STEIN RIVER

Lytton B.C. is located on a small plateau overlooking the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson rivers.  Built on the site of the Nlaka'pamux First Nations village of Camchin [Kumsheen], the meeting place, Lytton is one of the oldest continuously settled communities in North America.

The Meeting of the Rivers

The Stein River Valley has always been considered a sacred area to the Lytton First Nations.  For thousands of years they have understood the spiritual significance of the valley. The unique pictographs and petroglyphs found throughout the lower section of this valley are an incredible testament to these ancient beliefs.  The lower valley contains some of the most significant pictograph sites in Canada.

There are countless legends and stories associated with the Stein River Valley.  These legends and stories depict everything from Spirit Beings to UFO's.

 In early 1970 there was an inordinate number of UFO  sightings in Lytton.  Many locals reported seeing these UFO's fly straight into the mountain at the mouth of the Stein River and simply vanish as if they had entered an invisible door or dimension.

Amongst the magnificent petroglyphs and pictographs located throughout the valley is a most curious pictograph located mid valley near Cottonwood Creek.  This particular pictograph shows beings with a halo type of object above their heads.  These being are surrounded by a handful of stars.

In 1972 a group of high school students through the Opportunities For Youth Project cleared the lower of the Stein River Trail to Cottonwood Creek.  Some of these students did say that they occasionally saw unusual lights in the night sky above their camp.  Their main camp was located a short distance down river from Cottonwood Creek.  

Lytton is also the location of many unique geological sites including the famous 'Lytton Jellyroll'.  This "Jellyroll" is a conglomeration of silt, sand and gravel that was formed at the end of the last Ice Age.  It is the largest formation of this type in the world.

Lytton Jellyroll




STEIN RIVER PROJECT 1972

This unique little booklet was put together by the parents of and for the young men who cleared the lower portion of the Stein River Trail through the Opportunities For Youth Projects of 1972.  Only 16 copies were made and less than a handful are known to still exist.  This copy is posted as a memorial to those of the '72' crew who are no longer here to enjoy the trail.