Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park
iucn_category = III

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caption = Location of "Liard River Hot Springs" in British Columbia
locator_x = 133
locator_y = 35
location = British Columbia, Canada
nearest_city = Fort Nelson
lat_degrees = 59
lat_minutes = 24
lat_seconds = 59.9
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 126
long_minutes = 5
long_seconds = 0.2
long_direction = W
area = 10.82 km²
established = April, 1957
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = BC Ministry of Environment, BC Parks

Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the second largest hot spring in Canada.

History and conservation

The Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park was created in April 1957. The first boardwalk and pool facilities were built by the United States Army in 1942.

The park contains a warm water swamp and boreal forest which supports rich and diverse plant communities as well as mammal and bird species. Watch for moose feeding in the warm water swamps. Bears, as well, are a common hazard in summer months. Due to the lush plant life (including 14 species of orchids) influenced by the warmth of the springs, the area was originally known as the "Tropical Valley".

Recreation

There are two hot springs with water temperatures ranging from 42° C to 52° C; the nearest is the Alpha pool. Beta pool is beyond Alpha and is larger, cooler and deeper.

There are raised walkways from the parking area to the springs so that the delicate muskeg that forms the swamp is not disturbed. The walkway was the scene of a much-publicized black bear attack that killed two tourists on August 14, 1997.Fact|date=February 2007

The campground is open year-round.

Amenities

*Bathing pools
*Change houses
*Wheelchair access
*Playground
*A 300m long wooden walkway leads from the parking lot to the hotsprings pool, crossing picturesque muskeg.
*environmentally friendly outhouse

Nearby attractions

*A lodge with restaurant is located across the highway, the "Liard Hot Springs Lodge".
*Muncho Lake Provincial Park is just 30 km south of the Liard Hotsprings.
*Liard River Corridor Provincial Park and Protected Area borders the park to the south.

Location

The park is located at mile 497 (or km 800) on the Alaska Highway, between Fort Nelson (307 km north-east) and Watson Lake (218 km south west). The community of Liard River is just west of the park, at the 499 Milepost.

ize

1082 hectares in size.

Photo Gallery

ee also

*List of British Columbia Provincial Parks
*List of Canadian provincial parks
*List of National Parks of Canada

External links

* [http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/liard.html Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park] - on BC Parks (Ministry of Environment) website
* [http://www.bellsalaska.com/akhwypg2.html Bell's Alaska] - mile by mile description of the Alaska Highway
* [http://www.gosleepgo.com/guide/ca/bc/watson-lake/liard-river-hot-springs Liard River Hot Springs] - at GoSleepGo