South Chilcotin Mountains Park is a visually spectacular area with mid-elevation grasslands, sub-alpine and alpine meadows, lakes, and mountain peaks. This park encompasses the complete watersheds of Lizard and Leckie creeks. It also includes significant parts of other large intact watersheds and headwaters.
Over 200 km of interconnected trails travel through valleys, alpine meadows, and ridges. These offer a variety of loop trips of varying difficulty and distances for hiking, horseback riding, and cycling. Wildlife viewing and fishing are popular activities here. Skiing is available in winter.
","safetyInfo":"","specialNotes":"","locationNotes":"The park is approximately 150 km north of Whistler and 95km west of Lillooet. Access to the park is from Lillooet along Carpenter Lake on Highway 40. In the summer, access from Pemberton is available via the Hurley Forest Service Road to Gold Bridge. This road climbs steeply to 1,850 m and can be very rough.
To access the Jewel Bridge trailhead, take the Slim Creek Forest Service Road. This service road is about 7 km east of Gold Bridge on Highway 40. On the service road, head generally north for approximately 12 km. This will take you to the start of the Gun Creek-Spruce Lake Trail at Jewel Creek.
Alternatively, you can drive to Gun Lake and access the Slim Creek Forest Service Road at the east end of the lake. You can also access the park from the southeast and east sides via logging and mining roads. Many of these roads require a four-wheel drive vehicle.
","parkContact":"","reservations":"","maps":"The georeferenced map can be downloaded and used in mapping applications on your mobile device. South Chilcotin Mountains Park is a remote area, with limited connectivity. Do not use an online map as your only reference for navigation. We recommend printing out our park map for use in areas with no connectivity.
","managementPlanning":"BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
","slug":"south-chilcotin-mountains-park","isDisplayed":true,"createdAt":"2022-01-19T14:21:56.326Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-15T23:08:07.881Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-15T23:08:07.943Z","searchTerms":null,"hasDiscoverParksLink":null,"conservation":"The gently sloping valleys and dome-shaped mountains that typify the Chilcotin Ranges form the core topographic features of the park. Some of the higher peaks such as Mount Warner (2834 m) are relatively rugged.
Extensive alpine areas supply abundant water to the park’s creeks. Lakes and tarns occur at the headwaters of Slim, Leckie, and Upper Gun creeks. Spruce Lake sits in the high pass between the Gun and Tyaughton valleys.
Wetlands and braided channels are typical of the upper reaches on all the southern creeks as well as upper Tyaughton Creek. Steep, fast-flowing creeks flow in all directions from the southeast part of the park.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park is in an area of complex geology that straddles the boundary between the southeast Coast Mountains and the Chilcotin Plateau. Landscape features in South Chilcotin Mountains Park reflect the many complex geological formations that underlie it.
Fossils demonstrate the marine origin of many of the park’s sedimentary rocks. Well-preserved late Triassic marine fossils (ammonites and bivalves) are found in the Tyaughton Creek area. Lower and middle Jurassic rocks in this same general area are also locally rich in fossils (mainly ammonites).
The Relay Mountain Group is in part extremely rich in upper Jurassic and lower cretaceous fossils. Fossil-rich parts of the Relay Mountain Group are found around upper Relay Creek, Elbow Mountain, and on the low bluffs, northwest of Spruce Lake.
It is illegal to remove fossils or any other natural or cultural artifacts from any BC Park.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park has less precipitation than surrounding areas. Summer temperatures are moderately cool. Frost is expected in most months at the lower elevations and year-round in the alpine area.
The lowest elevations of the park, in lower Gun and Tyaughton creek valleys, are the warmest and driest parts of the park. These areas are often windy, throughout the year.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park includes lush grasslands and meadows in alpine and subalpine areas. Large areas of aspen and conifer forests are in Tyaughton, Gun, and Relay creek valleys. Engelmann spruce, sub-alpine fir, Douglas fir forests, lodgepole pine, and white bark pine forests are also present.
","culturalHeritage":"The area known as South Chilcotin Mountains Park has been used by Indigenous People for thousands of years. It falls within the territory of three Nations: Tsilhqot’in, St’at’imc, and Secwepemc.
","history":"The area known as South Chilcotin Mountains Park was first proposed for protection in 1937. It was designated as a protected area in April 2001. The park’s present boundaries were established, and the area was designated as a Class A park, in June 2010.
