Skip to guide
northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Viewpoints · Fort St. James · West / Fort St James

Mount Pope / Nak'al

A sustained mountain trail above Fort St. James reaches a summit gazebo overlooking Stuart Lake and the ranges to the north. The park is day use only, with no drinking-water supply on the route.

Sources reviewed . This is a research date, not a trail inspection.

Weather & trip plannerPrint guide & mapsSave offline guideDownload outing (GPX)
Distance
13 kmRound trip
Elevation gain
Not establishedThe source lists 790 m with the destination approach. The stored distance includes a calculated return, but climbing on that return has not been separately established.
Walking time
4-6 hours
Difficulty
ModerateThere and Back
Autumn colours above Stuart Lake, viewed from Mount Pope
Autumn colours above Stuart Lake, viewed from Mount Pope on 11 October 2025.Autumn on Stuart Lake (opens original source) · Dru! · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens original source) · 2025-10-11. Downloaded provider display size; no local image edits. Display may crop the view. · Noncommercial only

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Elevation profile

Full round trip · approximately 12.5 km mapped

Complete out-and-back elevation profile, starting at Mount Pope trailhead, reaching Mount Pope summit shelter, and returning to the start700 m1075 m1450 mOutwardReturn0 km3.1 km6.3 km9.4 km12.5 km
StartMount Pope trailhead6.3 km · turn aroundMount Pope summit shelter12.5 km · back at startMount Pope trailhead
Explore the elevation with the chart or slider.

Approximate terrain elevation. Mapped distance may differ from the published hike distance.

Map and elevation sources

Approximate ground elevation from a 90 m terrain model. Distance follows the mapped itinerary and may differ from published walking distance. This is a terrain-model profile, not a surveyed measurement. Any ascent total is identified separately with its own source or estimation method.

The main source component begins15m from the published trip start and ends2m from the mapped summit shelter and10m from the independently named Mount Pope peak. BC Parks describes the summit gazebo as the objective and the same-trail descent. The detached36m viewpoint spur is excluded because it is not part of the complete main approach.

Route source 1Route source 2Route source 3Route source 4Route source 5Route source 6Route source 7

Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · checked 2026-10-18 · CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 linework. Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/140536462. Sampled and rounded for display.

Complete mapped outing from Mount Pope trailhead, including the return on the same route. Line source (opens original source).

Getting there & parking

  1. Travel through Fort St. James on Stuart Drive West.

  2. Turn west onto Stones Bay Road and continue about 4 km to the signed hiking lot on the right.

Parking: Signed trailhead parking is on the right about 4 km along Stones Bay Road, northwest of Fort St. James.

Full access notes

Drive through Fort St. James on Stuart Drive West, then turn west onto Stones Bay Road. The signed trailhead parking area is on the right about 4 km along that road, approximately 7 km northwest of town. Use the hiking entrance rather than an informal access to the nearby climbing cliffs. Carry all required drinking water before leaving the parking area; BC Parks identifies no potable supply along the ascent.

Map position: 54.47016, -124.31526 · start point of published trip track (parking unverified). Embedded trip-map feature 'PopeMt': first recorded coordinate [-124.315257, 54.470159]. Point extracted from the original public trip map. A track start is evidence of where recording began, not certification of parking, legal access, road suitability or the complete route.

On the trail

  1. Follow the designated summit hiking trail, keeping separate from the limestone climbing approaches.

  2. Continue to the gazebo at the mountain summit, the normal turnaround.

Full route notes

Follow the designated summit trail through the limestone mountain’s forested slopes to the gazebo on top. The official description gives 6.5 km each way and approximately 790 m of gain, with four to six hours for the return outing. Keep the ascent line distinct from rock-climbing approaches and avoid shortcuts across vegetation or unstable rock. The summit shelter provides a place to stop and take in Stuart Lake and the surrounding mountains before descending the same way. Cultural and natural features, including any caves or rock markings, are protected and must be left undisturbed. Return with enough daylight for the full descent.

The way back

Descend the same hiking trail. BC Parks gives 6.5 km each way, about 790 m of gain and 4–6 hours for the return trip.

Distance and elevation source notes

7 km to summit

750 m

Conditions & seasons

BC Parks permits snowshoeing and skiing on the same general trails in winter, but there are no set ski tracks. A summer hiking description is not an assessment of current snow or ice.

Winter route

BC Parks describes winter skiing and snowshoeing on the same trails as summer, with no set ski tracks.

These are dated research notes. Open the trip planner for current available weather and advisory feeds; no alert found does not establish that a trail or road is open.

Check weather & available updates →

Camping & overnight plans

Overnight camping is prohibited in Mount Pope Park. The summit gazebo is a day-use shelter, not a booking or camping facility.

Photos of Mount Pope / Nak'al

Autumn colours above Stuart Lake, viewed from Mount Pope
Autumn colours above Stuart Lake, viewed from Mount Pope on 11 October 2025.Autumn on Stuart Lake (opens original source) · Dru! · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens original source) · 2025-10-11. Downloaded provider display size; no local image edits. Display may crop the view. · Noncommercial only

Original photo galleries

These galleries stay on their photographers’ original websites.

Take this guide with you

Choose a trip pack or an available individual sheet for your map case.

Full trip packDirections, planning notes & available mapsTopographic mapComplete mapped outing and source locationsElevation sheetProfile of the complete mapped outingSave offline guideDownload a copy to your device
Sources, dates & research notes

Descriptions are written for this guide from the linked evidence. Source review dates, published reports and field observations can differ. Photographs and route lines retain their own attribution and reuse terms.

  1. https://bcparks.ca/mount-pope-park/ (opens original source)
  2. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/pope-mt/ (opens original source)
  3. https://www.caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/pope-mountain (opens original source)
OpenStreetMap line references (4)

These contributor-mapped features support the map geometry. They are separate from the written access and route sources.

  1. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/140536462 (opens original source)
  2. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/140541159 (opens original source)
  3. https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1539640235 (opens original source)
  4. https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1539640231 (opens original source)
Details still being researched
  • dogs
  • accessibility

Nearby and related guides