through a lodgepole pine forest. You can also hike in Fort Nelson Demonstration Forest; trail conditions may change seasonally.

Tetsa River Regional Park is 96.2 kilometres north of Fort Nelson, just past Steamboat Mountain. Its trails are designed for hiking, cycling and horseback riding. Trail conditions here may also change seasonally. The information on trail length and format at Stone Mountain Park, together with the range of activities at Tetsa River Regional Park, offers practical guidance when planning your time outdoors.

History and Visitor Information in Fort Nelson

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum comprises more than eight buildings containing numerous exhibits. On display are vehicles and equipment used in the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. The museum thus directly connects the highway’s history with the objects on display.

Fort Nelson Farmers Market is a year-round market focused on local agricultural products and handmade goods. Check the market schedule before your trip. Fort Nelson Visitor Information Centre offers free Wi-Fi, souvenirs and works by local artists.

When planning your trip, you can consider your interests in nature and culture side by side: nature experiences include wildlife viewing, hiking and paddling opportunities in the parks and at the lakes; in Fort Nelson, the focus is on the museum, market and visitor centre. This lets you choose experiences based on what interests you most about your trip.

Discover more destinations: Toad River, Fort Nelson, Nelson Forks, Muskwa, Muncho Lake, East Kootenay, Kootenay Boundary, Skeena-Queen Charlotte.

For the main travel overview: British Columbia.