Chilcotin Ranges

Chilcotin Ranges
Chilcotin Ranges as defined in S. Holland Landforms of British Columbia
Dimensions
Area	9,616 km2 (3,713 sq mi)
Geography
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Range coordinates	51°10′0″N 123°15′0″W / 51.16667°N 123.25000°W / 51.16667; -123.25000Coordinates: 51°10′0″N 123°15′0″W / 51.16667°N 123.25000°W / 51.16667; -123.25000
Parent range	Pacific Ranges

The Chilcotin Ranges are a subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains (in some classifications they are a separate subdivision). They lie on the inland lea of the Pacific Ranges, abutting the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. Their northwestern end is near the head of the Klinaklini River and their southeast end is the Fraser River just north of Lillooet; their northern flank is the edge of the Plateau while their southern is the north bank of the Bridge River. In some reckonings they do not go all the way to the Fraser but end at the Yalakom River, which is the North Fork of the Bridge.

They are not one range but a collection of ranges, often very distinct from each other. There are three major named subranges:

To the west of the western end of the Chilcotin Ranges, and considered by some to be part of the group, are:

South of which are the Waddington Range and the Homathko Icefield.

In recent years major provincial parks and protected areas have been created in the central-eastern part of the Chilcotin Ranges. These are the Big Creek Provincial Park, the Ts'il?os Provincial Park (where the '?' is a glottal stop) and Big Creek Provincial Park, and the Spruce Lake Protected Area and Churn Creek Protected Area.

This region is commonly (but incorrectly) known as the "South Chilcotin" and is the object of a protracted quarrel between preservationist movements and resource extraction proposals since the 1930s. A provincial park was established in the 1990s but was downgraded in 2007 to the Spruce Lake Protected Area has been established, but its political status is uncertain and the area preserved is greatly reduced from the original proposals to protect it, which began in the 1930s during the heyday of the Bridge River goldfield towns just to the south.