When people think of the Rocky Mountains, they usually think of Banff and Jasper National Parks on the Alberta side of the British Columbia-Alberta border. It doesn’t register that a major portion of these mountains spill across the Alberta border, cutting a vast swath across the northern half of British Columbia. The Rocky Mountains and their foothills dominate the Northeast, comprising roughly 20 million acres (8 million ha). There are no roads that cross the range north of Pine Pass (between Mackenzie and Chetwynd) until the Yukon border. The Northern Rocky Mountains are the largest roadless landscape south of the 60th parallel, as well as one of the richest and most varied intact large wildlife ecosystems remaining in North America. The area’s wildlife population is so prolific that this portion of the Northern Rockies has been dubbed the ‘Serengeti of North America.’
Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area is a remote wilderness area located on the British Columbia-Alberta boarder. The park showcases iceclad mountains, extensive alpine meadows, and a section of the Continental Divide, its main physical features include Mount Sir Alexander (3270 m), Mount Ida (3189 m) and Kakwa Lake.
Summer activities include camping, hiking, fishing, and horseback trips. And in winter, snowmobiling and wilderness ski tours. Wilderness camping is permitted, but limited facilities are provided and visitors should be self-contained and properly equipped. There are three cabins located at Kakwa Lake that hold approximately 4 people each. All the cabins are on a first-come, first-served basis during the summer and winter. Park Rangers and Volunteer Hosts are on duty in Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area from early spring until snow.
Don’t forget your binoculars, wildlife species found in Kakwa include grizzly and black bears, caribou, moose, deer, elk, wolves, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wolverine and marten.
Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area is located 70km north of McBride in Northern British Columbia, and can be accessed from Grand Prairie in Alberta, or by air charter.
Nearby Regions & Towns
Park Notices
