Minigill Cave is one of the natural wonders of Vancouver Island. It is almost hidden, which makes it more interesting to discover. The cave has a unique entrance, a gap on the rocky ground that goes 30 m (98.4 ft) down the earth. Minigill Cave is suitable for professional cavers. Going into the cave needs special equipment such as a rope that is necessary for descending. Inside the cave, you can see fascinating formations, stalagmites, and stalactites. They took thousands or a million years to create, mostly the colour of a pearl. These formations are called moon milk. Tall trees surround the cave's entrance because it is placed in a forest.
Since there are no signs to the Minigill Cave entrance, pay extra attention to not miss it. There is water flowing in the cave, almost like a river, which explains why the cave walls are so polished without a rough edge. The mineral water is so clear that you can see the bedrock and ice-cold, so be careful not to get wet, or you will probably catch a chill. The passageways in the cave are relatively narrow, and in some parts, you will need to get across little bridges on the water that requires extra caution.
Minigill Cave is located north of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. The cave is located in Benson Valley up
toward Port McNeill, near the route from Nimpkish Lake to Port McNeill. Reaching the cave needs a bit of walking from where an old bridge has been removed on an old decommissioned logging road. It is most unfortunate that you can't even find this magnificent cave on Google Maps or any other online map, especially that it is one of the longest caves in Canada. However, you can always ask locals or hire a guide to take you there. An abundant and lush forest surrounds the cave, which makes the entrance all the more beautiful. Although Minigill Cave doesn't have an official age limit or any pet restriction, it is not suitable for children or dogs because of dangerous descending.
From Nanaimo:
The access to Port McNeill from Nanaimo is via BC-19 N. It is 350 km (217.4 miles) and takes about 3 hours and a half.
Start your way by heading west on Fitzwilliam St toward Wesley St and go on for 800 m (2624.6 ft). Continue onto Third St and after 1.9 km (1.2 miles) continue onto Jingle Pot Rd for 650 m (2132.5). Turn right onto BC-19 N (signs for Campbell R) and drive 344 km (213.7 miles). Turn right onto Campbell Way and after 2.6 km (1.6 miles), turn right onto Broughton Blvd. Go on, and after 290 m (951.4 ft), turn right onto Grenville Pl. It takes just 33 m (108.2 ft) more to reach Port McNeill.
From Victoria:
Getting to Port McNeill from Victoria is possible via BC-19 N. It is 460 km (285.8 miles) and takes about 5 hours.
Take Government St to Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N for 1.2 km (0.7 miles). Get on BC-19 N to Campbell Way in Mount Waddington C and drive 456 km (283.3 miles). Continue on Campbell Way. Drive to Grenville Pl in Port McNeill. After 2.9 km (1.8 miles), you will reach Port McNeill.
Sadly no designated hiking trails lead to Minigill Cave. There is so little information about the exact location of the cave. There are no signs or marks or any self-guided access roads available. Your only option is to ask the locals or find someone to take you there. If you're lucky, you may be able to find a map, but perhaps local people give you a better chance. The hike to Minigill Cave is short and easy. Since the cave is in a forest, the hike is mostly through a forest, which can be scenic.
Port McNeill is a part of the territory of the Kwakiutl First Nation. The Kwakiutl traditionally called this Pulkhukglalis (meaning thin beach at the hind end), and they used it as a village site and fishing station. In the late 1830s, this place was an important trading spot between the Hudson's Bay Company and local First Nations.
Since Minigill Cave's whereabouts are almost unknown, it is hard to identify available activities in its surroundings. But some activities you can do practically anywhere, such as hiking. The good thing about Vancouver Island is that it has so many forests. Anywhere you go, you can always find a picturesque spot to walk or hike, and Port McNeill is no exception. Have caving experience in Minigill Cave to discover this hidden gem on Vancouver Island or enjoy kayaking and canoeing in Nimpkish Lake or Telegraph Cove kayaking. You can also visit Port McNeill sights such as Port McNeill & District Museum and the World's Largest Burl (Ronning Burl). Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park is also another hot spot to have some adventure like windsurfing.
Riding the BC Ferries or watching them is a good experience, something you can do with your family and friends.
Minigill Cave is a hidden gem and one of the natural wonders of Vancouver Island. The entrance is a gap on a rocky ground with no signs around and is surrounded by tall trees as it is placed in a forest. The cave is suitable for professional cavers and exploring it needs equipment. The fascinating formations, stalagmites, and stalactites are what you can expect.