Through various wilderness studies and special management processes, much of the area’s wilderness character has been maintained. Indigenous Peoples have lived in, travelled through, and used this area for thousands of years. They continue maintaining cultural connections to the area.
In more recent history, the area has also been used for mining, ranching, and recreation. Today, the park is used for a range of recreational activities. These activities include commercial recreation services authorized through park-use permits issued by BC Parks.
","wildlife":"Many species of large mammals are found in South Chilcotin Mountains Park. These include mountain goat, mule deer, grizzly bear, black bear, bighorn sheep, and moose. Cougars and wolves may also be present.
Smaller mammals include marmot, pika and Columbia ground squirrel. A wide variety of small fur-bearers also live here, including lynx, beaver, mink, muskrat, marten, and wolverine.
Birdlife includes species of larks, pipits, ptarmigans, grouse, jays, woodpeckers, nutcrackers, chickadees, nuthatches, siskins, kinglets, dippers, thrushes, robins, and warblers. Birds of prey include various eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls.
Creeks in this park are home to bull trout. The lakes contain rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, and kokanee. Few reptiles and amphibians can survive the harsh winters, and little is known about the park’s insect population.
","documentId":"j55rvvarc69gvel65o0wdfr6"}]},{"id":4571,"advisoryNumber":3219,"revisionNumber":1,"title":"Be aware of post-wildfire hazards","description":"The 2023 Downton Lake wildfire has introduced hazards to lower portions of Gun Creek Trail and Jewel Creek Parking Lot that present an increased risk of injury to visitors.
\nHazards may include:
\nIf you choose to use this area, reduce your risk:
\nSouth Chilcotin Mountains Park is a visually spectacular area with mid-elevation grasslands, sub-alpine and alpine meadows, lakes, and mountain peaks. This park encompasses the complete watersheds of Lizard and Leckie creeks. It also includes significant parts of other large intact watersheds and headwaters.
Over 200 km of interconnected trails travel through valleys, alpine meadows, and ridges. These offer a variety of loop trips of varying difficulty and distances for hiking, horseback riding, and cycling. Wildlife viewing and fishing are popular activities here. Skiing is available in winter.
","safetyInfo":"","specialNotes":"","locationNotes":"The park is approximately 150 km north of Whistler and 95km west of Lillooet. Access to the park is from Lillooet along Carpenter Lake on Highway 40. In the summer, access from Pemberton is available via the Hurley Forest Service Road to Gold Bridge. This road climbs steeply to 1,850 m and can be very rough.
To access the Jewel Bridge trailhead, take the Slim Creek Forest Service Road. This service road is about 7 km east of Gold Bridge on Highway 40. On the service road, head generally north for approximately 12 km. This will take you to the start of the Gun Creek-Spruce Lake Trail at Jewel Creek.
Alternatively, you can drive to Gun Lake and access the Slim Creek Forest Service Road at the east end of the lake. You can also access the park from the southeast and east sides via logging and mining roads. Many of these roads require a four-wheel drive vehicle.
","parkContact":"","reservations":"","maps":"The georeferenced map can be downloaded and used in mapping applications on your mobile device. South Chilcotin Mountains Park is a remote area, with limited connectivity. Do not use an online map as your only reference for navigation. We recommend printing out our park map for use in areas with no connectivity.
","managementPlanning":"BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
","slug":"south-chilcotin-mountains-park","isDisplayed":true,"createdAt":"2022-01-19T14:21:56.326Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-15T23:08:07.881Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-15T23:08:07.943Z","searchTerms":null,"hasDiscoverParksLink":null,"conservation":"The gently sloping valleys and dome-shaped mountains that typify the Chilcotin Ranges form the core topographic features of the park. Some of the higher peaks such as Mount Warner (2834 m) are relatively rugged.
Extensive alpine areas supply abundant water to the park’s creeks. Lakes and tarns occur at the headwaters of Slim, Leckie, and Upper Gun creeks. Spruce Lake sits in the high pass between the Gun and Tyaughton valleys.
Wetlands and braided channels are typical of the upper reaches on all the southern creeks as well as upper Tyaughton Creek. Steep, fast-flowing creeks flow in all directions from the southeast part of the park.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park is in an area of complex geology that straddles the boundary between the southeast Coast Mountains and the Chilcotin Plateau. Landscape features in South Chilcotin Mountains Park reflect the many complex geological formations that underlie it.
Fossils demonstrate the marine origin of many of the park’s sedimentary rocks. Well-preserved late Triassic marine fossils (ammonites and bivalves) are found in the Tyaughton Creek area. Lower and middle Jurassic rocks in this same general area are also locally rich in fossils (mainly ammonites).
