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northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hikes · McBride & Robson Valley · East / Crescent Spur

Ptarmigan Creek / Hammel Lakes

Valley approach to three subalpine lakes.

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

Weather & trip plannerPrint guide & mapsSave offline guideDownload locations GPX

The locations GPX contains sourced points with their recorded roles. It contains no trail track or connecting route.

Distance
11 kmOne way only
Elevation gain
Not establishedCumulative ascent for this outing has not been established.
Walking time
Not published
Difficulty
Not rated

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Elevation profile

A full-route elevation profile is not available yet.

A reusable trail line has not yet been verified for this outing. Any location pin shows the published location described above; it does not draw the hike or establish a navigable approach.

Getting there & parking

  1. Leave Highway 16 near Catfish Creek, about 5 km west of Crescent Spur, for Ptarmigan Creek Forest Road.

  2. BC Parks describes an 8 km road approach to the shared Erg/Ptarmigan trailhead. Present road and bridge passability is not established by that distance.

Full access notes

The access leaves Highway 16 about 5 km west of Crescent Spur, near Catfish Creek. Follow Ptarmigan Creek Forest Road toward the shared Ptarmigan/Erg trailhead, approximately 8 km from the highway in the official description. This access has a history of flood and bridge damage, so the published road length is not proof that a vehicle can currently reach the full trailhead.

Estimated drive from Prince George: 2 hr 32 min · 155 km. Modeled one-way driving time from Prince George City Hall, using mapped road speeds. Forest-road sections can take substantially longer: surface, clearance, radio procedures, gates, washouts, plowing, and legal access are not verified by the router. No live traffic or invented forest-road multiplier is included. Allow extra time and check the dated access notes. Seasonal access notes apply; this estimate does not establish plowing or winter road access.

Open driving directions →

Map position: 53.57392, -120.86077 · source-published trailhead / parking waypoint. Embedded trip-map feature 'Trailhead': point [-120.860767, 53.573919]. Shared Erg/Ptarmigan access confirmed by BC Parks. This is the approach trailhead, not the Hammel Lakes destination. Current road and trail conditions require checking.

On the trail

  1. The historical route follows Ptarmigan Creek upstream to the three Hammel Lakes. BC Parks gives 11 km from the trailhead.

  2. The park still warns of washed-out trail sections and footbridges, sparse marking and dense vegetation. The retained source does not provide a reliable junction-by-junction replacement route.

Full route notes

The historical trail follows Ptarmigan Creek up its steep-sided valley toward the three subalpine Hammel Lakes near the headwaters. BC Parks gives about 11 km from the trailhead to the lakes, but warns that flood damage washed out sections of trail and footbridges in 2001. The page still describes sparse marking and shoulder-high vegetation that makes the route difficult to follow. Treat this as an advanced, uncertain wilderness approach requiring current crossing information, not a maintained lakeside hike. An old recorded line cannot establish that the missing bridges have been replaced.

The way back

A return to the same trailhead would double the published 11 km approach, but no complete currently passable itinerary has been verified.

Terrain: dense brush · damaged crossings · route finding.

Conditions & seasons

BC Parks mentions backcountry skiing and snowshoeing on the summer corridor, without groomed tracks. Flooded creeks, overgrowth and snow each change the route; no fully maintained winter alternative was verified.

Winter route

The park permits backcountry skiing and snowshoeing on summer routes and provides no set ski tracks. This is not evidence that missing crossings become safe in winter.

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

The reviewed park page does not identify developed campsites, toilets or a potable water supply at Hammel Lakes. Do not infer facilities from the presence of a lake or an old route description.

Photos of Ptarmigan Creek / Hammel Lakes

A photograph with confirmed reuse permission has not yet been added to this guide.

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 mapPublished locations; no trail lineSave 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/ptarmigan-creek-park/ (opens original source)
  2. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/erg-mountain-northern-bc/ (opens original source)
  3. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/erg-mountain (opens original source)
  4. https://bcparks.ca/erg-mountain-park/ (opens original source)
  5. https://routing.openstreetmap.de/about.html (opens original source)
  6. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/ptarmigan-creek-provincial-park-in-northern-bc/ (opens original source)
Details still being researched
  • No current crossing-by-crossing report, numeric gain or reliable trip duration is available in the reviewed park page.

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