Skagit Valley Provincial Park is the Canadian portion of a group of protected areas spanning the international border, just south of Hope BC. The area adjoins the American’s North Cascades National Park and the Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. A unique experience of visiting Ross Lake is the ability to drive from Canada into the US side of the border with no border controls or checks. Restrict yourself to legitimate recreation purposes and be sure to come back into Canada the way you came to avoid legal issues.
Skagit Valley Provincial Park, with 27,964 hectares, is accessible seasonally for camping. The campgrounds are next to Ross Lake, a reservor for hydro-electric power generation maintained by Seattle City Light.
The Skagit Valley was carved by retreating glaciers and is characterized by excellent outdoor recreation opportunities in a natural, wilderness-like setting. Visitors can enjoy hiking along 50 km of trails, river fishing, camping, and picnicking.
In the summer time, Skagit Valley Road is a pleasent and scenic drive on gravel from the Flood area of Hope BC, however, due to poor winter road conditions, remoteness and lack of cell phone service, the Skagit Valley road is not recommended for travel during the off-season. In the winter the road is close and gated from Chittenden Bridge to Ross Lake.
The level of the water in the Ross Lake reservoir fluctuates greatly. July and August are the only months when the lake is at full pool. Other times there is no water at all on the Canadian end of the lake.
For access and information on the US parks year-round, please phone North Cascades National Park at 1-360-854-7200 or visit their website.
Stay Safe The Skagit River is susceptible to extreme water level velocities during the spring and summer run-off seasons. Access is by a loose surfaced (gravel/dirt) public road so please drive safely.
Skatit Valley Provincial Park Campground Open Dates
All dates are subject to change without notice
Ross Lake campground – May 1 – October 8
Silver Tip campground – May 1- October 8
Whitworth Horse camp – May 1 – October 8
Gate is closed during the off-season. Opening date may change due to snow pack or other weather conditions. Campgrounds are not Reservable, but are first-come, first-served.
Total Number of Vehicle Accessible Campsites:
– Ross Lake = 88
– Silver Tip = 43
– Whitworth Horse camp = 11
Group Camp/Picnic Reservations:
Group campsite and/or group picnic site reservations are accepted at this park for dates between May 1 to October 7. All reservations must be made through Discover Camping.
How to Get to Skagit Valley Provincial Park
The Silver/Skagit Road, which joins Highway #1 three kilometres west of Hope, provides access to the Park. It is 37 km from Highway #1 to the entrance portal and a further 23 km to Ross Lake Reservoir and the Canada-USA border.
The Silver/Skagit Road is a well maintained, loose surface road that provides access to several active logging areas before the Park entrance. Motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution and to use headlights at all times. Watch for wildlife and be aware of logging trucks and other industrial equipment. Extra caution should be taken after rain when road surfaces can become muddy and slippery.
There are no commercial facilities in the Skagit Valley that provide food, lodging, gas or any other goods or services. Visitors should be equipped with supplies and fuel before leaving Hope or Silver Creek for the Skagit Valley Provincial Park.Maps and Brochures
This park offers vehicle accessible campsites on a first-come, first-served basis – campsite reservations are not accepted. There are three separate campgrounds in this park Silvertip at 42 km (43 sites), Ross Lake at 60 km (88 sites) and a horse camp at 54 km with 11 pull-through sites (near Whitworth Meadows).
There is parking available for 2 vehicles at each site. There is no extra parking available.
If there are no staff to direct you to a campsite, choose a site with no camping receipt posted on the campsite number post; staff will come around to collect fees. Cash is the only form of payment accepted.
The closest store and pay phone is in Hope approximately 60 km away.
The gates to each campground listed above are closed and locked during the winter months only (Oct to May) yearly.
There are no winter camping opportunities offered in this park as only 5 km of the 50 km access road is maintained during the winter months.
Vehicle Accessible Camping Fee: $16.00 per party / night BC Senior’s Rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only): $8.00 per senior party/night. Read the User Fees Policy for information on Senior Camping Discounts.
Walk-In/Wilderness Camping
Wilderness, backcountry or walk-in camping is allowed, but no facilities are provided.
Much of the information on this page is adapted from the BC Parks website and is used under license. Circumstances change, so before you go, especially near the stated open and closing dates, consider verifying conditions with BC Parks.
