Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park | |
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Location of Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park in British Columbia | |
Location | British Columbia, Canada |
Nearest city | Fort Nelson |
Coordinates | 59°25′22″N126°05′48″W / 59.42278°N 126.09667°W |
Area | 10.82 km2 (4.18 sq mi) |
Established | April 1957 |
Governing body | BC Ministry of Environment, BC Parks |
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. [1] It is home to the second largest natural hot springs in Canada, after Deer River Hot Springs 15 km to the north east. [2] It is a natural river of hot water rather than a spring fed man made pool. [3] The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. [4] The community of Liard River, British Columbia is located nearby.
The Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park was created in April 1957. The first boardwalk and pool facilities were built by the United States Army in 1942. The Liard River Hot Springs proper are located at 59°25′40″N126°06′15″W / 59.42778°N 126.10417°W . [5] They were originally named the Theresa Hot Springs. [6]
The park contains a warm water swamp and boreal forest which supports rich and diverse plant communities as well as mammal and bird species. Watch for moose feeding in the warm water swamps. Bears, as well, are a common hazard in summer months, and may be feeding only 10 ft (3.0 m) away from bathers. Due to the lush plant life (including 14 species of orchids) influenced by the warmth of the springs, the area used to be known as the "Tropical Valley". A rare predatory black bear attack occurred on August 14, 1997, claiming two lives.
Alpha pool with water temperatures ranging from 42 to 52 °C (108 to 126 °F); There are raised walkways from the parking area to the springs so that the delicate muskeg that forms the swamp is not disturbed. The walkway was the scene of a much-publicized black bear attack that killed two tourists on August 14, 1997. [7]
The campground is open year-round
The park is located at mile 475 (or km 765) on the Alaska Highway, between Fort Nelson (307 km (191 mi) south-east) and Watson Lake (218 km (135 mi) north-west). [8] The community of Liard River is just west of the park, at the 499 Milepost.
1082 hectares in size.
The Liard River of the North American boreal forest flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows 1,115 km (693 mi) southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the Rocky Mountains and then curving northeast back into Yukon and Northwest Territories, draining into the Mackenzie River at Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories. The river drains approximately 277,100 km2 (107,000 sq mi) of boreal forest and muskeg.
Liard River is a small community in northern British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of about 100 people. It is located at Kilometre 799 of the Alaska Highway, near the border of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.
The Rocky Mountain Trench, also known as the Valley of a Thousand Peaks or simply the Trench, is a large valley on the western side of the northern part of North America's Rocky Mountains. The Trench is both visually and cartographically a striking physiographic feature extending approximately 1,600 km (1,000 mi) from Flathead Lake, Montana, to the Liard River, just south of the British Columbia–Yukon border near Watson Lake, Yukon. The trench bottom is 3–16 km (1.9–9.9 mi) wide and is 600–900 m (2,000–3,000 ft) above sea level. The general orientation of the Trench is an almost straight 150/330° geographic north vector and has become convenient as a visual guide for aviators heading north or south.
The Kechika River is a tributary of the Liard River, about 300 kilometres (190 mi) long, in northern British Columbia, Canada. The Kechika flows generally northwest through the northernmost section of the Rocky Mountain Trench before turning east to join the Liard, a major branch of the Mackenzie River system. The river's 22,700 km2 (8,800 sq mi) drainage basin is characterized by high glaciated peaks, boreal forest, and open tundra. With no settlements, roads or dams along its course, the Kechika is considered "one of British Columbia's finest examples of wilderness and undisturbed wildlife habitat."
The Muskwa River flows 257 kilometres (160 mi) through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north, and then east again to meet with the Fort Nelson River just east of the town of Fort Nelson. The river drops approximately 1,100 metres (3,600 ft), its course taking it down the Rocky Mountain foothills through sub-alpine and boreal forest to meander across the forest and muskegs of the vast Liard River plains. From mouth to headwater, prominent tributaries include the Prophet River, Tuchodi River, and Gathto Creek. Much of the upper portions of this wilderness river and its watershed are located in the Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park, which is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The region is a popular wilderness recreation destination.
Dune Za Keyih Provincial Park and Protected Area, also known as the Frog-Gataga Provincial Park, is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and is located in the area of the Gataga River, between Denetiah Provincial Park, which lies west across the Kechika River, and Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park to its east. Established in 2001 as Frog-Gataga, the park is 346,833 hectares in area; its newer name is a Kaska Dena translation of Frog-Gataga.
Denetiah Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park and protected area located in the northern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It was established on June 29, 1999 to protect a large area of pristine wilderness at the headwaters of the Denetiah and Dahl Rivers.
Dall River Old Growth Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and is located immediately northwest of Denetiah Provincial Park, northwest of the junction of the Gataga and Kechika Rivers. Established in 1999, the park is 642 ha. in area. The park protects areas of white spruce old growth.
Liard River Corridor Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Part of the park is in the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area.
Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, which include to the north of the Kwadacha the Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park and Stone Mountain Provincial Park.
Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the north-eastern part of the province, 90 km south-west from Fort Nelson and it is bordered to the north by the Alaska Highway. Access is mostly done by boat, aircraft, on horseback or by hiking.
Prophet River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Established high in the Muskwa Ranges, on the course of the Prophet River, it is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area.
Redfern-Keily Provincial Park was a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.
Scatter River Old Growth Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the Liard River downstream from Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park and Liard River Corridor Provincial Park and Protected Area. The park includes the Grand Canyon of the Liard, a 30 km stretch of canyon and whitewater between the Toad and Trout River converges with the Liard. The park includes high upland plateau and muskeg as well as stands of old growth spruce forests. Established in 1999, the park is c.1140 ha. in area.
Tetsa River Provincial Park is a former provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. It is located on the north side of the Tetsa River at the confluence of Mill Creek, and is on the Alaska Highway.
Toad River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in the north of British Columbia, Canada. The hot springs are located on the lefthand bank of the Toad River, outside of the Racing River outflow. The area is rugged and remote, accessible only via hiking, riverboat, horseback, or helicopter. There is no actual bathing pool; visitors are advised to not attempt bathing, as heavy mud is a strong presence in the area. Entrance to this area is very difficult, with the crossing of private property being a likely factor, unless accessed by boat or air. Land access is most easily accomplished by horse or by hiking from the Stone Mountain Safaris parking lot. It is recommended that the lodge owners are contacted and made aware of any human presence in the area beforehand. They are very friendly and will always give advice as to how to traverse the area’s wilderness.
The Toad River is a river in the Canadian boreal forest, within the borders of the province of British Columbia.
Horneline Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in far northern British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of the Kechika River about 130 km south of Lower Post and 30 km north of Denetiah Provincial Park and southwest of the community of Liard River.
The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area is a provincially-run tract of land in the far north of British Columbia. It has an advisory board that counsels the government on land-use decisions. Established by provincial government legislation in 1998, the area is meant to be preserved as a wild area, but development is not outright forbidden; the land is divided into different zones, with varying levels of protection, although the whole area is to be used according to an overall plan. The original concept called for 25% of the land to be turned into provincial parks, 60% to become "special management zones", and 15% to become "special wild land zones", where logging would be prohibited. The original size of the M-KMA was 4,450,000 hectares. However, in 2000, with the approval of the Mackenzie Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP), over 1,900,000 hectares were added to the M-KMA for a total area of 6,400,000 hectares —an area slightly smaller than the US state of Maine, or the entire island of Ireland, or seven times the size of Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming.
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