Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Sea to Sky Corridor Parks

1 Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Sea to Sky Corridor Parks

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, located along the scenic Sea Sky Highway, protects the 700 metre massive granite cliffs that stand at the southern entrance to Squamish.

Established in 1997, the 517-hectare park provides almost 200 high- quality, multi-pitch, crack climbing routes for climbers of any skill level from novice to expert.

Aside from the world-class rock climbing, the Stawamus Chief is also great for hiking. The main Chief trail is one of the more popular trails for spring and summer hiking in the Vancouver coastal mountain range. The mountain itself has three separate peaks, with the Third Peak, or North Summit, being the true apex at 702 metres (2,303 feet). All three peaks can all be reached via the same trail system and offer rewarding views of Howe Sound, Squamish townsite and the surrounding mountains.

Interesting Stawamus Chief Park Facts

• Stawamus Chief covers approximately three square kilometres.

• There are about 189 routes for hiking and climbing the Chief.

• The park provides rock climbing opportunities of international significance and receives climbers from around the world throughout the year.

• Dating back millions of years, the Chief stands as the second tallest freestanding granite monolith in the world.

www.bcparks.ca 2 Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Sea to Sky Corridor Parks

History Named after the First Nation village of STA-a-mus at the north end of the Squamish River, the Stawamus Chief has significant historical and cultural value to the Squamish Nation people. Traditional stories told by elders of the Nation tell of this place as an area where the people sought spiritual renewal.

Wildlife The Stawamus Chief provides critical nesting habitat for the peregrine falcon. In the mid 1980s peregrine falcons returned to nest on the southwest face of the Chief, in the Dihedrals Area. Climbers have observed a voluntary closure to protect the nesting falcons from disturbance. Following up on this effort by climbers, BC Parks places restrictions on certain routes from March 15 - July 31 to minimize disturbance of the nesting falcons.

Size and Location The park is located along Highway 99, immediately adjacent to Shannon Falls Park, 58 km north of Vancouver.

More Information http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/stawamus/index.html

For more help or to request pictures [email protected]