1 | Lower Mainland Nature Viewing Region | ||
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2 | Hope-Skagit-Manning Area | ||
3 | Manning Park Core Area & Highway 3 Corridor (E.C. Manning Provincial Park) | ||
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5 | Strawberry Flats : photo by Bill Kinkaid | Beaver Pond: photo by Bill Kinkaid | |
6 | Manning Provincial Park protects a number of ecosystems on both sides of Allison Pass, from low to high elevations and from coastal rainforest on the western slope to dry interior on the east. | ||
7 | Photo Gallery | ||
8 | Geographical Description | Cascade Mountains. | |
9 | Area/ Trail Length | Park size over 70,000 hectares. Highway 3 runs 59 kilometres from West Gate to East Gate | |
10 | Seasons to Visit | Year round, but most areas apart from the highway itself are snow covered from approximately November to April. | |
11 | Habitat | Coastal cedar-hemlock forest on western slope; Interior montane Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine on eastern slope; riparian, swamp, marsh, lakes, grasslands. | |
12 | Viewing Highlights | Large old-growth western red-cedars and coastal plant communities at Sumallo Grove and Skagit River. The Skagit is an excellent place for Harlequin Ducks and American Dippers. The upper Skagit River is the furthest north natural occurrence of the native Pacific Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum). Easily seen via a short trail at Rhododendron Flats area; blooming season is late May through late June. Montane interior plant communities in woods around Beaver Pond and Lightning Lakes chain. Many forest, wetland and riparian birds. The best birding sites are the riparian areas along the Sumallo and Skagit Rivers between and including West Gate and Sumallo Grove, the Beaver Pond on the highway east of Manning Park Resort, and the Lightning Lakes chain. Mammals: mule deer are frequently seen in the campsites and picnic sites of Lightning Lake; black bear are often seen in early spring along roadsides and lake edge eating dandelions and sometimes throughout the summer; moose are seen infrequently. Smaller mammals include Columbian ground squirrels, readily visible at the Manning Park Lodge and Lightning Lake picnic area, and the less often seen Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel, Townsend’s chipmunk, yellow-pine chipmunk, bushy-tailed wood rat and red squirrel. A complex system of trails of varying levels of difficulty cover the Lightning Lakes valley between Highway 3 and Gibson Pass. | |
13 | Other Features | ||
14 | Main Access | West Gate is 22 kilometres east of Hope; East Gate is 50 kilometres west of Princeton. | |
15 | Secondary Accesses | ||
16 | Cautions | Portions of trails can be snow covered, wet and muddy. Use caution when stopping on roadsides, especially if crossing the highway; pull right off the road out of the way of traffic. Watch your speed, particularly around East Gate and Rhododendron Flats. Many of the trails in the Lightning Lake area are moderately strenuous and anyone hiking them should be in good physical condition, equipped with good footwear, outdoor clothing, and food and water. Use caution on riverbanks, especially the Skagit and Similkameen Rivers during spring and summer runoff. Bears are sometimes seen, be bear aware, keep your campsite bear safe and use caution. Cougars, bobcat and lynx are rarely seen but use caution. There is no mobile phone service in this area (nearest is in Hope or Princeton). Respect all private buildings and property. | |
17 | Jurisdiction | BC Parks. | |
18 | Regulations | No camping except in designated sites; Dogs on leash. No cycling on trails. | |
19 | Facilities | Pit toilets and picnic tables at Sumallo Grove, Rhododendron Flats, Lightning Lake Day Use area and Beaver Pond. Flush toilets at Manning Park Resort, Visitor Centre and at Lightning Lake campground. Food, pay phones and basic supplies at Manning Park Resort. Gas at East Gate. All services in Hope and Princeton. | |
20 | Other Recreational Activities | Horseback riding. Fishing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking in Lightning Lake. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing access to lakes in winter from Manning Park Resort; downhill skiing at Gibson Pass. | |
21 | Other Connections | Blackwall Road/Heather Trail and Mount Frosty accessed from core area; see separate listings. Skyline trails connect with Lightning Lakes trails and offer more strenuous alpine hiking, including Skagit Valley Provincial Park. Skagit River Trail continues from Sumallo Grove to Skagit Valley Provincial Park. | |
22 | History | ||
23 | FMI | Sunshine Valley Recreation (operates Manning Park Resort and park facilities) 604-668-5953 | |
24 | Links | BC Parks | |
25 | BC Parks iNaturalist Project | ||
26 | Manning Park Resort | ||
27 | Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning | ||
28 | Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas | ||
29 | © 2019 BC Nature |