Prince George surroundings / Full trip pack
Eskers Park
Access and trail reports
Trails cleared
The Ramblers report blowdown clearing on all trails on April 4,2026.
Reported 2026-04-04 · checked 2026-10-17 · Caledonia Ramblers
Blowdown clearing reported
The club reports park trails cleared of blowdown on April 4, 2026. Later storms and seasonal changes are not covered by this observation.
Reported 2026-04-04 · checked 2026-10-17 · Caledonia Ramblers
Reports describe the cited dates. An expected reopening date does not establish reopened access.
Lakes, marshes and long gravel ridges left by glaciers create a varied network northwest of Prince George. A short Pine Marsh outing and a full outer circuit are very different days; choose the loop before using the headline distance.
1. Getting there and parking
From Highway 97 north, turn west onto Chief Lake Road and continue for about 27 km. At approximately 12 km the road name changes to Ness Lake Road. Near the west end of Ness Lake, turn north onto Ness Lake Road North and follow it about 1 km to the park entrance. The park is roughly 40 km northwest of Prince George. BC Parks warns of rough road surfaces, so allow time for the final approach and obey the posted speed limits.
- Turn west from Highway 97 onto Chief Lake Road.
- Continue about 27 km west; the route becomes Ness Lake Road around kilometre 12.
- Near the western end of Ness Lake, take Ness Lake Road North. The park entrance is about 1 km along this road.
Drive from Prince George: 41.5 km · approximately 61 minutes. Estimate; allow for road conditions and stops.
Modeled one-way driving time from downtown Prince George using mapped road speeds, rounded up to a whole minute. No live traffic or invented forest-road multiplier. BC Parks warns of rough road surfaces; allow extra time and obey posted limits. The model does not establish current road or snow conditions.
2. Walking the route
From the Pine Marsh parking area, a 3 km beginner loop provides the shorter outing. For a longer walk, follow the marked network linking Pine Marsh, Camp Lake and Kathie Lake; the full outer route is approximately 14 km, with repeated small climbs over the eskers rather than one sustained ascent. Use the park map to distinguish hiking paths from the service-road approach to Camp Lake. The network includes lakeside stops and a wildlife-viewing platform. Stay on designated paths around the wetlands and return by your selected loop. Cycling is limited to the designated 2.3 km service road to Camp Lake and the additional 3.2 km route toward Kathie Lake; other hiking paths are not bike routes.
3. Route map
Mapped named trail
© OpenStreetMap contributors. Route geometry is available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. · Line source · Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · Source-line database: https://hikingprincegeorge.com/data/osm-route-lines.geojson
Partial elevation profile
Partial elevation profile
This chart covers only part of the route. It does not establish the full hike or a return journey.
4.56 km along source section 1 of 1, in its mapped direction.
Approximate 90 m terrain model along this mapped section. Separate sections are not joined. This chart does not measure total trail ascent or establish current access; use the guide’s published outing measurements.
Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0
Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/434009112. Sampled and rounded for display.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 linework · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Profile source checked: 2026-10-18
Published locations
Numbered points match the map. Use the role beside each point. A summit or park reference point is not a parking location.
| Place and role | Coordinates | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eskers Park start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 54.044748 -123.165769 | Embedded trip-map feature 'EskersFullTrail': first recorded coordinate [-123.165769, 54.044748].
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. Source date: 2025 https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/eskers-park/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
Day use only. Fires, snowmobiles and ATVs are prohibited in the park.
Season and access
The summer paths are used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. BC Parks describes periodic ski track-setting at Jago’s field only, not a groomed network throughout the park. A report says the trails were cleared of fallen trees on April 4, 2026; later storms can change that.
Winter route
The summer network is used for skiing and snowshoeing. The manager identifies a 3 km beginner loop near Pine Marsh and a longer 6 km ski option toward Kathie Lake. Tracks are periodically set in Jago’s Field; the rest of the park has no set tracks.
Dogs
on leash
Accessibility
Some sections permit wheelchair travel; other sections and the viewing deck transition can be difficult. Not an accessible rating for the entire long loop.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
14 km for the complete outer route (shorter trail/loops available)
350 m (many ups and downs)
Your trip notes
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