Campbell River, also known as Wiwek̓a̱m, is the fourth largest city on Vancouver Island. The city is located in the province of British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of the Discovery Passage. Campbell River is close to Quadra Island, Discovery Island, Sayward, Oyster River community, Gold River village, Tahsis, and Zeballos.
Campbell River got its name from Captain George Henry Richards around 1859. He named the river after Dr. Samuel Campbell, a captain of the ship and a surgeon; though some historians believe it to be true, some are doubtful. The community took the name of "Campbell River" when its post office was opened in 1907. Campbell River has long been called "the Salmon Capital of the World"; therefore, one of the main activities that people do around here is fishing. Other things to do are skiing, wilderness experiences, whale watching, playing golf, and many more.
Campbell River has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification). The temperature goes from an average height of 24°C (75.2°F) in August to an average low of 0°C (32°F) in January.
The best time to visit Campbell River is from May 21st to September 23rd. It is when the weather is mild, and the city is full of tourists.
You can fly directly from either Vancouver or Seattle to Campbell River Airport (CYBL).
Corilair Charters offers floatplanes for scheduled and charter flights between Vancouver and Campbell River.
Getting to Campbell River is possible from these ferry services: Clipper Vacations, Washington State Ferries, M.V. Coho, and BC Ferries. Daily coaches take you from Victoria to Campbell River.
Campbell River is located in a place that has many fantastic natural beauties. Campbell River waterfalls like Elk Falls and Deer Falls have their unique beauty. Campbell River also has a rich and diverse ecosystem, so don't miss the wildlife tours like bear watching and whale watching. Of course, these activities are seasonal; whale watching is possible from April to October and bear watching from mid-August to October.
Since Campbell River is the capital of salmon, one of the main tourist attractions is the annual Fall Salmon Run which starts in late August and lasts till early November. If you want to catch some fish, at least one of five species of salmon lives in Campbell River's water. Plan your visit in summer and get help from small fishing boats at Discovery Passage; it's called guided fishing. As for entertainment Campbell River offers CR Bowling and Rivercity Players theatre both near Nuun's Creek Park in the middle of the city and many pubs and restaurants.
Public transportation in Campbell River includes bus, taxi, ferry, and airplane.
Downtown is the best place for staying because it's close to the tourist attractions of Campbell River, such as museums and galleries. Also, it has better access to the Campbell River Transit System. Here is a list of all the accommodations at different prices.
Hotels:
Comfort Inn & Suites, Campbell River, Herons Landing Hotel, Painter's Lodge, Chateau Riverside Boutique Hotel, Ramada by Wyndham Campbell River
Hostels:
Vista Del Mar Motel, Anchor Inn & Suites, Above Tide Motel, Coast Discovery Inn, Town Centre Inn, Campbell River Lodge by Riverside
Campbell River offers few shopping options; most of them are gift shops and located downtown. Here is a list of the best shopping malls and local shops in Campbell River:
French Creek Collective, Wei Wai Kum House of Treasures, Mussels and More Pottery, Awatin Aboriginal Art, Mariner Square Shopping Centre, Apple Seed Cottage, Secrets of Asia Imports, Campbell River Common and Discovery Harbour Shopping Centre.
Campbell River, with many good restaurants and cafés, makes it hard to choose one. But here are some of them:
Take outs, Dick's Fish & Chips, Dine ins, White Tower Restaurant, McDonald's, Jigger's Grill, Harbour Grill, Spice Hut Indian Cuisine, Royal Aroma, Dockside Fish & Chip, Quay West Kitchen(Casual Dining), Shot In The Dark Cafe, Sunny Day Café, Ideal Café, Q Beans Coffee Ltd, Sunny Day Cafe, The Java Shack, Brew unto Others.
Campbell River has a few but good quality wineries. Willow Point Wines U-Vin, Wine With Us Ltd, Home Brew Factory & Wine Boutique, Beach Fire Brewing, and Nosh House, North Island Brewing Corp are some of the best.
There is only one distillery in the area, and that is Shelter Point Distillery. It is one of the district's tourist attractions that needs about 20 minutes of driving to the southeast but is worth the trip.
Out of all Campbell River's pubs and bars, it's hard to choose one place. Here is a list of high rated pubs and bars: Riptide Marine Pub, Tyee Pub at Painter's Lodge, Moxie's Grill & Bar, Minecraft bar and grill
Hiking on the Mount Menzies Access Road through a logging road and having a forest walk is a challenge you can take near the Campbell River. The trail and the view from the lookout are incredible in colours. Get away from the humans by going on a beautiful trail which is nice and quiet!
