Best Vancouver Island Parks

Hike, Surf or Watch Wildlife on British Columbia’s Largest Island

Nov 20, 2008

From old-growth forests to swimmable lakes, the diverse and beautiful Vancouver Island parks offer great opportunities to hike, camp or enjoy the sunset.

Vancouver Island includes dozens of provincial and national parks within its small 32,000 sq. km (12,400 sq. mile) mass of forest, lakes, and beaches. Being separated from the mainland of British Columbia has meant Vancouver Island is home to unique wildlife species and largely undiscovered wilderness areas: magic words to avid hikers and campers.

Here are a few can’t-miss options to help separate the great Vancouver Island parks from the best.

Easy Hiking Trails at Vancouver Island's MacMillan Provincial Park

Better known as Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park offers a series of short loop hikes that wend through large stands of ancient Douglas fir trees and impressive cedars. The largest Douglas fir measures more than nine meters around—but there are plenty of other massive coniferous trees that come close to rivaling its size.

Interpretive signs tell the story of the mossy ecosystem of Cathedral Grove where once the giant trees fall they provide nutrients as nurse logs and allow more light to reach the forest floor.

A bonus is that Cathedral Grove straddles the Pacific Rim/Alberni Highway that connects Tofino on the west of the island with Vancouver Island’s eastern shores. Stop at Cathedral Grove for easy leg-stretch walks or picnic under the giant trees.

Best Vancouver Island Surfing at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve near Tofino

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, just south of Tofino, includes some of BC’s most famous wilderness areas: the West Coast Trail, Long Beach, and the Broken Islands Group. But while the West Coast Trail takes months of physical and mental preparation, the Long Beach section of the park makes for a more relaxing visit where visitors can surf, watch wildlife, stroll on the beach, and camp.

Long Beach, BC is notable for its endless strip of hard-packed sand. The Long Beach Unit includes four beaches (Radar, Long, Combers, and Wickaninnish) that have a total length of 25km (15.5 miles).

This Pacific Rim chain of beaches receives fantastic ocean swell year-round and is a popular Vancouver Island surf spot with intermediate to advanced surfers. The water temperatures are too cold for swimming without a wet suit and dangerous currents whip around the off-shore rock called Lovekin.

Storm watchers will enjoy seeing the powerful waves crash on this Vancouver Island beach. With all the intense wave action, Long Beach is also a beachcombers’ dream. Driftwood, occasional shells, and fishing gear can be found scattered along the beach.

Moderate to Challenging Hikes at Strathcona Provincial Park

Strathcona is Vancouver Island’s largest park and covers about 7.5% of the entire island. The Vancouver Island park is also the oldest in British Columbia.

Vancouver Island wolves, deer, black bear, Roosevelt elk, and the endangered Vancouver Island marmot are all seen in the park, although sightings of wolves and bear are rare. Plenty of bird life flits through the trees, including Whiskey Jacks, wrens, and chickadees.

Paved roads run the length of Buttle Lake, Strathcona’s largest lake, and offer many campsites and branch trails for day hikes to multi-day treks. Trails lead to mountain peaks, glaciers, and warm lakes.

Planning a Trip to a Vancouver Island Park

Provincial Parks like Strathcona and McMillan are run by BC Parks. The website offers extensive information on camping, wildlife, hiking, and also includes maps to download. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is managed by Parks Canada.

A hiking trip to beautiful BC will be all the sweeter with the addition of Vancouver Island travel. Enjoy a ferry ride to the island then visit cute local shops and markets before heading out to the wilderness of the diverse parks.

Forest walks, glacier hikes, mountain views, diverse wildlife, and crashing ocean waves in Vancouver Island parks will certainly deliver more of BC's world-renown dramatic scenery.

The copyright of the article Best Vancouver Island Parks in British Columbia Travel is owned by Chloë Ernst. Permission to republish Best Vancouver Island Parks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.