The mayor of Clearwater says more than 400,000 people now visit Wells Gray Provincial Park each year.

Merlin Blackwell was also a park operator for years, and says the rate of growth has increased every year since 1997, apart from flat growth in record fire seasons in 2017 and 2018.

“There’s lots of opportunities between whitewater kayaking, and rafting and horseback riding and day hiking in Wells Gray. We just have to make sure there’s enough bathrooms, parking stalls, and that we don’t overcrowd areas like what’s happened with Joffre Lakes on the Sea-to-Sky, Whistler area,” Blackwell says.

“You can’t be any fuller than full, and most of the campsites are hitting maximum occupancy. So some of the need is to expand campsites, develop under utilized camping areas and then work on days, where people in for the day, use the park and then stay in accommodation in Clearwater and area overnight as their base of operations, versus camping actually in the park.”

BC Parks is expecting to a publish a 10-year plan for Wells Gray Provincial Park this spring.