Are you among the curious people? If the answer is yes, you are at the right place. Knowing what could be in a cave and its end is a desire a caver can not deny. Deep inside the mountain, find the stones endured from the natural elements. The water runs deep in the caves, carving its way through the mountain and polishing the rocks' rough edges. Want to explore it for more? Plan visiting Little Huson Caves, a series of mysterious caves.
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Looking for a way through which you can make your adventure on Vancouver Island unforgettable? Do not forget to stop by Port hardy while you are in the northern parts of the island. There you will be able to sight magnificent killer whales, near which you should apply ample caution. However, observing them is better an oops than a what if.
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From Mid-June through October, you will have lots of adventures ahead of you in Telegraph Cove. While exploring the waters to observe Whales, you may encounter other marine creatures if you are lucky. Besides, other creators such as bears, eagles, sea lions and porpoises are observable.
Adventure is a critical ingredient to keep your spirit alive. Enthusiasts can spend a splendid time camping in Cluxewe Resort campground, in which you are provided with both woodland and waterfront sites featuring all the necessary facilities. Other than fantastic camping, you may enjoy several outdoor activities, including both water and land activities. Also, the wildlife there can fascinate you and make the place unforgettable.
The old-growth forest on Vancouver Island's east coast maintains a great campground to spend a night. The Telegraph Cove Campground spoils the guests and visitors with colourful buildings, wonderful ocean-view, and a beautiful campground and resort with a spectacular atmosphere. Also, campsites and accommodations are facilitated for your convenience.
On the edge of Port McNeill, a quiet facilitated campground is provided for you to spend splendid time with family and friends. The Broughton Strait Campground is a beautiful spot to spend moments and observe the magnificent wildlife while appreciating the beautiful nature there in the forest. Also, anglers would be surprised by the various fish species living there.
On the entrance of Hardy Bay, Wildwoods Campsite is located in a rainforest. Many adventure offers are available in this campground in addition to undeniable chances of peaceful camping. For almost 30 years, this campground welcomes campers with great campsites, including all necessary facilities.
Nestled in old-growth forests, Quatse River Campground offers peaceful camping next to the bank of Quatse River. This campground provides you with privacy and peace away from the busy urban life comprising a green and treed atmosphere. Also, admirers of nature can enjoy a diversity of flora and fauna while drowning in other adventures.
While exploring the lands of Northern Vancouver Island, do not forget to visit Port Hardy RV Resort and Log Cabins to stay a day or two. This clean and safe campground provides you with amenities and chances to have a splendid time at a sandy beach, in which you can enjoy a meal of the fish you caught. The resemblance of this campground to paradise is uncanny, providing untenable forest tours.
As another significant paradise for paddling, kayaker and canoeists can lose themselves enjoying every single moment while they are on board. Besides the great adventure of surfing the water, paddlers can do other water activities and make their stay even more memorable. So, if you are a paddling freak, don't forget to prioritize Telegraph Cove.
Let your spirits feed on the adventure provided for you in Port McNeill. One of the best places for paddlers, Port McNeill, has a sheltered harbour and fabulous waterways suitable for kayaking and canoeing. This place is the gateway to real adventure in which you can experience every kind of vigorous activity both on land and at sea.
Looking for a place to make your kayaking adventure a safer experience? Check out Port Hardy and its protected waters and embrace the undeniable opportunities for a journey on board. Kayakers and canoers may have the chance to explore spectacular sightseeing and strange fishing spots and campsites.
Stretch your minds and imaginations to a different experience of kayaking by going to Quatsino Sound. As a mysterious place, it is known as underground caverns, and it offers undeniably chances for those in love with paddling. While you are on the water and paddling the smooth waves, you may be lucky and observe some marine creatures that can add to your joy.
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.
Make your diving experience memorable by going to the Browning Pass Diving zone. Browning Pass cold waters provide you with ample and undeniable opportunities to dive deep and observe the spectacular life under the surface. Comprising a rare beautiful nature, you can take images with an imaginary background.
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.
Coal Harbour is an entrance to the old-growth forests of Vancouver Island North's wilderness areas. It has access to scenic coastal waters and is a gateway to ocean adventures and a historical village. Coal Harbour is a perfect launch point for fishing charters, kayakers, and boaters. Dolphins, whales and sea otters have included the wildlife in the beautiful area.
