Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park

Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park is a large protected wilderness area in southern British Columbia featuring pristine forests and the Stein River flowing through mountain terrain. The valley spans multiple elevation zones, transitioning from dry interior woodlands to high alpine meadows and peaks.

The valley faced threats from logging proposals during the 1980s until environmental advocates and the Lytton First Nation united to fight for its protection. In 1995, the area gained official protection status, establishing a management partnership between provincial authorities and the First Nation.

This place holds deep meaning for the Nlaka'pamux people, who have called the valley home for countless generations and maintain strong ties to the land. Walking through, you encounter rock art and sacred sites that reflect their ongoing relationship with this territory.

The park offers around 150 km of marked hiking trails, cable systems, and suspension bridges for multi-day journeys, with camping areas scattered throughout the valley. Be prepared for changing weather conditions and steep sections, particularly at higher elevations.

The park straddles a climate boundary where hikers can walk from dry sagebrush forest into alpine tundra within a single day's journey. This range of environments packed into one valley creates an unusually layered ecosystem found nowhere else in the region.