Reduce Your Risk of Bear Encounters:

• View bears from the bridge walkway only.
• We recommend park visitors stay in groups.

Please Help Us Help You

A sustainable fishery at the Babine River is dependant upon a safe environment for both people and bears. To achieve this, BC Parks implements four main regulations at the Babine River.

1. Food and other attractants are not allowed on shore. All garbage must be stored within your vehicle, not left on site.
2. Fish must be returned to a secured location within your vehicle immediately after capture.
   • The goal of these first two regulations is to prevent bears from associating fishermen or their vehicles with the potential to obtain food. Such a situation may result in aggressive behaviour by bears towards fishermen or their belongings.
3. Dogs must be kept on a leash.
   • This is to prevent dogs from being injured by bears, to prevent dogs from harassing bears and to prevent your dog from bringing an angry bear to you.
4. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Aggressive bear behaviour resulting from failure to comply with these regulations could result in temporary closure of the area to fishing for many. Don’t be the one responsible for this.

Special Notes:

• Along with protecting significant wildlife habitat, Babine River Corridor Park provides outstanding wilderness river recreation opportunities. World-class angling opportunities for steelhead and sockeye salmon attract local and international visitors alike.
• There are also internationally significant rafting and kayaking opportunities with 30 km of Class III and IV rapids. Guided trips are available through local rafting companies or individuals may plan private trips. Please note that there are no permits required for private rafting or kayaking trips on the river. The only restriction is that only one commercial trip can launch per day, and the following dates in 2006 are allocated: July 3 and 31, August 13, 14, 27 and 28; Sept. 3, 4, 10 and 11. You may wish to avoid launching on these dates.
• Here is more information on white water boating (8 kb pdf).
  • Support boats are recommended when white water boating.
  • Trip leaders should preferably have previous experience on this river.
  • Kayakers should possess the skills to roll their boats in order to challenge this river.

Fishing Etiquette

The fishing experience at the Babine River is world class. BC Parks encourages behaviour that will make this experience enjoyable for everyone:

1. Give people space. When someone has a fish on, please reel in and give them room to land their fish. When arriving to fish beside someone, give them room to make safe casts.
2. Avoid monopolizing good pools for long periods. Give others a chance to get in and try out a productive pool.
3. Be courteous of others on shore. Be cautious of people behind you when making your back cast.
4. Observe your quota. Please consult fishing regulations and DFO. The daily quota for sockeye salmon are posted by DFO

The experience at the Babine River is valued by many. Understand that your actions can have serious impacts on the abilities of others to enjoy this area.

Grizzly Bear Conservation

A significant part of the Babine River experience is the regular presence of Grizzly Bears. Conservation of these bears is a significant factor in the management of the park. Anglers and other park users can assist in the conservation of these animals by:

1. Following all regulations on posted signs.
2. Giving bears plenty of room. If a bear approaches while fishing, move off the river and consider returning to the bridge or your vehicle.
3. Observe the park closure period, which is from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise. This gives bears some time to fish during daylight hours without disturbance by humans.
4. Keep a clean park. Remove all your garbage to a proper disposal site.

Management Planning:

Management Planning Information

• Approved Management Direction Statement

• Location Map

Babine River Corridor Park hugs the Babine River for 85 km as it flows from the bridge crossing, 2 km downstream of Nilkitkwa Lake, northwest to Kisgegas, a First Nations Reserve, 10 km from the confluence with the Skeena River. Access to the day-use area by road is approximately 130 km from Smithers. Follow Babine Lake Road east, then Nilkitkwa Forest Service Road north for 58 km. The nearest communities, towns and cities are Smithers and Telkwa.

Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Location Map
• Park Map (868 kb, pdf)

• Active logging roads surround the park. Exercise extreme caution on the roads and narrow bridges when driving and as a pedestrian. Large numbers of grizzly and black bears frequent the area and use the trails in the park. Please take precautions to avoid a bear encounter.

Visitor Safety Information (park safety, hazards, wildlife safety information, health risks)

Reservations are not accepted at this park, all campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. For parks that accept reservations or information on the reservation service, click here.

Explore Parks: Fees, park listings, what you should know before you go and other useful links.

	There is a rustic serviced campground 4 km west of the park entrance. There are 10 moderate sized open campsites available. The sites are gravel and have picnic tables and fire rings. There is a hand pump for water. Starvation Lake Recreation Site provides overnight camping 13 km to the east of the park entrance. In addition, Fort Babine Lodge offers cabins and camping.
	Wilderness camping is allowed for park users travelling down-river. No facilities are provided.  This is a user maintained park and everything you pack in must be packed out. Do not bury or burn garbage or human waste. Camping is not permitted in the day-use area.
	No group campsites.
	There is a small grassy day-use/picnicking area available. It has a picnic table, a pit toilet and limited parking. Campfires are not permitted.
	There are no wheelchair accessible facilities at this park.
	Drinking water is available from a hand pump at the campground 4km west of the park.
	Pit toilets are present at the day use area on the river and in the campground 4km to the west of the park.
	No showers.
	No sani-station/dump facilities.
	Campfires are permitted in the campground. Fires are not permitted in the day-use area. Firewood is no longer provided. To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please do not 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. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking.
	There are no electrical hook-ups in this park
	There are no regularly scheduled interpretive programs at this park.
	This park has hiking and/or walking trails. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure. Please be aware that bears use the trails within the park. To avoid a bear encounter, avoid the trails between dusk and dawn and make noise while hiking.
	This park does not have a playground.
	No swimming.
	There are internationally significant rafting and kayaking opportunities. Do not underestimate the challenges of this river. It consists of Class III and IV rapids and can be very treacherous.
	There is a paved, single-wide, moderate grade boat launch near the day-use area.
	World-class angling in a classified river for steelhead and fly-fishing for sockeye salmon is available.  Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
	Cycling is permitted. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
	No horses and/or horseback riding.
	Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
	No wildlife viewing opportunities.
	No winter recreation opportunities.
	No SCUBA diving or snorkelling opportunities.
	No windsurfing opportunities.
	No waterskiing opportunities.
	The park is open to hunting. All hunters to the area should refer to the current BC Hunting and Trapping Regulation synopsis for more information.
	No climbing or rock climbing opportunities.
	No spelunking or caving opportunities.
	There are no cabins, yurts or lodges for public use in Babine River Corridor Provincial Park. There are three private fishing lodges within the park boundary - they are not road accessible and not available to the public on a drop-in basis.