In an area with several hiking options having the experience of hiking a relatively long trail would be great as it is rich in natural beauties. Besides hikers, Riley Lake to Lookout Loop to Lost Frog is proper for mountain bikers and nature trip lovers. Just find yourself northwest of Campbell River and get the most out of your backpacking trip.
With access to the Campbell River and the Quinsam River at the Elk Falls Provincial Park, hiking on the Beaver Ponds Elk Falls Circular Route makes you a fantastic day. The great scenery within the protected area and lots of activities with waterfalls, a park, rivers, a lake, and a campground have exceeded all expectations for nature lovers and hikers.
Have a nice easy hike in the forest with lots of river access points while you have chances for watching wildlife in Quinsam River Hatchery Trail. It is known as one of the most spectacular hiking trails in the area of Campbell River city. Fishing, nature trips, walking, and bird watching are other options for hiking along the river.
The Elk Falls via Millenium Trail is a family-friendly loop. This excellent hike with spectacular views includes waterfalls, Suspension Bridge, sitting areas and the Campbell River. Hiking this trail certainly tests your nerves. It is well maintained with several facilities. Get in touch with beautiful scenery along the river, and enjoy the stunning park with all family members while you are just a few kilometres away from downtown.
With a five-kilometre distance from the city, hiking on the Elk Falls Viewing Platform is an opportunity. It is among several hiking trails you can follow and explore in Elk Falls Provincial Park. This easy trail forest walk is age-friendly and features a waterfall and Suspension Bridge with a great view from the point.
Just outside Campbell River, step into an exciting hiking trail in the middle of a provincial park. It is where the stunning view of Douglas-fir forests comes with a wide variety of wildlife to watch. Find your way alongside the river in a loop which in some parts would be a challenge. It would be great if you plan to be there in the afternoon with a view of the sun when you cross the river.
As one of the highest points of Vancouver Island, Mount Adrian offers great snowmobiling, among other winter activities. It has two summits that feature Strathcona Provincial Park in every direction—looking for a place to have winter excitement? Nowhere is better than Mount Adrian.
Snowmobilers and sledding enthusiasts have the chance to go snowboarding in the morning and waterskiing in the afternoon. The warm dressing is critical during snowmobiling in Mount Washington. Besides, the fantastic view there is fabulous for photography.
As the second busiest winter recreational destination in BC, Mt. Washington Ski Resort in Comox Valley offers a wide range of snowboarding facilities. Mountain climbing enthusiasts who choose Mount Washington for snowboarding have the chance to look across the Strait of Georgia and other spectacular views, such as the Strathcona Provincial Park region.
Being the busiest winter recreational destination in BC, Mount Washington provides you with incredible winter activities, including snowshoeing. While you are on the snow, enjoy a 360-degree panorama of the Strait of Georgia and the Sunshine Coast from Powell River to Sechelt. Moreover, several nearby resorts are ready to offer service to visitors annually.
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.
Home to many campsites with all kinds of facilities and services right on the shoreline, Buttle Lake campground offers you the best opportunities to explore the shore. There you can do a lot of activities and enjoy seeing marine creatures. Annually, the campground welcomes RV and vehicle campers. Also, you can have a good time camping in your tents.
Camping in Ralph River Campground offers a bit more comfortable experience of exploring the park. It's adjacent to Buttle Lake, with numerous campsites all along the glorious shoreline of it. It is where you will feel a sense of being in the wilderness with beautiful sights and spectacular views from several sites over the valleys.
Located in the Strathcona Provincial Park near Bedwell Lake, camping is possible in a nice backcountry campground on Baby Bedwell Lake, set in the lush forest surrounded by majestic mountains. Beautiful alpine forest, perfect swimming, breathtaking view of the trail, small ponds and lakes surrounded by glacial mountain peaks are some of the area's attractions. They are enough to fascinate visitors and campers.
Are you struggling with spending a ton of time searching for the best family-friendly vacation? Then you need to visit Buttle Lake and get better results camping around it. Learn how Buttle Lake gives you an unfair advantage with camping, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing in Strathcona Provincial Park, the oldest provincial park on Vancouver Island.
Campbell River is the fourth largest city on Vancouver Island. It has long been called "the Salmon Capital of the World." Campbell River has a reach ecosystem and beautiful waterfalls. Fishing, skiing at Mount Washington, playing golf, and seasonal activities like bear and whale watching are among the best things you can do in Campbell River.
