Circlet Lake Campground Expansion 

The Challenge?

Design and construct sixty new campsites, two docks, three waterless composting toilets, eight bear proof food caches, three grey water dispersal systems, two day use areas with benches, a base for Park Operators, hundred of metres of boardwalk, trails and signs.

The Crux?

Finish it in a four month snow-free building window in a very sensitive subalpine environment. 

Like most projects taking place in highly trafficked, well-loved and carefully protected conservation areas, the Circlet Lake campground expansion came with a lot of obstacles. First, the building site was situated at an elevation of 1200 metres. There would be no road access. All staff, tools, machinery and materials would have to be helicoptered in. With a very narrow window of four months to complete the build due to snow, there was zero margin for error. Careful planning and procurement had to be completed the previous year for these conditions to be met.

The backcountry campground we expanded is at the popular Circlet Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park. It is the basecamp for the hike up to Mt. Albert Edward. In the past, it had always been overcrowded. The layout had little room for overflow, which led to disturbances to the surrounding environment and harm to flora and fauna.

Our task was to reimagine the campsite. It needed to fit more tent pads and more facilities without further impacting the surrounding area. The new plan had to include sixty new campsites, two docks, three waterless composting toilets, eight bear proof food caches, three grey water dispersal systems, two day use areas with benches, a Park Operator base, boardwalk, trails and signage. All these facilities needed to be engineered to withstand five metres of snow loading. The kicker? They'd all need to be built in four months, in sensitive subalpine ecosystems.

Highly skilled crews worked long shifts in trying conditions to get the project done. A lot of pre-construction planning went into mapping out every project detail. This made sure that crews had exactly what they needed, exactly when they needed it to keep things on schedule. This also helped avoid weathering of materials onsite. Now, Circlet Lake is the largest developed backcountry campground in British Columbia. Not an easy feat!

Location:
Circlet Lake, Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island

Date:
2019

Client:
BC Parks

Scope:
• Consulting
• Design
• Construction Management
• Project Management