Kimberley Nature Park
Overview

The Kimberley Nature Park is a 800+ hectare area of forested land inside the Kimberley municipal boundary just west of town (see map below). All the land in the Park is now Crown land. Some areas that were previously owned by the mining company Cominco have been transferred to the Crown in order to create the Nature Park. In  2001 the City of Kimberley applied to the Provincial government for  a License of Occupation for the purposes of a Nature Park on this area and near the end of the year that license was granted. While a License of Occupation does not automatically preclude other uses of the land, it does give the City a more significant role in the review of development proposals and, we hope, a means to ensure the land is protected. 

The Kimberley Nature Park Society a registered non-profit organization has been working for many years to see the park legally established. Society volunteers have maintained the extensive trail network, produced trail guides, and installed signage throughout the area.

The intent of the Nature Park Society is to maintain the park in a natural state for the sake of the flora and fauna that inhabit it, while allowing and encouraging non-motorized human exploration. Our goal statement is: "To provide a setting that promotes respect and understanding of nature."

This a view of the Nature Park from Kimberley's Concentrator road in October with the Western Larch in full autumn colour. The hill in the middle of the picture is Myrtle Mountain with the shoulder of North Star mountain rising on the right.

The Park is a great place to hike, Volksmarch, mountain bike, x-country ski, walk your dog, picnic, bird watch, jog and study plants and animals. The trails in the Park are a mixture of old roads and footpaths and while we do our best to clear deadfall and maintain them, they are not smooth surfaces and care should be taken when walking or biking in the area. The Park is also home to black bear and moose, and while we do not know of anyone ever being injured by wildlife in the Park, visitors should exercise caution when encountering animals. This is their home and we should keep our distance. For more information about traveling in the Park, visit our Hiking and Biking Trails page.

A simplified contour map of the Nature Park is available on the Natural History page.

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