Campbell Lake is one of the largest artificial lakes on Central Vancouver Island. The area is peaceful enough to sit on the shore or top of a mountain with a great view. The magnificent reflections of mountains and trees, specifically pine forests, on the lake create photogenic scenes and a camping hot spot. Fishing is possible all year round. Have excellent swimming at the start of summer.
Mount McBride with 2083 m (6834 ft.) height is the seventh highest mountain on Central Vancouver Island. Atop Mount McBride, the 360° panoramic view of Strathcona Provincial Park is rewarding, besides vistas of the highest mountains on Vancouver Island, including Golden Hinde, Mt Colonel Foster, King's Peak, Elkhorn Mountain, and Rambler Peak.
Elkhorn Mountain is located in the Elk River Mountains of the Vancouver Island Ranges. It is the second-highest peak on Vancouver Island at 2194 m (7198 ft.) elevation. Atop of the Elkhorn Mountain, the commanding views of mountain peaks surrounding overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Georgia are rewarding, as well as splendid Strathcona Provincial Park.
Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens is a fantastic natural garden with delightful paths, a creek, and great open spaces. It is home to plenty of native plants, wildflowers, and birds. The garden features one of the largest collections of rhododendrons in Western Canada, with over 3000 plantings. The best time to visit is from March to the end of June when the rhododendrons are in full bloom.
A great place to heal and recharge on the Campbell River is Deer Falls, a little piece of heaven. Imagine the water descends into an emerald green pool with the sweetest melody that you could hear and the tall trees surrounding the falls. In summer and late spring, the rocks around the pool become moss-covered and create a fabulous view. Watching bears there in summertime eating salmon is fantastic, but don't limit your expectations; the area has a lot to offer as scenery.
The Halifax Range is a small mountain range consists of hills covered by gorgeous trees. The area is ornamented with wildlife like elk, dear, bear, and many bird species. While ascending the mountain, mountaineers will be refreshed by the Halifax Range's pleasant ambiance overlooking the Johnstone Strait. McCreight Lake and Pye Lake are nearby suitable for camping with facilities.
Strathcona Provincial Park is a large mountainous natural park and the oldest provincial park in British Columbia. Excellent hiking trails, coastal areas, lakes, creeks, waterfalls, snow-capped peaks, and wildlife made this park a perfect destination for adventurous travellers. Summers are usually pleasantly warm, and winters are almost mild except for the higher levels. So, it is a great place to recharge.
Words cannot describe Lupin Falls because this waterfall's beauty is beyond the world of vocabulary. The water pours gracefully on rocks and carving its way into the hard rock cliff. A forest surrounds the two drops of Lupin Falls and adds to its wonders. Visiting Lupin Falls is a big bonus as it is placed in Strathcona Provincial Park with a lot to offer.
Find peace at the bottom of a waterfall where there will be the magic of nature all around you. Lady Falls is a rare sight of beauty and grace. The crystal clear water runs through a lush forest, reaches a rock cliff surrounded by trees, and pours down into a canyon. From afar, it feels like the water is cascading from the trees. The combination is enough for cleansing the mind, soothing the soul, and being there for hours.
Along the Brown River, there is a river fall that completes its attractiveness. The river's stream cascades from rock cliffs and makes Brown's River Falls. It is also known as Medicine Bowl, a series of falls in a lush green forest. The landscape is worthy enough to sit on a rock and watch it for hours, and the sound of the waterfall is like a piece of music on repeat, which you would not become bored with it.
In the south end of Buttle Lake at Strathcona Provincial Park, you can find Myra Falls (or Lower Myra Falls), a Jewel of natural wonders. This seven-drop waterfall is beautiful all year round, and it feels like you're in a land of fantasy. The tremendous view of the place and shades of green and blue of the pool under the falls make a great scene perfect for photography.
With 27 m (89 ft) height, Elk Falls is as beautiful as a postcard picture placed on the west side of Campbell River among the old-growth Douglas firs and cedar trees. The moss-covered rocks, the deep clear water underneath, and Suspension Bridge stretching across the canyon are deep reflections of a fairyland. Step into the hiking trails and enjoy all other beauties like birds.
Elk Falls Provincial Park is a National Park, a friendly site for hiking in nature trails or enjoying lying in the sun listening to the waterfall's soothing sound. The Suspension Bridge stretching across the canyon below the falls is the highest pedestrian bridge on Vancouver Island. Old-growth Douglas firs and cedars are a prominent visit. This nature park is a year-round salmon fishing destination in Canada.