Tweedsmuir Provincial Park

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 (2,420,000 acres) at creation, making it by far the largest provincial park in British Columbia at the time.

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.

Tweedsmuir Park is located east of the Kitimat Ranges in the western interior of British Columbia. It 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 m (850 ft) tall waterfall with one of highest unbroken drops in Canada.

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 west as the altitude climbs the weather is generally more severe and the temperature changes throughout the summer and winter are drastic.

• 🌍 Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, 7001 Corbould Dr, Stuie, ☏ +1 604-905-4994. Set on 60 acres in Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, this riverside resort is just off Highway 20. Contains 11 rustic log cabins feature mountain views and free WiFi. Some have gas fireplaces. Amenities include a dining room and a sports bar with foosball and a pool table, plus an exercise room, a sauna and a hot tub. There are also free mountain bike rentals, a frisbee golf course and an archery range. The lodge offers a bear viewing platform, fly fishing trips, helicopter hiking excursions and guided nature walks. Massage treatments are also available. (updated Aug 2022)

• 🌍 Atnarko Campground, Highway 20. Atnarko offers 15 campsites nestled amongst an old-growth forest (on the Atnarko River at the bottom of "the Hill"). (updated Aug 2022)
• 🌍 Fisheries Pool Campground, Highway 20. Fisheries Pool, situated near Stuie and the site of an old fish hatchery run by DFO, attracts lots of anglers to its 9 high-density open campsites and 2 tenting campsites. (updated Aug 2022)

There are many primitive campsites dotted throughout the park, some provide facilities such as pit toilets and bear caches while others are more basic. The wilderness sites are open year-round when accessible. In the Rainbow Range and the Ptarmigan Lake areas, the campsites marked on the map have at least minimal facilities – pit toilets and some have bear caches. Backcountry camping fee is $5.00 per person per night for all persons 6 years of age or older.

Weather conditions in the park are as variable as the topography. Moderate temperatures and extensive rainfall characterize the lower reaches of the Bella Coola Valley. At Stuie near the junction of the Atnarko and Bella Coola Rivers, there is an average annual precipitation of 720 mm with about 20% of this being in the form of snow. The interior plateau receives a greater proportion of snow and its winters are more severe. Temperatures in the southern section of the park can drop to -40°C in January and reach 30°C in July. Summers are usually fairly dry with June, September and October being the wettest months.

Grizzly and black bears range throughout the park, and grizzlies congregate on the Dean and Atnarko, and Bella Coola Rivers between May and October when salmon are in the river. People should be particularly cautious when fishing, hiking, and camping.