Nimpkish Lake is Vancouver Island's deepest lake with nearly 305 m (1,000 ft) above sea level. The name means "halibut on the bottom." It is located northeast of the island and formed a vast, deep point along the Nimpkish River. Nimpkish Lake, formerly known as Karmutzen Lake, is an exciting choice and a preliminary destination for windsurfers and anglers.
The lake is located among the walls of the Nimpkish Valley. Surrounded by scenic peaks, mostly the second-growth forest, it runs on its route between Port McNeill and the little town of Woss along the eastern shore. The only community on Nimpkish Lake is Nimpkish village. Logging roads are single access to most parts of the shoreline. The region is home to numbers of black-tailed deer, black bears and a wide range of wildlife and smaller birds native to the area.
Nimpkish Lake is placed at Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park on northern Vancouver Island. It is approximately 32 km (20 miles) south of Port McNeill, in the regional district of Mount Waddington. The park comprises the southernmost east-facing slops of the Karmutzen Range and contains most of Tlakwa Creek drainage, excluding the Crown-owned forest land and the privately-owned District Lot 266, south and east of Tlakwa Creek.
Going south of the park, at the top of Huson Lake, you have a chance to discover the Little Huson Caves in Little Huson Cave Regional Park.
From Nanaimo:
The fastest route to get to Nimpkish Lake from Nanaimo is via BC-19 N. It is 320 km (198.8 miles) and takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Head west on Fitzwilliam St towards Wesley St for 800 m (2624.6 ft). Drive onto Third St and after 1.9 km (1.2 miles), continue onto Jingle Pot Rd for 650 m (2132.5 ft). Turn right onto BC-19 N (signs for Campbell R). After 317 km (197 miles), you will reach Nimpkish Lake.
From Victoria:
Getting to Nimpkish River from Victoria is via BC-19 N. It is 430 km (267.1 miles) and takes about 4 hours and 43 minutes.
Head west on Pandora Ave towards Government St. After 99 m (234.8 ft), turn right onto Government St and drive 1 km (0.6 miles).
Slight right towards Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N. After 72 m (236.2 ft), use any lane to turn left onto Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N. Drive 104 km (64.6 ft). Use the right 2 lanes to merge onto BC-19 N via the slip road to Parksville/Campbell River. After 325 km (202 miles), you will reach Nimpkish Lake.
There is no designated hiking trail to get to Nimpkish Lake. However, several hiking trails in the park offer scenic views, but no facilities are provided.
Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park
is part of the traditional territory of the "Namgis" First Nation. It has a long and distinct history associated with the area in and around Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park. The First Nation has asserted its Aboriginal rights and title to Nimpkish Lake Park. It has identified it as an area of interest in its negotiation of a treaty under the British Columbia Treaty Commission process. To catch eulachon, most Nimpkish went each year to the Kingcome River, some to the Klinaklini River. When the salmon were running, members of local groups joined the Nimpkish at their river fishery to share its exceptional harvest.
Some Nimpkish travelled to camps on the lake during the fall from which the men went out each day with guns (as early as 1972, there were reportedly two or three per house), spears, and perhaps bows and arrows to hunt deer and elk. Women and children would gather and dry the last of the season's berries.
When the fall's work was done, all would settle for the winter in their large plank houses at Xwulk, although there were traditions of an earlier period when the upriver villages were also occupied at this season. Perhaps this was so before the nineteenth-century population decline was well advanced. The plank dwellings served as a shelter for their inhabitants and storage places for the household's supply of food. Of course, through the winter, the occasional deer or elk might be shot, there were cod and wintering seabirds to be taken in the Broughton Strait, some steelhead would be running in the river clams, and other shellfish were available at nearby beaches. But the focus of attention now was on ceremonial activities within the houses. The great feasts accompanying these affairs drew not on the little fresh food that could be gathered in this cold, wet season's few hours of daylight but on those dried and smoked provisions they had earlier worked so hard to assemble.
As Nimpkish Lake is located in Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park, it has some opportunities for water activities, hiking, cross-country skiing, mountaineering, and hunting. The popular one is fishing. Boat access exists from the lake via the boat launch at the Canadian Forest Products recreation site at Kim Creek for paddling enthusiasts. It is 3 km (1.8 miles) from Nimpkish Service Station, located halfway between Woss and Port McNeill on Highway 19. No established hiking trails are within the park, but access along the lower Tlakwa Creek may be gained by old forest roads from the Atluck Creek area and hatchery access.
Being in nature is one of the pleasures that one can have either for his leisure time or improving knowledge. Make better use of your time visiting Nimpkish Lake, the deepest lake on Vancouver Island. Track black-tailed deer, black bears, and other animals and watch birds. Enjoy freshwater fishing, hiking, cross country skiing, and mountaineering.
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.