Ed Bird-Estella Lakes Park is a very remote BC Parks site near the northern tip of Williston Lake. BC Parks says visitors should be well equipped because no supplies of any kind are easily accessible, and the marl bottoms of the lakes give them their vivid colour.
The closest community is Mackenzie.
Ed Bird-Estella Lakes is for self-sufficient travellers looking for remote lake scenery, boating, fishing, and wilderness recreation. BC Parks places the park near Tsay Kay Dene Indian Reserve, 67 kilometres south of Fort Ware on the Russel Forestry Service Road.
The activity list is broad, but undeveloped. Hiking is possible, yet BC Parks says there are no developed trails. Swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and boating are available, and the area is popular for fishing. Wildlife viewing is good, although there is no viewing platform.
Other activities require care. Bicycles must stay on roadways, e-bikes are not allowed on trails, horseback riding is permitted, hunting is allowed during open season, and snowmobiles are allowed but there are no designated trails. The area was a traditional use area for First Nations, and the park was established as a Class A Park in 2001.
Plan around remote lake viewing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing with the required licence, wildlife observation, roadway cycling, horseback riding, winter snowmobiling, and seasonal hunting where permitted.
Check gasoline, supplies, maps, clothing, and outdoor living equipment before travelling. Bring drinking water, verify regulations, and plan for remote conditions because potable water, supplies, developed trails, and easy services are not available in the park.
