BC Parks is working on a plan to create more parking at the popular Stawamus Chief Provincial Park.
Crews will be working on a project this spring to create more parking spots at the popular park, which attracts thousands of visitors from across the province and beyond during the peak summer season.
“We are expanding the parking lot at Stawamus Chief Park by 38 spots. This is one of the Sea to Sky Recreation Expansion Projects, which also includes new parking and repairs/refurbishment to the Stawamus Chief Peaks Trail,” said a representative of the Ministry of Environment.
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Crews will also work to upgrade the Stawamus Chief trails in 2024 as part of a recreation expansion project. Between January 2023 and June 2023, several repairs and upgrades were made to the trail, including rock work on the Second Peak Trail, new box steps, and new stairs that replaced a ladder on the First Peak Trail.
According to a bid issued by BC Parks, this work includes widening the road between the upper area of the park and the highway lot to accommodate parking on both sides. It will also include line painting, parking curb installation, culvert installation, and earthworks cut and fill.
Construction is expected to begin and end in April. The ministry added that the current parking capacity will not be impacted during construction, though people must use the highway to travel between the two parking lots.
“More people than ever are discovering and enjoying our world-class park system. We are investing in our provincial parks and working to support the exceptional growth in visitors at our popular parks, such as those along the Sea-to-Sky corridor.”
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Finding parking during the peak season is a frustrating challenge for many people who must wait long to find a spot. Last year, BC Parks issued a warning saying vehicles parked illegally at Stawamus Chief, including the Apron parking lot, will be subject to towing at the owner’s expense. “Visitors must park in designated parking lots and observe the “no parking” signs posted. Vehicles parked illegally in closed day-use areas will be charged a fee for gate unlocking.”
Similar warnings were also issued for Shannon Falls Provincial Park and Alice Lake Provincial Park. In the meantime, the campground that had been closed for winter at Alice Lake Provincial Park will reopen this week.
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