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Vanislander / Landmarks / Caves / Eggshell Cave

Eggshell Cave

Eggshell Cave is a captivating yet relatively obscure cave located on Vancouver Island, part of the extensive cave systems that characterize the region. While not as famous as some of the island's more prominent caves, such as those in Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park, Eggshell Cave holds its own allure. Known for its delicate formations and serene underground environment, it offers a unique experience for those willing to venture off the beaten path. The cave's name, "Eggshell," likely derives from the fragile, thin layers of calcite and other minerals that adorn its walls, resembling the delicate nature of an eggshell.

Location and Accessibility

Eggshell Cave is situated in the central part of Vancouver Island, within the boundaries of Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. The park is located approximately 60 kilometers north of Nanaimo and 26 kilometers west of Qualicum Beach, making it accessible via a gravel road off Highway 19. The nearest town is Qualicum Beach, a charming coastal community known for its scenic beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.
To reach Eggshell Cave, visitors must first arrive at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. From the park's main entrance, a moderately strenuous uphill hike is required to access the cave's entrance. The trail is well-marked, but it is recommended that visitors wear sturdy hiking boots and bring plenty of water, especially during the warmer months. While the cave is not as prominently featured in park tours as others, such as Riverbend or Main Cave, it can be explored with a guide or as part of a specialized caving tour offered by the park.

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Geological Features

Eggshell Cave is a prime example of a limestone cave, formed over millions of years through the dissolution of soluble rocks by water. The cave's interior is adorned with a variety of speleothems, including stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones, all of which have been shaped by the slow drip of mineral-rich water. What sets Eggshell Cave apart is the presence of particularly thin and delicate calcite formations, which give the cave its name. These formations are so fragile that they require careful preservation to prevent damage. The cave is relatively small compared to others in the park, with a total length of approximately 100 meters. However, its compact size allows for an intimate exploration of its features. The cave's passages are narrow in places, requiring visitors to navigate carefully through tight squeezes. Inside, the temperature remains a constant 8-10°C year-round, providing a cool respite from the summer heat and a chilly adventure in the winter.

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Vancouver Island Activities

Dodd Narrows Diving

Dodd Narrows Diving

You won't remember when you worked, but you'll remember the time you had an adventure. So, if you are on Mudge Island, rent a boat and go to the Dodd Narrows. This fantastic diving zone offers an exciting diving opportunity and a diversity of marine life. Also, nature admirers would be astonished by the cute colourful nature there.

Camping in Lighthouse RV Park and Campground

Camping in Lighthouse RV Park and Campground

The great adventure in Fanny Bay will always hunt its visitors. The Lighthouse RV Park and Campground offer undeniable opportunities for camping of all kinds with a beautiful view of the ocean ornamented by mountains and islands. This campground offers excellent accommodation with every essential amenity. Not to mention that you can lose yourself in its charm, quiet, and unique sites and find it again.

Camping in the Gordon Bay Campsite

Camping in the Gordon Bay Campsite

Choose wisely to make your stay on Vancouver Island unforgettable. Camping in the Gordon Bay Camp Site can give you the chance to have a retreat from daily bustles in a perfect and clean with a quiet atmosphere. It has a lovely swimming area surrounded by log booms in which you can bathe and relax for unnoticeable hours.

Van Isle Marina Whale Watching

Van Isle Marina Whale Watching

Start your whale watching journey with Van Isle Marina, a critical marine zone on Vancouver Island, capable of serving 200 boats simultaneously, which has made it an ideal destination for the fans of whale watching. There is a high chance to observe other sea creatures other than whales.

Wreck of the SS Themis Diving

Wreck of the SS Themis Diving

No one can imagine a sank ship's wrecks can make an ideal place to dive deep in the water. Wreck of the SS Themis Diving is a habitat for a small diversity of marine creatures, and it is a beautiful background view for your pictures.

Camping in Cape Scott Provincial Park Campground

Camping in Cape Scott Provincial Park Campground

In the pursuit of your dreams about camping, you can plan to make it come true within the realm of Cape Scott Provincial Park Campground. A rugged coastal wilderness with lovely beaches offers walk-in, backcountry, and wilderness camping. While you are staying in this magnificent campground, you are provided with remote scenic beaches with a gorgeous ocean view and endless opportunities for adventure.

Nimpkish Lake Windsurfing

Nimpkish Lake Windsurfing

Enjoy different windsurfing right on the waters of the deepest lake on Vancouver Island. Nimpkish Lake is placed near a recreational site on the Western Forest, in which you are provided with ample opportunity to do different outdoor activities. Not to mention the eye-catching mountain views and wilderness areas that are offered in the lake's vicinity.

