The Robson River is a short but swift, rapid and waterfall-infested
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
Mount Robson Provincial Park
Mount Robson Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian Rockies with an area of 2,249 kmĀ². The park is located entirely within British Columbia, bordering Jasper National Park in Alberta. The B.C. legislature created the park in 19 ...
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, ...
. It is a tributary of the
Upper Fraser River and it originates near
Robson Pass, which divides the Robson River and the headwaters of the
Smoky River
The Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians.
It drains an area of . Fro ...
drainage. There are three lakes along the river's course as well as four waterfalls.
Course
Robson Lake to Berg Lake
The Robson River begins in
Robson Lake
Robson Lake is an unofficially named glacier-lake located at the toe of the Robson Glacier. The lake is the source of the Robson River. The Robson exits at the lake's north end while the Robson Glacier feeds the lake at its south end. The Robs ...
, which is located at the toe of the
Robson Glacier
The Robson Glacier is the primary source of the short Robson River, one of the uppermost tributaries of the Fraser River. Located on the British Columbia-Alberta Boundary and the Continental Divide to the east of Berg Lake in Mount Robson Provin ...
. After exiting the lake, the river flows northwest then southwest before entering
Berg Lake
Berg Lake is a lake on the Robson River just below the river's source located within Mount Robson Provincial Park, at the doorstep of the north face of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It is partly fed by the Berg Glacier. ...
. Before entering Berg Lake, the river widens and splits into many small streams before flowing into the northeast end of Berg Lake.
Berg Lake to Kinney Lake
The river exits the southwest end and flows west for about until dropping over spectacular
Emperor Falls
Emperor Falls is the largest and best known waterfall on the Robson River in Mount Robson Provincial Park. It is located a short distance downstream of and southwest from the outlet of Berg Lake.
Stature
The falls stand 142 feet high, 5300&nb ...
, a plunge at the head of a canyon in which the river thunders over two more waterfalls. The first is
Falls of the Pool, which comes about halfway down the gorge and at the end of the canyon is
White Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall that cannot be seen in its entirety from the main trail. All these falls are collectively known as the ''Valley of a Thousand Falls''. The river continues south from White Falls for another before entering
Kinney Lake
Kinney Lake is a lake located in Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. The lake can be reached by following the Berg Lake Trail for 4.2 kilometres. The lake is an expansion of the Robson River (a tributary of the upper Fraser ...
, which sits directly at the base of the Robson River's namesake peak,
Mount Robson
Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies.
The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of ...
. Between Berg and Kinney Lakes, the river loses of elevation, much of which is lost in the gorge between Emperor and White Falls. Once again, prior to entering another lake, this time Kinney, the river spreads out very wide & divides into many braids before flowing into the lake.
Kinney Lake to the Fraser River
The Robson exits Kinney Lake at its south end and flows southwest for about to its confluence with the Fraser, about below
Overlander Falls
Overlander Falls is a waterfall on the Fraser River in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. It is popular for kayakers. The falls are reached by a short walking trail which starts on the Yellowhead Highway east of the Mount Rob ...
and about above the mouth of
Swiftcurrent Creek. About halfway between Kinney Lake & the Fraser is Knowlton Falls, the first waterfall seen on the Berg Lake Trail. About above the Fraser, the
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway (french: Route Yellowhead) is a major interprovincial highway in Western Canada that runs from Winnipeg to Graham Island off the coast of British Columbia via Saskatoon and Edmonton. It stretches across the four western ...
crosses the river.
In total, the river loses of elevation between Robson Lake and the Fraser River, three-quarters of which is lost between Berg and Kinney Lakes.
Hiking
The main hiking trail in the area is the Berg Lake Trail, which begins at the Yellowhead Highway near the mouth of the Robson. It goes all the way to its namesake lake, where the trail splits into more trails. Reaching Berg Lake is usually a multi-day trip. However, it is possible and it is done in a single day by some.
Not everyone chooses to go all the way to Berg Lake though. Some will settle with a much quicker but still satisfying trip to Kinney Lake. Bikes are permitted all the way up to Kinney Lake and a ways beyond. Part way down the shore of the lake is a bike lock-up. From here, anyone continuing to go further upriver has to go on foot.
The Berg Lake trail also gives hikers looks at the Robson's waterfalls. Knowlton Falls is seen about halfway between the trailhead and Kinney Lake while hikers can stare into the canyon at White Falls and Falls of the Pool as the trail climbs toward Berg Lake.
TrailPeak.com: Berg Lake Trail
/ref>
See also
*List of British Columbia rivers
The following is a partial list of rivers of British Columbia, organized by watershed. Some large creeks are included either because of size or historical importance
(See Alphabetical List of British Columbia rivers ). Also included are lakes th ...
References
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Rivers of British Columbia
Tributaries of the Fraser River
Robson Valley
Rivers of the Canadian Rockies
Cariboo Land District