Marble Canyon (British Columbia)

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Marble Canyon is a small but impressive canyon in the south-central Interior of British Columbia, a few kilometres from the Fraser River. A collapsed karst formation, the canyon's name comes from the brilliant limestone of its walls. The north wall is over 965m (3150') high above Pavilion Lake and is the southernmost extent of the Marble Range; the south wall is c. 515m (1500') and is the northern extremity of the Clear Range. Higher peaks lie in behind the walls, increasing the depth if measured from their summits.

Within the canyon are a series of lakes draining towards the Fraser River via Pavilion Creek. The largest of these is Pavilion Lake, which is home to a very large colony of microbialites, unusual carbonate structures built by bacteria which resemble freshwater "coral". In addition to the daunting marble walls rising from the lakes southeastern end, there is an eroded pinnacle known as Chimney Rock, or in a translation of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) name for it, Coyote's Penis.

Marble Canyon is popular with climbers, both for its clean rock walls and also for excellent ice climbs, including one impressive waterfall that freezes solid midwinter, and is immediately opposite the provincial park campground adjacent to Highway 99 from Lillooet to Cache Creek.