Tumbler Ridge, BC : Monkman Provincial Park
British Columbia, Canada

Monkman Provincial Park is a recreation destination established in 1981 located in the Hart Ranges of the Rocky Mountains. The park is a collection of alpine lakes, wetlands, bogs, flowering meadows, waterfalls, old growth forests, raging rivers, looming mountains and deep valleys.

To access the park by vehicle requires traveling a series of gravel roads to the northern entrance of the park. It is located 60 kilometres south of the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. At the northern entrance is the waterfall park and 3 kilometres further down the road is the provincial campground.

in the campground there is a good selection of very large campsites, easily accommodating RVs and tenters. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. Fire wood is available from the park ranger. The campground has pit toilets and a day-use area with a picnic shelter, picnic tables, water, playground and some horseshoe pits.

The main activities in the park include camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, sightseeing and wilderness backpacking. The trails in the park range from a few hundred metres to many, many kilometres. Fishing is mostly for trout, char, grayling and whitefish.

The 62,867 hectare park includes such highlights as the Kinuseo Falls. A 60 metre waterfall with a fantastic viewing platform and short trail system. And then there is the Monkman Trail. A 72 kilometre backpacking wilderness adventure exploring mountains, lakes, and raging rivers finding waterfalls. And there is also the caves at the end of the Stone Corral Hiking Trail. It is a self guided tour exploring caves like the Porcupine and Corral Caves.

In 1999 the park expanded its boundaries another 22,000 hectares so to protect the Limestone Lakes and Upper Fontiniko Creek Valley eco systems. The Monkman (Memorial) Trail provides the best opportunity in the park to view the many wilderness eco systems in the region.

The backpacking trail leads all explorers to majestic lakes like Monkman Lake, suspension bridges like the one crossing Murray River and provides an opportunity to view over 11 waterfalls like Moores Falls. All this while exploring in and out of vast alpine meadows with arctic lupine, glacier lily, white rhododendron and Indian paintbrush wildflowers.

There is a few wilderness campsites found along the Monkman (Memorial) Trail. The first wilderness campground is near the Murray River crossing at kilometre 6.5. One of the most scenic is the camp near Monkman Lake at kilometre 23.5 . Each campsite is equipped with a storage cache, fire rings and pit toilets. Please use these designated areas to set up camp.

The park is vast and includes many peaks like Castle, Paxton, Gauthier and Forgetmenot Mountains. Mountains create valleys like the famous Monkman Pass. Together they create forests. Forests change with elevation. At the lower elevations in the park you will notice mostly white spruce and lodgepole pine trees. Higher up the Englemann spruce trees dominate. And at the highest elevation the trees are dwarfed and twisted from the elements.

Monkman Park, like many wilderness parks, is home to many species of wildlife including grizzly bears, black bears, mountain sheep, wolves, mountain goats, caribou and moose. Birdwatchers will see bird species like owls, ptarmigan, hawks, geese and loons.

How to Get to Monkman Provincial Park: The provincial park is located 60 kilometres south of the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. There are signs along the main highway (Hwy 29) and on the back country gravel roads clearly pointing the way to Kinuseo Falls and to Monkman Park. The campground is 3 kilometres past the Kinuseo Falls entrance. The route is very well signed and you should have little problems finding the park. Although the gravel road can be rough at times.