Holliday Creek Arch Protected Area is a small 395-hectare protected area between Dunster and McBride, north of Highway 16. BC Parks says it was created through the Robson Valley Land and Resource Management Plan and the Protected Areas Strategy.
Its central feature is a rare natural stone arch of provincial significance.
Holliday Creek Arch Protected Area is for very fit hikers who want to see one of the province's more unusual geological features. The stone arch is more than 80 metres wide and 18 metres high, spanning a steep rocky gully.
The protected area also has wildlife value. BC Parks notes that mountain goats frequent the area, and the park is important habitat for them. Visitors may have a chance to see the arch and mountain goats in a natural setting, but only from a distance and without disturbance.
Access is demanding. There is no road access and no developed trail within the park. The protected area can be reached by an eight-kilometre hiking trail from Highway 16, but BC Parks describes it as extremely steep and rough, with snow, rock, and debris-slide hazards.
Plan around a strenuous backcountry hike, natural stone arch viewing, distant mountain goat observation, geology photography, and hunting where open and permitted.
There are no facilities of any kind. Bring drinking water because potable water is not available, and note that campfires are not permitted. Only hikers in excellent physical condition should attempt the access trail.