The Relay Mountain Group is in part extremely rich in upper Jurassic and lower cretaceous fossils. Fossil-rich parts of the Relay Mountain Group are found around upper Relay Creek, Elbow Mountain, and on the low bluffs, northwest of Spruce Lake.
It is illegal to remove fossils or any other natural or cultural artifacts from any BC Park.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park has less precipitation than surrounding areas. Summer temperatures are moderately cool. Frost is expected in most months at the lower elevations and year-round in the alpine area.
The lowest elevations of the park, in lower Gun and Tyaughton creek valleys, are the warmest and driest parts of the park. These areas are often windy, throughout the year.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park includes lush grasslands and meadows in alpine and subalpine areas. Large areas of aspen and conifer forests are in Tyaughton, Gun, and Relay creek valleys. Engelmann spruce, sub-alpine fir, Douglas fir forests, lodgepole pine, and white bark pine forests are also present.
","culturalHeritage":"The area known as South Chilcotin Mountains Park has been used by Indigenous People for thousands of years. It falls within the territory of three Nations: Tsilhqot’in, St’at’imc, and Secwepemc.
","history":"The area known as South Chilcotin Mountains Park was first proposed for protection in 1937. It was designated as a protected area in April 2001. The park’s present boundaries were established, and the area was designated as a Class A park, in June 2010.
Through various wilderness studies and special management processes, much of the area’s wilderness character has been maintained. Indigenous Peoples have lived in, travelled through, and used this area for thousands of years. They continue maintaining cultural connections to the area.
In more recent history, the area has also been used for mining, ranching, and recreation. Today, the park is used for a range of recreational activities. These activities include commercial recreation services authorized through park-use permits issued by BC Parks.
","wildlife":"Many species of large mammals are found in South Chilcotin Mountains Park. These include mountain goat, mule deer, grizzly bear, black bear, bighorn sheep, and moose. Cougars and wolves may also be present.
Smaller mammals include marmot, pika and Columbia ground squirrel. A wide variety of small fur-bearers also live here, including lynx, beaver, mink, muskrat, marten, and wolverine.
Birdlife includes species of larks, pipits, ptarmigans, grouse, jays, woodpeckers, nutcrackers, chickadees, nuthatches, siskins, kinglets, dippers, thrushes, robins, and warblers. Birds of prey include various eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls.
Creeks in this park are home to bull trout. The lakes contain rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, and kokanee. Few reptiles and amphibians can survive the harsh winters, and little is known about the park’s insect population.
","documentId":"j55rvvarc69gvel65o0wdfr6"}]},{"id":4936,"advisoryNumber":3533,"revisionNumber":2,"title":"Park is partially closed, trail access impacted","description":"\n Portions of the park are partially closed for public health and safety. The trails below are closed due to proximity to the fire boundary and access:\n
\nIn the interest of public safety, BC Parks has partially closed this park until further notice.
\n\nGet up-to-date information from other official sources, such as the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the local regional district, and Drive BC.
\n\nYou can still visit other BC Parks that remain unaffected by wildfire. Find other places to visit on the find a park page.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park is a visually spectacular area with mid-elevation grasslands, sub-alpine and alpine meadows, lakes, and mountain peaks. This park encompasses the complete watersheds of Lizard and Leckie creeks. It also includes significant parts of other large intact watersheds and headwaters.
Over 200 km of interconnected trails travel through valleys, alpine meadows, and ridges. These offer a variety of loop trips of varying difficulty and distances for hiking, horseback riding, and cycling. Wildlife viewing and fishing are popular activities here. Skiing is available in winter.
","safetyInfo":"","specialNotes":"","locationNotes":"The park is approximately 150 km north of Whistler and 95km west of Lillooet. Access to the park is from Lillooet along Carpenter Lake on Highway 40. In the summer, access from Pemberton is available via the Hurley Forest Service Road to Gold Bridge. This road climbs steeply to 1,850 m and can be very rough.
To access the Jewel Bridge trailhead, take the Slim Creek Forest Service Road. This service road is about 7 km east of Gold Bridge on Highway 40. On the service road, head generally north for approximately 12 km. This will take you to the start of the Gun Creek-Spruce Lake Trail at Jewel Creek.
Alternatively, you can drive to Gun Lake and access the Slim Creek Forest Service Road at the east end of the lake. You can also access the park from the southeast and east sides via logging and mining roads. Many of these roads require a four-wheel drive vehicle.
