Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park

Bordering Glacier National Park (Montana, U.S.) and Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta), this remote tract of 10,922 hectares (27,000 acres) protects the extreme southeastern corner of British Columbia. The park is named for its two main waterways, which flow southward into Montana from the Flathead Basin. This was the main reason for the park’s creation, because now, alongside Waterton Lakes National Park, entire watersheds of Glacier National Park are protected.

The landscape has changed little in thousands of years, since the Kootenay rested in the open meadows beside Kishinena Creek before crossing the Continental Divide to hunt bison on the prairies. The park supports a healthy population of grizzly bears, along with other endangered species such as wolverines, wolves, and lynx.

The only access is on foot from one of two trailheads. The longer option is from the end of an unsealed road that leaves Highway 3 at 16 km (10 miles) south of Fernie, British Columbia. The road leads 110 km (68 miles) into the Flathead River Valley, where trails climb along Kishinena then Akamina Creek into the park.