Choquette Hot Springs Provincial Park is a
provincial park
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...
located in the
Stikine Country
The Stikine Country , also referred to as the Stikine District or simply "the Stikine", is one of the historical geographic regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, located inland from the central Alaska Panhandle and comprising the ...
region of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It was established on January 25, 2001, to protect Stikine River Hot Springs, the largest hot springs on the Canadian side of the lower
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and south f ...
.
The park lies in the traditional territory of the
Tahltan First Nation
The Tahltan First Nation, also known as the Tahltan Indian Band, is a band government of the Tahltan people. Their main community and reserves are located at Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. Their language is the Tahltan language, which is an ...
about south of the Tahltan community of
Telegraph Creek
Telegraph Creek is a small community located off Highway 37 in northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Stikine River and Telegraph Creek. The only permanent settlement on the Stikine River, it is home to approximately 250 members of Tah ...
.
[
]
Geography
The park is located on the eastern banks of the Stikine River
The Stikine River is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and south f ...
, just north of the river's confluence with the Choquette River. Despite the park's name, the official name of the hot springs is ''Stikine River Hot Springs''.
Geology
The Stikine River Hot Springs are a collection of over 15 individual hot spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
s that emerge out from the granitic rock
A granitoid is a generic term for a diverse category of coarse-grained igneous rocks that consist predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and alkali feldspar. Granitoids range from plagioclase-rich tonalites to alkali-rich syenites and from quartz- ...
s at the base of the valley wall, or from mud just beyond the valley floor. Many of these hot springs are within a tidally-influenced area and are underwater at high tides. At least four hot springs remain above the high tide and beaver pond flooding.[
]
Activities
Choquette Hot Springs Park features no facilities but allows backcountry or "walk-in" camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
. The park is accessible by boat on the Stikine River, or by helicopter. The hot springs are difficult to access due to extensive mud areas and the absence of any developed pools.[
]
See also
*Stikine, British Columbia
Stikine, also known formerly as Boundary, is an unincorporated locality and former customs post on the Stikine River, located on the Canadian side of the British Columbia-Alaska boundary on the Stikine River's west (right) bank. The customs post ...
* Craig Headwaters Protected Area
References
*
*
BC Parks webpage
Provincial parks of British Columbia
Hot springs of British Columbia
Stikine Country
2001 establishments in British Columbia
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