","parkContact":"","reservations":"","maps":"The georeferenced map can be downloaded and used in mapping applications on your mobile device. South Chilcotin Mountains Park is a remote area, with limited connectivity. Do not use an online map as your only reference for navigation. We recommend printing out our park map for use in areas with no connectivity.
","managementPlanning":"BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
","slug":"south-chilcotin-mountains-park","isDisplayed":true,"createdAt":"2022-01-19T14:21:56.326Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-15T23:08:07.881Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-15T23:08:07.943Z","searchTerms":null,"hasDiscoverParksLink":null,"conservation":"The gently sloping valleys and dome-shaped mountains that typify the Chilcotin Ranges form the core topographic features of the park. Some of the higher peaks such as Mount Warner (2834 m) are relatively rugged.
Extensive alpine areas supply abundant water to the park’s creeks. Lakes and tarns occur at the headwaters of Slim, Leckie, and Upper Gun creeks. Spruce Lake sits in the high pass between the Gun and Tyaughton valleys.
Wetlands and braided channels are typical of the upper reaches on all the southern creeks as well as upper Tyaughton Creek. Steep, fast-flowing creeks flow in all directions from the southeast part of the park.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park is in an area of complex geology that straddles the boundary between the southeast Coast Mountains and the Chilcotin Plateau. Landscape features in South Chilcotin Mountains Park reflect the many complex geological formations that underlie it.
Fossils demonstrate the marine origin of many of the park’s sedimentary rocks. Well-preserved late Triassic marine fossils (ammonites and bivalves) are found in the Tyaughton Creek area. Lower and middle Jurassic rocks in this same general area are also locally rich in fossils (mainly ammonites).
The Relay Mountain Group is in part extremely rich in upper Jurassic and lower cretaceous fossils. Fossil-rich parts of the Relay Mountain Group are found around upper Relay Creek, Elbow Mountain, and on the low bluffs, northwest of Spruce Lake.
It is illegal to remove fossils or any other natural or cultural artifacts from any BC Park.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park has less precipitation than surrounding areas. Summer temperatures are moderately cool. Frost is expected in most months at the lower elevations and year-round in the alpine area.
The lowest elevations of the park, in lower Gun and Tyaughton creek valleys, are the warmest and driest parts of the park. These areas are often windy, throughout the year.
South Chilcotin Mountains Park includes lush grasslands and meadows in alpine and subalpine areas. Large areas of aspen and conifer forests are in Tyaughton, Gun, and Relay creek valleys. Engelmann spruce, sub-alpine fir, Douglas fir forests, lodgepole pine, and white bark pine forests are also present.
","culturalHeritage":"The area known as South Chilcotin Mountains Park has been used by Indigenous People for thousands of years. It falls within the territory of three Nations: Tsilhqot’in, St’at’imc, and Secwepemc.
","history":"The area known as South Chilcotin Mountains Park was first proposed for protection in 1937. It was designated as a protected area in April 2001. The park’s present boundaries were established, and the area was designated as a Class A park, in June 2010.
Through various wilderness studies and special management processes, much of the area’s wilderness character has been maintained. Indigenous Peoples have lived in, travelled through, and used this area for thousands of years. They continue maintaining cultural connections to the area.
In more recent history, the area has also been used for mining, ranching, and recreation. Today, the park is used for a range of recreational activities. These activities include commercial recreation services authorized through park-use permits issued by BC Parks.
","wildlife":"Many species of large mammals are found in South Chilcotin Mountains Park. These include mountain goat, mule deer, grizzly bear, black bear, bighorn sheep, and moose. Cougars and wolves may also be present.
Smaller mammals include marmot, pika and Columbia ground squirrel. A wide variety of small fur-bearers also live here, including lynx, beaver, mink, muskrat, marten, and wolverine.
Birdlife includes species of larks, pipits, ptarmigans, grouse, jays, woodpeckers, nutcrackers, chickadees, nuthatches, siskins, kinglets, dippers, thrushes, robins, and warblers. Birds of prey include various eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls.
Creeks in this park are home to bull trout. The lakes contain rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, and kokanee. Few reptiles and amphibians can survive the harsh winters, and little is known about the park’s insect population.
","documentId":"j55rvvarc69gvel65o0wdfr6"}]}],"meta":{"pagination":{"page":1,"pageSize":100,"pageCount":1,"total":3}}}