Stone Mountain Provincial Park

IUCN Category Ib - Wilderness Area

Summit Lake from the east

The Stone Mountain Provincial Park is a nature reserve on the Alaska Highway in the north of the province of British Columbia.

Location

The Alaska Highway - here the British Columbia Highway 97 - crosses the provincial park between kilometers 594 and 609 It is located in the northern Canadian Rocky Mountains and covers an area of approximately 257 km of the upper MacDonald Creek ² the valley and the valley of the upper North Tetsa River. Characteristic are the Mountain Lakes Summit Lake, Rocky Crest Lake, Flower Springs Lake and the Upper Lakes.

In the park of the Alaska Highway reached at the Summit pass with 1295 m its greatest height, much of the park consists of high valleys of the Muskwa Ranges in the northern Rocky Mountains. The characteristic peak of 2261 m high Mount Saint George surmounted the Summit Lake, in the southern part of the protected area, the peaks rise to a height of 2550 m ( Saint Magnus peak).

Conservation

In the park is a protected area category Ib ( Wilderness Area ).

The core area of the park form characterized by low vegetation, alpine tundra valleys of MacDonald Creek and the North Tetsa River. In particular, alpine meadows, marshes and lichen-covered rocks dominate this central part of the park, whose rocks are limestone and quartzite. For the valley of the MacDonald Creek Alaska Rhododendron (Rhododendron lapponicum ) is a characteristic shrub, moreover, in sheltered valleys are small marshes ( " Muskeg "). In the alpine zone Caribou, Mountain Goat and Dall sheep are characteristic, small mammals are represented by hoary marmots and chipmunks, the ptarmigan is also present in large numbers.

The area between Summit Pass and Summit Lake is occupied by a swamp, dwarf birch and willow dominate this landscape.

The road runs in the area of ​​boreal forests, the forest limit is reached just below 1500 m. Here come mainly from white spruce and fir trees, near the Summit Lake there is a large inventory of coastal pines, which points to a forest fire at the time of the construction of the Alaska Highway.

In the lakes rainbow trout and American arctic char were exposed.

Activities

The Summit Lake is ideal for trips by Canadians or kayak. At Summit Lake campground there is a possibility for insertion of boats.

The park and the south followed Wokkpash Recreation Area is a paradise for hikers, for which there are trails of varying length and difficulty:

  • Tetsa # 1 Trail ( 4 km; 2-3 h); Start and end point: Mile 366/km 589 Alaska Highway; relatively simple way to a mountain lake
  • Dunedin Trail (15 km; 5-8 h); Start and end point: Mile 368/km 592 Alaska Highway; leads to the Dunedin River with a slow but steady incline (return: slope)
  • Summit Ridge Trail ( 4.5 km, 2-3 h); Start and end point: Mile 373/km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake campground; steep path to the ridge with views of the Peak Summit
  • Summit Peak Trail / Mount Saint Paul (6.7 km; 3-5 h to the upper viewpoint 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; steeply to the summit of 2,126 -meter Mount St. Paul
  • Flower Springs Trail (13,7 km; 4-5 h along the lakeshore; 10.2 km, 3.5-5 h over the radio tower road ); Start and end point: Mile 373/km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake campground; the trail follows the valley of the River North Tetsa to Flower Springs Lake through alpine meadows
  • Summit Tower Road (12 km; 4-5 h); Start and end point: Mile 373/km 600 Alaska Highway at Summit Lake campground; the way to a gravel road to a radio tower with views of the valley of the MacDonald Bach and Valley
  • Erosion Pillars Trail ( 1 km, 0.5-1 h); Start and end point: Mile 376/km 609 Alaska Highway; leads to some hoodoos near the Rocky Crest Lake
  • MacDonald Creek Valley Trail (35 km ); Start / finish: Mile 378/km 612 Alaska Highway; is used as a mount path
  • Wokkpash Valley MacDonald Creek Loop Trail (71 km, 4-7 days); Start / finish: Mile 378/km 612 Alaska Highway ( MacDonald Start-/Endpunkt ) and Mile 382/km 619 (Churchill Mine Road Start-/Endpunkt ); 18 km gravel road and 53 km of paths
Canadian Rockies Rock Ptarmigan Boreal ecosystem Lake trout BC Geographical Names
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