Introduction
The Chilcotin Wilderness Society is working to protect wilderness conditions along a system of trails which follows a 300 km length of the Chilcotin Mountains on the inland flank of B.C.'s Coast Range. These trails traverse a spectacular mountain wilderness and link a network of Parks, Protected Areas, and Special Management Zones, all designated to protect exceptional backcountry recreation and wildlife values.
The Chilcotin Mountains Trail System would extend from Tweedsmuir Park southeast along the range to the Taseko Valley; one branch would then travel east through Big Creek and South Chilcotin Parks to Fraser River at Churn Creek Protected Area; and a second branch would continue south across upper Bridge River Valley to Upper Lillooet Provincial Park.
The Chilcotin Wilderness Society is proposing that the major trails and routes along this range be planned as an integrated system to provide for both long-distance travel and local trail use. Most of the trails in this system are already in place, and are used and maintained mainly by Chilcotin residents, including guide-outfitters, tourism operators, ranchers, First Nations people, recreationists, and trappers. A recognized trail system would protect these traditional uses and help maintain backcountry recreation and tourism values throughout the range.
In the Chilcotin, planning for an integrated trail system will be carried out in Sustainable Resource Management Plan processes and in local forums with resource users and residents. At the same time, active support for the trail system is sought from organizations and individuals throughout the Province.