Hiking on the East Sooke Coast Trail

Hiking on the East Sooke Coast Trail

Hiking on the entire East Sooke Coastal Trail is an experience not to be missed! This beautiful trail is a mix of the fantastic coast and beautiful greenery. Hiking boots are required! The route takes you along bluffs and cliffs by the Pacific Ocean that worth it for the views. This well-marked trail can take full-day hiking in East Sooke Regional Park.

Camping in the Rathtrevor Beach Campground

Camping in the Rathtrevor Beach Campground

Vancouver Island is saturated with treasury campgrounds, of which one of the best is Rathtrevor Beach Campground. You are provided with different campsites and facilities there, and the beautiful beach is a fantastic place to forget all the bills and relax by the water. You would not be the same when you observe how differently the sun scatters its light on the majestic mountains around.

The wreck of the Robert Kerr Diving

The wreck of the Robert Kerr Diving

Get out of your comfort zone and go diving in one extraordinary place with quite a history behind it. The wreck of the Robert Kerr is the graveyard of a ship that sank about 200 years ago. Still, now it is a habitat for several marine creatures and offers excellent opportunities to dive deep and explore the underwater world.

Eggshell Cave was discovered in 1963 by a group of cavers from Victoria who were exploring the Horne Lake area. This discovery occurred six years after the Horne Lake Caves area was established as a recreation reserve in 1957, adding to the growing list of caves documented in the region. The cave's two entrances were noted as a unique feature, offering cavers multiple points of access and egress. Despite its discovery in the 1960s, Eggshell Cave remained relatively unknown to the public for many years, overshadowed by the more accessible and larger caves in the park. It wasn’t until recent years that the cave began to gain recognition, thanks in part to increased interest in caving and adventure tourism on Vancouver Island. Today, it is one of several caves in the park that are documented but not heavily promoted, likely to preserve its delicate environment.

Vancouver Island Activities

The Jib Diving

The Jib Diving

If you happen to wander around Nanoose Bay, The Jib Diving site is one of the most attractive diving destinations in the region, with a clean environment and easy access. Moreover, except for the beautiful view of the site, you can enjoy watching a diversity of marine life.

Nanaimo Whale Watching

Nanaimo Whale Watching

On Vancouver Island, you can spend every single day arriving in a new city comprising magnificent adventures. While you stay in the second-largest city on the island, you may enjoy several incredible activities, including whale watching. Whale watching in Nanaimo gives you the chance to explore the Salish Sea ecosystem and observe marine life from April-October.

Camping in Qualicum Bay Resort

Camping in Qualicum Bay Resort

As a popular destination for campers from Nanaimo or Courtenay, Qualicum Bay Resort is one of the best places for nature admirers. Amuse your eye with the beautiful scenic view of this campground located on a beautiful beach. You are provided with almost every kind of camping and incredible landscape for those in the RV campground.

Nanaimo Kayaking and Canoeing

Nanaimo Kayaking and Canoeing

If you are trying to get away from your lethal daily routine and your adventure flow has been stopped, why don't you plan a trip to the only multi-functional port city on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo? An assemblage of several distinguished bodies of water has made Nanaimo one of the best paddling locations in the world. You are provided with tons of other activities on both land and the sea.

Cottam Point Diving

Cottam Point Diving

Assign one page of your adventure book to the experience you would gain in the Cottam Point diving zone. Going north of Nanaimo, this fantastic diving location is famous for its mighty tides and incredible marine life. Therefore, you can enjoy both diving and exploring underwater life.

Camping in the Alder Bay RV Park & Marina

Camping in the Alder Bay RV Park & Marina

While exploring the northern parts of Vancouver Island, why not relax a day or two in a fantastic campground? Alder Bay RV Park & Marina offers undeniable RV camping with ocean views that can touch your soul. The great ocean-atmosphere, incredible marine life and gorgeous sunsets add up to the reasons why you should camp in this campground.

Long Beach Storm Watching

Long Beach Storm Watching

As one of the main recreational spots in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Long Beach features strong waves pounding the beach. This quality has made this beautiful scenic beach a hot spot for surfing and storm-watching enthusiasts. It is a beautiful and pristine beach on which having a lounge time or walking feels rejoiced. You can lose yourselves in the sand of Long Beach and find them once again.

Sidney Kayaking

Sidney Kayaking

Views of Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges, besides appealing sea excursions, make Sidney a paradise for tourists and suitable for kayaking. Sidney's moderate Mediterranean climate with relatively low rainfall is the reason behind its popularity among paddling enthusiasts. Also, recreational sites around Sidney have made it an ideal place to make beautiful memories while exploring the incredible opportunities provided for you.

