Chasm Park is a BC Parks canyon and viewpoint park near Highway 97, about 16 kilometres north of Clinton. BC Parks says it protects the Chasm Creek Valley, part of the Bonaparte River Valley, colourful geological formations, and ponderosa pine forests.
The park was established in 1940 to protect the Painted Chasm.
Chasm Park is a roadside geology and canyon-viewing destination with a pullout viewpoint, larger parking area, and toilet. The colourful canyon walls show successive lava flows in red, brown, yellow, and purple layers exposed by erosion over millions of years.
BC Parks says water from melting glaciers carved the eight kilometre long, 600 metre wide, and 300 metre deep chasm at the end of the last ice age. The park also conserves ponderosa pine near the northern limit of its range, plus low-elevation lakes, marshes, uplands, and wildlife habitat.
Informal hiking trails generally follow old roads, and an old road along the southern edge of the chasm provides occasional views and dry pine and fir forest. Cycling is permitted on roadways, e-bikes are permitted on signed or designated trails, horseback riding is listed, and hunting is permitted during open season.
Plan around the viewpoint, Painted Chasm photography, informal hiking at your own risk, lava-layer geology, ponderosa pine observation, wildlife viewing, road cycling, signed e-biking, horseback riding, and hunting.
There are steep cliffs, with fences only near the parking area and lookout. Watch children closely, hike at your own risk, and confirm hunting regulations before travelling.
