Wells Gray Park is the fourth largest provincial park in BC and is considered to be one of the great wilderness parks in North America. At 530,000 ha (1.3 million acres), Wells Gray is almost the size of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Linked to Wells Gray on the north side are Cariboo Mountain Park and Bowron Lake Park, creating one 'Great Wild Space', which provides protection for the Cariboo Mountain interior rainforest ecosystem.

Encompassing most of the Clearwater watershed, Wells Gray includes many topographical features including extinct volcanoes, lava beds, mineral springs, glaciers, dramatic canyons, five large lakes, two major river systems, and many small, deep lakes with excellent trout fishing.

Wells Gray is well known for its spectacular hikes, including the trail to Helmcken Falls, Canada's fourth highest (twice the height of Niagara Falls). These stunning falls are only one of the more than 40 thundering waterfalls that give Wells Gray its nickname "Waterfall Park".

Wells Gray is an important oasis from the logging and other industrial activities that have impacted much of the rest of south central BC. The park is essential in its conservation role, especially for wildlife, in that it protects the largest remaining herd of mountain caribou in southern BC.

Wells Gray Park is located in the Cariboo Mountains in the southern interior of BC near the town of Clearwater. It is a 1 and 1/2 hour drive north from Kamloops (160 km/100 mi) on Highway 5, the Yellowhead Highway, or a five hour drive from Vancouver (384 km/240 mi). There are five different routes into the park. The most popular and common is the Clearwater Valley Road (also called the Wells Gray Park Road) which heads north from Highway 5 at Clearwater and travels through the park to Clearwater Lake.

An alternative entrance, on the park's west side, is reached by driving from Bridge Lake and 100 Mile House to Canim Falls and Mahood Lake in the southwest corner of the park. From Highway 97 at 100 Mile House it is 100 km (60 mi) by gravel road to the park. Another option is to enter the park from the east by driving 24 km (15 mi) west from Blue River on Highway 5. A gravel mountain road leads west for about 26 km (16 mi) to the parking lot and trailhead. From there a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) canoe-cart accessible portage lead to the canoe launch at Murtle Lake.

Click on the map to view an enlargement

The Wells Gray information center in Clearwater provides up-to-date information on trail conditions, campsite availability, guided activities, and local accommodation, and is located at the junction of Highway 5 and the Wells Gray Park Road.

"Wells Gray is an important oasis from the logging and other industrial activities that have impacted much of the rest of south central BC."

Hiking

The southern part of Wells Gray has experienced continuous volcanic activity for at least the past 5000 years, creating the park's unique volcanic formations, including Dragon Cone, Kostal Cone, the explosion craters, and pillow lava.

The best summer wildflowers are found in the Trophy Mountain area in the south of the park and along the 25 km (16 mi) Battle Mountain-Alpine Meadows trail. Numerous mineral springs, such as the Ray Mineral Springs, are found near the Clearwater road corridor by the abandoned Ray farm. Trails throughout the park are surrounded by spectacular scenery and offer abundant opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing.

"Wells Gray is also a popular winter destination because it has one of the most extensive chalet systems of any BC provincial park. "

Water Sports

Fishing

Winter Sports

Wells Gray is also a popular winter destination because it has one of the most extensive chalet systems of any BC provincial park. The system of trails covers 40 km (25 mi) over the Trophy Mountains, Table Mountain, and through Cariboo Meadows to Battle Mountain. There are two alpine chalets along the way as well as 2 log cabins and a fire look-out cabin. The nearest chalet is an hour from the trailhead, and the others are approximately a day's ski apart. These chalets can be rented with or without guiding or catering services. The highlight of the ski season at Wells Gray is the annual Wells Gray Ski Marathon, held in the middle of February.

Campgrounds

Please be careful while camping; in 1926 and 1940 forest fires devastated large areas of the park.

"This diverse region contains more than 500 different plants and 200 varieties of mushroom."

The varied topography, climate, and vegetation of Wells Gray Park provide habitat for at least 50 species of mammals including moose, wolverine, wolf, weasel, mountain caribou, deer, mountain goat, black bear, grizzly bear, beaver, marmot, and pika. As well, over 170 species of birds are found in the park including osprey, golden eagle, merganser, grouse, ptarmigan, and the tiny rufous hummingbird. This diverse region contains more than 500 different plants and 200 varieties of mushroom.

There are three main ecosystem types in the park. At the lowest elevations is the Interior Cedar-Hemlock zone, dominated by red cedar and fir, along with some spruce, Douglas fir, and lodgepole pine. At elevations between 1,500 m (4900 ft) and 2,000 m (6600 ft), close to 30% of the park, the Engleman Spruce Subalpine Spruce zone occurs. This zone is dominated by spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and other plant species that are able to tolerate long periods of frozen ground. Above 2,000 m (6600 ft) the Alpine Tundra zone, which covers about 66% of the park, begins. This zone features herbs, mosses and lichens and is an extremely important grazing area for mountain goats and mountain caribou. Great care must be taken while hiking in this area, for in this sensitive environment regeneration can take decades.

"...in 1994, Bowron Lakes Provincial Park and Wells Gray Provincial Park were joined together with the newly created Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park to achieve one 'Great Wild Space'."

Archaeologists have identified approximately 50 aboriginal sites within Wells Gray Park, most of which are of the Shuswap (Sepwepeme) Nation and date back to about 5,000 years ago. This timing coincides with the arrival of chinook salmon in the area after the glaciers of the ice age retreated. Also found in the area are remnants from the Chilcotin First Nations people, who made many summer visits to the region. At times these two groups fought over hunting areas, particularly the rich caribou hunting grounds; the areas "Battle Mountain", "Fight Lake", and "Indian Valley" are named after a major battle that occurred in 1875, at a time when the caribou herds were declining.

Other archaeological sites include ancient pictographs on the shores of Mahood Lake, house pits, cache pits, middens, a stonefence to direct caribou into the river for slaughter, burial sites, seasonal campsites, fishing and hunting stations, a hunting blind, and chipping stations.

In the 1870's, the Canadian Pacific Railway sent in surveyors to search for a rail route through the mountains, but no viable pass was found and Kicking Horse Pass, to the south, was eventually chosen. In the early 1900s a few brave pioneers homesteaded in the remote Clearwater Valley. Helmcken Falls was discovered by Robert Lee in 1913, at which time a park was proposed to protect the falls.

Wells Gray Park was finally established on November 28, 1939, and the Park was named after Arthur Wellsley Gray, Minister of Lands for British Columbia from 1933 to 1941. In 1996, the Kamloops Land and Resources Management Plan (LRMP) recommended that two additions be made to the park, and in April 1996, the Clearwater River Corridor (3,100 ha/7660 acres) and the Trophy Mountain Addition (6934 ha/17,000 acres) were added to Wells Gray Park.

As well, in 1994, Bowron Lakes Provincial Park and Wells Gray Provincial Park were joined together with the newly created Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park to achieve one 'Great Wild Space'. The intent was to create a protected area large enough to support wildlife populations now and in the future.
(For more on this see the Conservation Biology section).

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