Stone Mountain Provincial Park
|
Stone Mountain Provincial Park
|
||
 Summit Lake from the east |
||
| location | British Columbia (Canada) | |
| surface | 256.9 km² | |
| WDPA ID | 18481 | |
| Geographical location | 58 ° 38 ′ N , 124 ° 42 ′ W | |
|
||
| Setup date | June 25, 1957 | |
| administration | BC parks | |
The Stone Mountain Provincial Park is a nature reserve on the Alaska Highway in the north of the province of British Columbia , the Regional District Northern Rockies .
location
The Alaska Highway - here the British Columbia Highway 97 - crosses the provincial park between the kilometers 594 and 609. It is located in the northern Canadian Rockies and covers an area of around 257 km² the valley of the upper MacDonald Creek and the valley of the upper one North Tetsa River . The mountain lakes Summit Lake , Rocky Crest Lake , Flower Springs Lake and the Upper Lakes are characteristic .
In the park, the Alaska Highway reaches its highest altitude at Summit Pass at 1295 m , a large part of the park consists of high valleys of the Muskwa Ranges in the northern Rocky Mountains. The characteristic peak of the 2261 m high Mount Saint George towers over Summit Lake, in the southern part of the reserve the peaks rise up to a height of 2550 m ( Saint Magnus Peak ).
natural reserve
The park is a category Ib protected area ( wilderness area ).
The core area of the park is formed by the high valleys of MacDonald Creek and the North Tetsa River , which are characterized by low vegetation, alpine tundra . In particular, alpine meadows, moors and rocks covered with lichen characterize this central part of the park, whose rocks consist of limestone and quartzite . For the valley of MacDonald Creek, the Alaska rhododendron ( Rhododendron lapponicum ) is a characteristic shrub, and there are also small swamps ("Muskeg") in protected depressions. In the alpine zone, caribou , mountain goat and dall sheep are characteristic, the small mammals are represented by ice-gray marmots and chipmunks , and the ptarmigan is also found in large numbers.
The area between Summit Pass and Summit Lake is occupied by a swamp , small birch trees and willows characterize this landscape.
The road runs in the area of the boreal coniferous forests, the tree line is reached just below 1500 m. Mainly white spruce and fir trees are found here, near Summit Lake there is a large population of coastal pines , which indicates a forest fire at the time the Alaska Highway was built.
Rainbow trout and American char were released in the lakes .
activities
Summit Lake is ideal for trips by canoe or kayak . There is a boat launch facility at Summit Lake Campground.
The park and the Wokkpash Recreation Area to the south are a paradise for hikers, for whom there are trails of different lengths and levels of difficulty:
- Tetsa # 1 Trail (4 km; 2-3 hours); Start and end point: Mile 366 / km 589 Alaska Highway; relatively easy way to a mountain lake
- Dunedin Trail (15 km; 5-8 hours); Start and end points: Mile 368 / km 592 Alaska Highway; leads to the Dunedin River with a slow but steady slope (way back: slope)
- Summit Ridge Trail (4.5 km; 2-3 hours); Start and end point: Mile 373 / km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake Campground; steep path to the ridge with a view of Summit Peak
- Summit Peak Trail / Mount Saint Paul (6.7 km; 3–5 hours to the top lookout and back; 12.5 km, 5–9 hours to the summit and back); Start and end point: Mile 373 / km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake Campground; leads steeply to the summit of the 2,126 meter high Mount St. Paul
- Flower Springs Trail (13.7 km; 4–5 hours along the lakeshore; 10.2 km, 3.5–5 hours via Radio Tower Road); Start and end point: Mile 373 / km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake Campground; the trail follows the valley of the North Tetsa River to Flower Springs Lake through alpine meadows
- Summit Tower Road (12 km; 4-5 hours); Start and end point: Mile 373 / km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake Campground; the path leads along a gravel road to a radio tower with a view of the valley of the MacDonald stream and valley
- Erosion Pillars Trail (1 km, 0.5-1 hour); Start and end point: Mile 376 / km 609 Alaska Highway; leads to some hoodoos near Rocky Crest Lake
- MacDonald Creek Valley Trail (35 km); Start / End Point: Mile 378 / km 612 Alaska Highway; is also used as a riding trail
- Wokkpash Valley-MacDonald Creek Loop Trail (71 km, 4-7 days); Start / end point: Mile 378 / km 612 Alaska Highway (MacDonald start / end point) and Mile 382 / km 619 (Churchill Mine Road start / end point); 18 km of gravel roads and 53 km of hiking trails
Web links
- Stone Mountain Provincial Park . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- Stone Mountain Provincial Park . In: English language website of the park at BC Parks
- Stone Mountain Provincial Park on the website britishcolumbia.com (English)