Bowron Lake Provincial Park

IUCN Category II - National Park

The Cariboo Mountains from Isaac Lake

The Bowron Lake Provincial Park is a 139,700 -hectare Provincial Park in the center of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located about 115 kilometers east of Quesnel, Cariboo Regional District.

The park is located just off of Highway 26, which ends in about 30 kilometers west nearby Barkerville.

Plant

The park is located, as one of several in the Cariboo Mountains and in the transition region to the Interior Plateau. Basically, the reserve forms an approximately rectangular shape, with the largest alignment in north-south direction. In the south of the park is immediately adjacent to the Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park, which in turn is adjacent to Wells Gray Provincial Park. These three parks form a coherent, not quite 800,000 hectare reserve.

A formal road access is only possible via a gravel road from Bakersville from. This access road ends at the northwest corner of the park. Here then also include the campground of the park and the park administration.

The location of the park in the transition region of mountains to the plateau is also in the mountains. In the northwest, rather the Interior Plateau attributable Park area mountains are more rounded, while the mountains are more rugged in the east, the Cariboo Mountains allocable portion. The highest point in the park and even in the neighborhood is the Vixen peak with an altitude of 2693 m. Other mountains of similar height, for example, Mount Amos Bowman ( 2582 m), or Kaza Mountain ( 2543 m). Additional information is found in it numerous larger and smaller lakes. Lakes, which have a predominantly elongated shape, able to one another also form a rectangle. One of the biggest of them is the park name Bowron Lake imaging. The largest lake is Lake Isaac. In the park originate different streams and smaller rivers such as the Cariboo River and the Bowron River.

In the park is a protected area category II (National Park).

History

The park was established in 1961 and was named after the lake, on which the park is located. Namesake for the Bowron Lake, as well as for the Bowron River, Bowron was John, who was during the Cariboo Gold Rush Gold Commissioner at nearby Barkerville. Before the area to the Provincial Park was, it was protected since 1925 as a game reserve by the Canadian Ministry of Environment. With its establishment as a Provincial Park, the reserve had an area of ​​about 120,000 ha by changes of borders in the years 1969 and 1971, the park grew to approximately 123,000 ha to. The last time the boundaries were changed in 2000. With this latest change in the park then also reached its present size.

The park is located in the traditional hunting and settlement area of ​​First Nations people from the Dakelh. For their presence can be found in the park at various points hints. Their number has been greatly reduced by a Pockenepedemie in the 1860s. An existing settlement slipped in 1964 in the Bowron Lake. About the trigger for there are different assumptions: either undermining or an earthquake in Alaska. In the dwellings it was burrows. Some names of the area for lakes, rivers and mountains still have their origin in the language of the Carrier.

During the Cariboo Gold Rush prospectors came up in the current park area. Sign of their direction can be found in old dilapidated huts or crumbling chimney remains.

Flora and Fauna

Within the ecosystem of British Columbia, the Park area biogeoklimatische different zones will be assigned. These are default height ascending the Sub - boreal Spruce zone, the Interior Cedar Hemlock zone, the Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir zone and the Alpine tundra zone. Biogeoklimatische zones are characterized by a respective same climate and the same or very similar biological and geological conditions. This results in the respective zones then also a very similar inventory of plants and animals.

Apart from some non- forested wetlands and the treeless alpine area, the forest landscape of the park is characterized by mature, naturally reared forest.

The Sub - Boreal Spruce zone forms on the altitude of the lowest biogeoklimatischen zones in the park. In this zone, the subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce are dominant. Also you will find here mixed forms of Engelmann spruce and white spruce. Furthermore, the American aspen and paper birch many Douglas firs and come in clusters. In the area that was devastated by a fire beginning of the millennium, the forests regenerated. Here lodgepole pine dominate the stock.

Also in the Interior Cedar Hemlock next higher zone are the Subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce are the dominant tree species. However, characteristics of this zone are the eponymous Western Hemlock and the Giant Tree of Life.

The Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir zone is also dominated by Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir. The mixed forms of Engelmann spruce and white spruce can be found here.

Above the ESSF is the Alpine Tundra zone, no longer grow in the trees by colder temperatures, prolonged snowfall, short growing seasons and harsh winter. Above the tree line, at the highest point of the park is dominated by a mosaic of grasses, mosses and shrubs.

Furthermore, can be found in the park in the undergrowth of the trees also endangered and rare species of flowers, bushes, shrubs and grasses. These rare or endangered species is one of a subspecies of arnica, different subspecies of evening primrose plants and carnation plants, as well as various swaths grasses and rushes.

A variety of wildlife living in the park, including a relatively large grizzly bears and American black bears, wolves and wolverines Mackenzie as a hunter. Also, there are elk, deer, mountain goats and caribou. Add or along the streams and lakes beavers and otters as well as rainbow trout, American lake trout, brook trout, bull trout, see ( Salvelinus confluentus ), brook trout, whitefish and Coregonidenart Prosopium william soni (English Mountain whitefish ) and sockeye salmon. The park management indicates that in the park permanently or temporarily occur around 130 different species of birds. These include Canada cranes, trumpeter swans, short-eared owls, herons Canada and the North American bittern.

Adjacent parks

In addition to the Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park and the Wells Gray Provincial Park more parks are more or less immediate vicinity. These include:

  • Mount Robson Provincial Park ( the largest of the neighboring parks )
  • West Twin Provincial Park
  • Ptarmigan Creek Provincial Park
  • Erg Mountain Provincial Park
  • Cariboo River Provincial Park

Activities

The park has 25 partially reservable spaces for campers and tents and has several simple sanitation. The park along the lakes and rivers, seven other shelters with beds and cooking houses and prepared tent sites. Making the "wild" camping and fires are allowed with restrictions. Due to the occurring Bears can be found at the designated camping sites Bear Poles.

The park is especially for Canadians and kayak riders very popular, but not officially open throughout the year for this (only from 15 May to 30 September). The park is crossed two different circular hiking courses. These water trails follow the course of various rivers and lakes and are connected by short portages. The longer of the two circular routes, with a total of around 116 km paddling route and 11 km Portage, you can complete in about seven days, while the shorter ride takes about two to three days. Canoeists must register before the walk in principle. Groups over a certain size must not be only register, but need to walk a permit.

Even with rock climbers and the lying on the southern and south-eastern border of the park mountains a certain popularity. But these are difficult to achieve.

Furthermore, can be found in the park no longer developed and designated trails. The park offers therefore, also due to its not easy acces, only outdoor lovers a recreation opportunity.

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