Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park

About

Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park is a provincial park covering parts of the eastern Kitimat Ranges, northern Pacific Ranges, and the Rainbow Range in British Columbia, Canada. It was established on May 21, 1938 in the western interior of the province, to protect its important natural features. The park hosts a variety of recreation activities for visitors. This park encompasses a range of diverse species in this park including bears, moose, and various fish. There are also a few at risk species in this park.

For the Nuxalk people, salmon from South Tweedsmuir's waterways have had significant cultural and economic importance. Salmon served, and continues to serve, as a reliable, important food source. In 2005-2015, sockeye salmon spawners in South Tweedsmuir's Atnarko River diminished in numbers from 30,000 to 2,500. In a recovery plan, made by the Nuxalk Nation, three key recovery strategies were suggested: improve general knowledge of the sockeye’s ecology, conduct a quality analysis of the river water, and synthesis of data from previous conservation measures. It is uncertain if these strategies are currently being implemented by the government.

In 1793, British explorer Alexander Mackenzie travelled through the area of the park on his journey to the Pacific Ocean. He became the first European man to see the Pacific coast of North America, 12 years before the more famous Lewis and Clark Expedition.

In August 1937, Governor General of Canada John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir travelled extensively by float aircraft and horseback in the area of the park. He and his party were greatly impressed by the magnificence of its pristine wilderness, so much so that he encouraged the provincial government to preserve it.

On May 21, 1938, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia established Tweedsmuir Provincial Park by order-in-council under the Park Act. The park covered an area of 981,000 hectares at creation, making it by far the largest provincial park in British Columbia at the time. It included most of the present day parks of Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area, and Entiako Provincial Park.

In 1956, the park boundaries were revised so that the region around the Entiako River could be opened for resource extraction. The region would again be protected under the newly established Entiako Provincial Park in 1999 and Entiako Protected Area in 2001.

Due to the difficulty of operating Tweedsmuir Provincial Park as a single park unit, it was broken up into two operating units: Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park. [ citation needed ]

In August 1937, Governor General of Canada John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir travelled extensively by float aircraft and horseback in the area of the park. He and his party were greatly impressed by the magnificence of its pristine wilderness, so much so that he encouraged the provincial government to preserve it.

On May 21, 1938, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia established Tweedsmuir Provincial Park by order-in-council under the Park Act. The park covered an area of 981,000 hectares at creation, making it by far the largest provincial park in British Columbia at the time. It included most of the present day parks of Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area, and Entiako Provincial Park.

In 1956, the park boundaries were revised so that the region around the Entiako River could be opened for resource extraction. The region would again be protected under the newly established Entiako Provincial Park in 1999 and Entiako Protected Area in 2001.

Due to the difficulty of operating Tweedsmuir Provincial Park as a single park unit, it was broken up into two operating units: Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park. [ citation needed ]

Tweedsmuir Park is located east of the Kitimat Ranges in the western interior of British Columbia. The park covers almost one million hectares and spans four regional districts : Bulkley-Nechako, Cariboo, Central Coast, and Mount Waddington.

The southern portion of the park is along Highway 20, approximately 400 kilometres west of Williams Lake. Access is also possible along the Discovery Coast Passage ferry and Inside Passage from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island on BC Ferries or by float plane from Nimpo Lake, Anahim Lake or Bella Coola.

Tweedsmuir Park protects the entirety of the Rainbow Range, a collection of volcanic peaks where heavy mineralization has given the soil an array of colours. The park also protects Hunlen Falls, a 260-metre-tall (850 ft) waterfall with one of highest unbroken drops in Canada.

The park was also home to Lonesome Lake, famed for homesteader and conservationist Ralph Edwards, who worked to preserve migration habitat there for the trumpeter swan.

The Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail is a heritage trail that follows the routing of a historic footpath used by local First Nations for trade and travel between the coast and the interior. This trail would later be used by British explorer Alexander Mackenzie to become the first European to transit the continent by land and see the Pacific Ocean. A portion of the trail transits the park via Heckman Pass and Burnt Bridge Creek.

Tweedsmuir Park protects the entirety of the Rainbow Range, a collection of volcanic peaks where heavy mineralization has given the soil an array of colours. The park also protects Hunlen Falls, a 260-metre-tall (850 ft) waterfall with one of highest unbroken drops in Canada.

The park was also home to Lonesome Lake, famed for homesteader and conservationist Ralph Edwards, who worked to preserve migration habitat there for the trumpeter swan.

The Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail is a heritage trail that follows the routing of a historic footpath used by local First Nations for trade and travel between the coast and the interior. This trail would later be used by British explorer Alexander Mackenzie to become the first European to transit the continent by land and see the Pacific Ocean. A portion of the trail transits the park via Heckman Pass and Burnt Bridge Creek.

With such a vast area the climate varies throughout the park. However in the lower regions closer to the Bella Coola Valley the temperature is warmer with a higher annual level of rainfall. Around one fifth of their annual precipitation falls as snow. Further east as the altitude climbs the weather is generally more severe and the temperature changes throughout the summer and winter are drastic. On average ranging between the minus thirties mid winter, to the higher forties during high summer.