Robson River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Canada |
Province | British Columbia |
District | Cariboo Land District |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Robson Lake |
• location | Mount Robson Provincial Park |
• coordinates | 53°09′16″N119°07′09″W / 53.15444°N 119.11917°W |
• elevation | 5,489 ft (1,673 m) [1] |
Mouth | Fraser River |
• location | Mount Robson Provincial Park |
• coordinates | 53°01′37″N119°15′29″W / 53.02694°N 119.25806°W Coordinates: 53°01′37″N119°15′29″W / 53.02694°N 119.25806°W |
• elevation | 2,637 ft (804 m) [2] |
The Robson River is a short but swift, rapid and waterfall-infested river in Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia. [3] It is a tributary of the Upper Fraser River and it originates near Robson Pass, which divides the Robson River and the headwaters of the Smoky River drainage. There are three lakes along the river's course as well as four waterfalls.
The Robson River begins in Robson Lake, which is located at the toe of the Robson Glacier. After exiting the lake, the river flows northwest then southwest before entering Berg Lake. Before entering Berg Lake, the river widens and splits into many small streams before flowing into the northeast end of Berg Lake.
The river exits the southwest end and flows west for about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) until dropping over spectacular Emperor Falls, a 46 metres (150 ft) plunge at the head of a 1.6-kilometre (1.0 mi) canyon in which the river thunders over two more waterfalls. The first is Falls of the Pool, which comes about halfway down the gorge and at the end of the canyon is White Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall that cannot be seen in its entirety from the main trail. All these falls are collectively known as the Valley of a Thousand Falls. The river continues south from White Falls for another 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) before entering Kinney Lake, which sits directly at the base of the Robson River's namesake peak, Mount Robson. Between Berg and Kinney Lakes, the river loses 666 metres (2,185 ft) of elevation, much of which is lost in the gorge between Emperor and White Falls. Once again, prior to entering another lake, this time Kinney, the river spreads out very wide & divides into many braids before flowing into the lake.
The Robson exits Kinney Lake at its south end and flows southwest for about 7.3 kilometres (4.5 mi) to its confluence with the Fraser, about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) below Overlander Falls and about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) above the mouth of Swiftcurrent Creek. About halfway between Kinney Lake & the Fraser is Knowlton Falls, the first waterfall seen on the Berg Lake Trail. About 0.6 kilometres (0.4 mi) above the Fraser, the Yellowhead Highway crosses the river.
In total, the river loses 869 metres (2,852 ft) of elevation between Robson Lake and the Fraser River, three-quarters of which is lost between Berg and Kinney Lakes.
The main hiking trail in the area is the Berg Lake Trail, which begins at the Yellowhead Highway near the mouth of the Robson. It goes all the way to its namesake lake, where the trail splits into more trails. Reaching Berg Lake is usually a multi-day trip. However, it is possible and it is done in a single day by some.
Not everyone chooses to go all the way to Berg Lake though. Some will settle with a much quicker but still satisfying trip to Kinney Lake. Bikes are permitted all the way up to Kinney Lake and a ways beyond. Part way down the shore of the lake is a bike lock-up. From here, anyone continuing to go further upriver has to go on foot.
The Berg Lake trail also gives hikers looks at the Robson's waterfalls. Knowlton Falls is seen about halfway between the trailhead and Kinney Lake while hikers can stare into the canyon at White Falls and Falls of the Pool as the trail climbs toward Berg Lake. [4]
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 1,375 kilometres (854 mi), into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. It is the 11th longest river in Canada. The river's annual discharge at its mouth is 112 cubic kilometres (27 cu mi) or 3,550 cubic metres per second (125,000 cu ft/s), and it discharges 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean.
Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of the Rainbow Range. Mount Robson is the second highest peak entirely in British Columbia, behind Mount Waddington in the Coast Range. The south face of Mount Robson is clearly visible from the Yellowhead Highway, and is commonly photographed along this route.
Berg Lake is a lake on the Robson River just below the river's source located within Mount Robson Provincial Park, at the doorstep of the north face of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It is partly fed by the Berg Glacier.
Mount Robson Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian Rockies with an area of 2,249 km². The park is located entirely within British Columbia, bordering Jasper National Park in Alberta. The B.C. legislature created the park in 1913, the same year as the first ascent of Mount Robson by a party led by Conrad Kain. It is the second oldest park in the provincial system. The park is named for Mount Robson, which has the highest point in the Canadian Rockies and is located entirely within the park.
Kinney Lake is a lake located in Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. The lake can be reached by following the Berg Lake Trail for 4.2 kilometres. The lake is an expansion of the Robson River and is located about halfway between the river's source and its mouth. It was named by Arthur Philemon Coleman, Canadian geologist, who explored the region with his friend, George Kinney, who spotted the lake first.
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Emperor Falls is the largest and best known waterfall on the Robson River in Mount Robson Provincial Park. It is located a short distance downstream of and southwest from the outlet of Berg Lake.
The Moose River is a river in Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia. It is the first "river" tributary of the Fraser, entering the Fraser just above the inlet to Moose Lake, which is along the course of the Fraser and not the Moose.
Swiftcurrent Creek is a river in Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia. It is a tributary of the Fraser River, entering the Fraser about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) below the mouth of the Robson River.
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