Skeena East. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
- Caution should be exercised when travelling on waters in the Nechako Reservoir and those in the park. Windstorms may arise very quickly and become quite severe for multiple days. May is usually the windiest month. Strong winds can be expected for about one-third of the time during the boating season. No attempt should be made to travel long distances or venture far from the shoreline of the reservoir in canoes, kayaks or car-top boats.
- The Musclow Lake Trail as shown on various park maps is not currently maintained.
- Suitable clothing must be worn and proper equipment for outdoor living carried. Visitors should have appropriate maps. All arrangements for supplies, including gasoline for boats, must be made before entering the park.
- At all times, be alert for deadheads, submerged trees and unmarked reefs.
Special notes
- As of November 12, 2014: The Pondosy Lake campsite facilities have been removed from the park.
- The northern portion of Tweedsmuir Park is a wilderness area. Visitors must be prepared to be completely self-sufficient. There are no supplies of any kind.
- Parts of the park are open to hunting in the fall. Hunters must be in possession of a valid BC hunting licence and appropriate game tags and observe the current BC Hunting Regulations. Non-residents must be accompanied by a licenced BC guide. Firearms are prohibited in the park except during a valid hunting season.
Chikamin Bay Rail Portage
To get from Chikamin Bay on Whitesail Lake to St. Thomas Bay on Eutsuk Lake in Tweedsmuir Park, boaters are required to winch their boats over a 600 metre rail portage. Winching services at the Chikamin Bay Rail Portage are open from June 15 to September 7, 7am to 5pm.
Boats to about 7 metres in length can be portaged. Low water conditions in August and September may prevent larger vessels from using the rail portage. Contact the Smithers BC Parks office if there are concerns or questions.
There are two options for getting across the portage:
- Visitors can pay the park operator to tow their boat across at a cost of $50.00 per vessel each way. The funds are payable directly to the on-site park operator (only cash is accepted).
- Visitors can use either the hand winches provided on site or bring their personal chainsaw winch to get themselves across the portage. Instructions are posted at Chikamin Bay and the process can take two hours or more. There is no portaging fee for self-portaging but the $50 marine-access camping fee still applies.
- The fees are used to assist in the management of Tweedsmuir Park.
Fees example: (1 boat with 4 persons winched in and out of Eutsuk Lake via Chikamin Bay rail portage):
- Backcountry fee $50
- Mechanical winching fee (into park) $50
- Mechanical winching fee (out of park) $50
- Total Payable = $150
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
- Park Map [PDF]
- Print-ready Park Brochure [PDF]
- Eutsuk Lake Submerged Hazards Map [PDF]
- Google Earth KML File of the Nechako Reservoir Pre-Flood, must have Google Earth and/or and Google Maps installed.
Getting there
Tweedsmuir Park is approximately 480 kilometres by air northwest of Vancouver. The park is bounded on the north and southwest by the Coast Mountains and on the east by the Nechako Plateau. The park is south of Highway #16, approximately 90 to 100 kilometres, between Burns Lake and Houston.
The Nechako Reservoir (Ootsa and Whitesail Lakes) is the main access route to the northern region of the park but boaters must use caution when travelling on these lakes as the shoreline is a forest of drowned trees and floating debris that create hazardous boating conditions. A number of channels have been cut through the dead trees to give access to emergency landing areas. These provide shelter from the sudden and strong winds that funnel down the lakes from the Coast Mountains.
Two common access points to the northern portion of Tweedsmuir Park are Little Andrews Bay Marine Park and Wistaria Park. See those pages for travel directions.
Camping
Cabins and huts
There is a backcountry cabin available to the public. It is located on Fenton Lake and is used on a first come, first serve basis. Fenton Cabin is not regularly maintained by parks staff. Be prepared for varying conditions and the chance that you may occasionally share the space with mice or other critters.
The following private organizations also provide accommodation within this park:
- Pondosy Bay Resort provides accommodation and guided fishing.
- Redfern River Lodge provides accommodation and guided fishing.
- Lakes District Air Services provides air service and accommodations on Tesla Lake.
Marine-accessible camping
Wilderness camping areas are located at various sites along the shores of Eutsuk Lake. There is a backcountry fee for visitors to the Eutsuk Lake area of Tweedsmuir Park.
These areas provide sheltered anchorages, tent sites, pit toilets and fire rings. Please use these designated sites. No reservations are taken. Only cash payments can be accepted.
- Google Earth KMZ File of Eutsuk Lake Trails and Campsites, must have Google Earth and/or and Google Maps installed.