Telegraph Cove is a fantastic spot for photography with a stunning view of the ocean, famous buildings, and houses close to the rocky shoreline. You can expect to watch grizzly bears in spring, salmon in August, and millions of pink salmon return to spawn up the inlet channel in September. Telegraph Cove Campground is one of the full-service and breathtaking campsites in the area.
Port Alice is "The Gateway to the Wild West Coast." The natural environment, such as lakes, rivers, mountains, and wood with excellent views of Neroutsos Inlet, is what this village is famous for. It is also counted as the sea otter capital of Canada. Port Alice is home to other animals such as sea lions, bears, and birds. A pleasant entertainment in Port Alice is fishing.
Port McNeill is a small town but a large community in North Vancouver Island with the rich natural land and sea resources. It is the gateway to the protected spaces, islands, and waterways of the Broughton Archipelago and Queen Charlotte Strait. Being close to the shoreline gives you chances to watch wildlife like dolphins, whales, seals, grizzly bears, black bears, elks, cougars, and deer.
Port Hardy is a district municipality on Vancouver Island. Every day in summer, the peak season in Port Hardy, ferries depart to popular tourist destinations in BC. Excellent wilderness activities, such as paddling, caving, scuba diving, whale watching, surfing, camping, and fishing, are popular. Lush green parks in Port Hardy are great for a family trip and having a picnic.
Minigill Cave is a hidden gem and one of the natural wonders of Vancouver Island. The entrance is a gap on a rocky ground with no signs around and is surrounded by tall trees as it is placed in a forest. The cave is suitable for professional cavers and exploring it needs equipment. The fascinating formations, stalagmites, and stalactites are what you can expect.
Are you among the curious people? If the answer is yes, you are at the right place. Knowing what could be in a cave and its end is a desire a caver can not deny. Deep inside the mountain, find the stones endured from the natural elements. The water runs deep in the caves, carving its way through the mountain and polishing the rocks' rough edges. Want to explore it for more? Plan visiting Little Huson Caves, a series of mysterious caves.
Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park is a recreation zone with a great unspoiled nature and a rugged wilderness setting located southwest of Nimpkish Lake, the deepest lake on Vancouver Island. This spectacular park is home to various trees valuable for the environment and black bears, black-tailed deer and a wide range of wildlife. Some parts of the park are open to hunting for specific species.
The Karmutzen Range is a subrange of Vancouver Island Ranges. While visiting the Karmutzen Range, you will be fascinated by surrounding mountains winding through a beautiful old-growth forest and enormous trees. The area is a paradise for mountaineers. Up at the peaks, the view includes the trees covering the hills and Nimpkish Lake that lying within Nimpkish Valley walls.
The Hankin Range provides full of perfect adventurous sports such as mountain skiing with a snowboard store available. The area offers thrilling winter sports with plowed roads through the alpine forest. Visitors will experience peace at the non-motorized recreational place. The Hankin Range offers both tree skiing and skiing with uninterrupted terrains.
Little Huson Cave Regional Park is a complete package located in Nimpkish Valley. You can explore 15 caves, have water activities in Nimpkish Lake and enjoy your time at the park or even mountain ranges in the area. The scenery features unique rock bridges and rock arches, flowing water, natural bridges and deep pools filled with crystal-clear green water from Huson Lake.
The Franklin Range is a subrange of Vancouver Island, perfect for mountain climbing. It is located southwest of the Johnstone Strait and Robson Bight. Start a fantastic adventure by launching a boat at Telegraph Cove, having pleasant hiking through gorgeous forest, and step into the breathtaking ambiance of Franklin Range shrouded with clouds and covered by trees.
The Bonanza Range is a small mountain range. While approaching the Bonanza Range, you will experience a beautiful wilderness passing through the Tsitika River and Bonanza Lake. The area is a paradise dotted with gorgeous lakes and tarns winding through alpine and subalpine mountain forests having spectacular views of incredible snow-capped mountains.
With its tremendous and wild beauty and stunning landscapes, Broughton Archipelago Provincial Park is among the world's most magnificent places. Bald eagles and marine mammals such as dolphins, seals, otters, orcas and humpback whales are among the park's inhabitants. It is a hot spot for boating, especially sea kayaking and is a world-class saltwater fishing spot.
Keep your restless spirit of travelling to start exploring the longest river on Vancouver Island. The Nimpkish River extends from the west slope of Mount Alston, passes Nimpkish Lake toward the Broughton Strait. With a provincial park on its way, it gives you excellent chances to camp or to have a picnic in nature. Discover it all and the wilderness, or have some relaxing time during fishing.