Hiking on Mount Manuel Quimper

Hiking on Mount Manuel Quimper

It is time to put your heart into hiking and step into a moderate multi-use trail with some great views along the way and on top. Mount Manuel Quimper has a beautiful summit worth the climb, which gives you excellent vistas of Sooke Harbour and a chance to visit one of the last fire lookouts left on the island.

Mount Washington Skiing

Mount Washington Skiing

As one of the biggest and most visited ski resorts in Comox Valley, The Mount Washington resort is a summer-winter destination primed with several facilities to serve skiing followers. The high rate of snowfall and spectacular views of the ocean, and ample facilities for winter activities multiply the attractiveness of Mount Washington.

Eggshell Cave, located within Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park, is a stunning limestone cave known for its delicate cave formations and mineral deposits. As a geological wonder of BC, it offers an unforgettable Canadian cave adventure where cave photography enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers can marvel at fragile cave structures and the rich geology BC has to offer, all while experiencing a historic cave that embodies BC natural heritage.

Vancouver Island Activities

Zeballos Kayaking and Canoeing

Zeballos Kayaking and Canoeing

Although the city is known for its gold mining, Zeballos is a fantastic destination for paddling activities. Great hiking trail within the rainforest in which various wildlife is observable. Kayakers and canoeing followers may have the chance to explore a place with several underground caves and spelunking places. Not to mention that other outdoor activities can add to your joy in Zeballos.

Hiking on Mount Manuel Quimper

Hiking on Mount Manuel Quimper

It is time to put your heart into hiking and step into a moderate multi-use trail with some great views along the way and on top. Mount Manuel Quimper has a beautiful summit worth the climb, which gives you excellent vistas of Sooke Harbour and a chance to visit one of the last fire lookouts left on the island.

Sproat Lake Wakeboarding and Waterskiing

Sproat Lake Wakeboarding and Waterskiing

Do not save money only to pay the bill. Spend it on the adventure and see how awesome it feels. The warm waters of Sproat Lake absorb many visitors from all around the world, those fans of water activities in particular. Sproat Lake wakeboarding and waterskiing facilities increase the attractiveness of the lake.

Fair Harbour Kayaking

Fair Harbour Kayaking

Give rewards to yourself for working hard all week and plan to visit Fair Harbour to kill kayaking opportunities. Fair Harbour is an oceanic kayaking zone with all the necessary equipment to surf the water. Besides, you can find great recreational locations around and check all the activities on your to-do list.

Jordan River Surfing

Jordan River Surfing

None of the experiences of surfing would be the same on Vancouver Island. While you are in Victoria, do not forget to check out surfing opportunities in the Jordan River. And if you're looking to come in its best surfing conditions, visit Jordan River during September-March, because The stormy weather with the intensified climate will make your surfing adventure more desirable.

Wild Pacific Trail Storm Watching

Wild Pacific Trail Storm Watching

While hiking Wild Pacific, you are given a chance to enjoy a fantastic storm watching. With hurricane-force winds, both trails of Wild Pacific offer an excellent opportunity to watch storms. Not to mention that overlooking views are provided throughout the hike, which doubles the joy of walking on this long stunning trail.

Madrona Point Diving

Madrona Point Diving

Being a famous diving zone. Madrona Point provides divers from all skill levels with undeniable diving opportunities within a short distance from Nanaimo. It includes three walls: Small, Mid, and Maze walls, of which an amazing marine life is observable near the Small wall and deep-diving near the Maze wall.

Chesterman Beach (North) Surfing

Chesterman Beach (North) Surfing

If you are a William, it would be amazing to explore and spend time on a beach with the shape of your first name's initial. Chesterman Beach (North), as one of the most-visited beaches on Vancouver Island, offers several recreational activities on its fabulous coastline. Surfing is one of the delightful adventures provided for you, allowing one to find seasonal tides on this stunning beach.

Nitinat Triangle Kayaking and Canoeing

Nitinat Triangle Kayaking and Canoeing

Nitinat Triangle provides an excellent opportunity for those fearless paddlers that lets them set their adventure-thirsty souls on fire. Schedule your trip to Nitinat Triangle when you have 4 or 5 days free. The triangle features campsite facilities and magnetic vies of the land.

Hiking on the Grass Lake Trail

Hiking on the Grass Lake Trail

Wear decent hiking boots for a moderate hiking trail near Sooke. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is an enjoyable trail that leads you to Grass Lake and featuring Monument Mountain makes it possible to have amazing views from the top. Doing the Grass Lake Trail overnight and camping by the lake turns it into a memorable trip. Enjoy the trail in warmer seasons and get a dip into the lake.