When visiting marine-accessible sites, be respectful of the sensitive wildlife habitats, and learn how to stay safe using our marine visitor guide.
Things to do
Chikamin Ridge Trail: 3 km long, 600 m of elevation gain. This trail departs from Blackwell Point Campsite and leads to an alpine ridge of Chikamin Mountain. Visitors will be rewarded with spectacular views of Eutsuk Lake and the surrounding mountains. Pay close attention to where the trail emerges into the alpine as it may be hard to find on your return.
Surel Lake Trail: 1.5 km, 50 m of elevation gain. A short 300 m trail from Eutsuk Lake leads to a 10 m waterfall on Surel Creek. The trail continues another 1.2 km to Surel Lake where there are scenic views of Surel Peak and Mount Musclow.
Musclow Lake Trail: 500 m long, 30 m of elevation gain. This short trail starts at Eutsuk Lake and follows the west side of Musclow Creek to the lake. Views are limited from the end of the trail but it is a good trail for portaging into Musclow Lake.
Sand Cabin Bay Lookout Trail: 600m long, 90 m of elevation gain. A short, steep climb from Sand Cabin Bay on Eutsuk Lake to the tip of a rock bluff. Spectacular panoramas of the Nechako Plateau, Quanchus Mountains and the opportunity to view wildlife in the marsh below.
Tetachuk River Trail: 5 km long with minimal elevation change. An easy hike from the east end of Eutsuk Lake along the Tetachuck River to fishing spots in the lower Redfern Rapids and a commercial lodge on Tetachuk Lake.
- Google Earth KMZ File of Eutsuk Lake Trails and Campsites, must have Google Earth and/or and Google Maps installed.
Eutsuk and Pondosy Lakes are great for boating and sightseeing. Please note:
- Boaters should be wary of unmarked shoals and reefs [PDF] .
- Canoeing and kayaking are permitted in the park but boaters should use caution.
- Canoeists should remain near shore at all times as westerly winds can arise quite suddenly, especially in the afternoon.
- Pondosy Lake is entered by a short, narrow channel at high water. At low water in August and September, it may be necessary to line or pole boats through this waterway.
Quality fishing with good populations of mountain whitefish, rainbow trout, kokanee, and burbot is available in the park.
The following private organizations also provide access to activities in this park:
- Pondosy Bay Resort provides accommodation and guided fishing.
- Redfern River Lodge provides accommodation and guided fishing.
- Lakes District Air Services provides air service and accommodations on Tesla Lake.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Facilities
Visitors need to supply their own firewood. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
About this park
Eutsuk Lake, located within the park, derives its name from the Ulkatcho Carrier dialect and is the focal point of the water-oriented activities of North Tweedsmuir Park. A number of waterways owe their names to Father Adrien Gabriel Morice, who surveyed the area in the late 19th century producing accurate, detailed maps.
Tweedsmuir Provincial Park was established May 21, 1938. The park was named for the 15th Governor General of Canada, John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield. The Governor General traveled extensively by float plane and horseback in the park during August of 1937 and he and his party were greatly impressed by its magnificence.
The northern section of Tweedsmuir Park is almost entirely pristine wilderness. The lake-and-waterway-dotted Nechako Plateau, a division of the vast Interior Plateau, forms most of the northern region with the Quanchus Mountain Range, dominated by Mount Wells and Tweedsmuir, Michel, Wells Gray and Eutsuk Peaks, all more than 1900 metres in height, covering much of its central area. Lower elevations are forested for the most part with lodgepole pine mixed with some white spruce. Mountain slopes to the timberline, at approximately 1525 metre elevation, are covered with subalpine (balsam) fir and Engelmann spruce. Interspersed throughout are natural grass clearings and black spruce dominated boggy areas.
Wildlife is widespread and fairly prevalent. In summer and fall woodland caribou frequent the slopes of the Quanchus and Chikamin Mountain Ranges. In other areas mountain goats, mule deer, moose, black bear, grizzly bear and wolves are in evidence.
Visitors to the alpine meadows often see smaller mammals such as hoary marmots, wolverines, and Siberian lemmings as well as various bird species, including willow ptarmigans, gray-crowned rosy finches and golden-crowned sparrows.
Elsewhere members of the grouse family occur in considerable numbers and waterfowl are usually plentiful in the swamps and ponds. Around the Nechako Reservoir, dead trees provide nesting sites for fish-hunting ospreys.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
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.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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