Outdoor Recreation

Fraser River

What more can be said of the mighty Fraser?  This massive force cutting through the heart of Southern BC influences all of our lives to some degree or another.  Bisecting the communities of North Bend and Boston Bar the Fraser is a source of food, recreation, and even transportation for those the live near its shores. In the Fraser Canyon visitors are often amazed  by the high water marks scoured by the Fraser, especially in the most narrow stretches. The more narrow the river passage, the more dramatic the change in water levels, especially during flood stages.  Walk down to the water line during really cold weather in January near the Scuzzy Creek confluence and imagine being under over 30' of fast flowing water in June.  Truly an awesome amount of water and power. Now, try to swim upstream in this massive and turbid water to points hundreds of kilometers upstream. It seems improbable but that is exactly what (usually) thousand or even millions of salmon do every year. Go for a swim in a placid eddy and think of 6 foot long sturgeon mistaking your toes for little snacks and you will start to feel the scale of this environment. Sturgeon live to be more than a century old and even in modern times reach lengths exceeding eleven feet. Some of the eddies in the Fraser River are actually moving upstream so fast that you can experience significant rapids in water that is moving in the opposite direction of the main stream. During freshet one can hear a very distinctive "hiss" from all of the particles suspended in the waters of the Fraser colliding in the vigorous waters. This is a unique sound not equaled in the authors experience that best enjoyed under water in June with your eyes closed (in a safe place!).

Nahatlatch River

The Nahatlatch River is one of many West to East flowing drainages in this part of the Fraser Basin drainage. The Nahatlatch valley is unique as it demarks the transition from a wetter coastal influened bio-geo-climatic zone to the dryer interior environment.  One can observe Douglas Fir, Cedar and Western Mountain Hemlock forests on the Southern side of the valley with drier predominantly Pine forests beggining North of the drainage. The upper reaches of the Nahatlatch feature meandering loops through predominately flat valley bottom with a nearly 11 kilometer long chain of 3 lakes (Francis, Hannah, and Nahatlatch Lakes) transitioning to a fast moving whitewater river for the last 23 kilometers of the drainage.  The gradient is so continuous  that it forms one of the steepest and most exciting stretches of commercially viable whitewater in British Columbia.  REO Rafting makes it's wilderness headquarters at the transition from the upper Nahatlatch River to the Nahatlatch canyon The canyon section includes the most intense whitewater stretch at the end of the Nahatatch rivers's run to the Fraser River.  The canyon is narrower, faster with taller vertical walls of rock and steeper river gradients than the remainder of the river.  Scuzzy Creek, Nahatlatch River, Kwoiek Creek, Anderson Creek, Ainslee Creek, and the Stein river (as well as countless other smalller creeks) all experience steeper, narrower, and more turbulent flow during the last few kilometers of flow into the Fraser River at the bottom of the Canyon. 

Nahatlatch Provincial Park

    This park is truly about riparian zone values.  Narrow and closely following the valley bottom from Log Creek to the bridge at 39km (which used to be 48km before the change in signage) this park preserves 3 lakes and an important stretch of river upstream of Nahatlatch lake.  Home to the most productive Salmon spawning grounds in the entire drainage, this stretch of river gives you the impression of pristine wilderness despite being withing 100m of the forestry road for most of it's length. Nahatlatch lake is the longest of of an almost 11 km long system of  three lakes that also includes Francis and Hannah lakes.  Squakum campground is on the downstream end of Nahatlatch lake on a peninsula that offers some small natural beaches and spectacular views of the Pacific Leeward Coastal Mountains.  Framed at the western-most end of the valley is the spectacular Nahatlatch Nipple, topping out at nearly 2000m (6400') with year round ice and snow. Views from Squakum campsites include the southern shore of Nahatlatch lake that is hemmed in by vertical cliffs that continue right to the water line and below.  The sun shines here late into the afternoon. even in winter, and is one of the most rewarding places to visit when you need a boost of vitamin D.

Mehatl Creek Provincial Park

    This park is a "class C wilderness park" with no improvements, trails or services.  Mehatl Park joins Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park to form an important wildlife corridor; especially for wide ranging wildlife such as Grizzly Bear. Travel in Mehatl Creek Park involves true backcountry camping skills.  From valley bottom to spectacular ice fields, glaciers and 8000' peaks this area has everything one would expect from a vast Coastal Leeward mountain park.