Strathcona Provincial Park
Elk Falls Provincial Park is a national park on Vancouver Island. If you are looking for a friendly site and spectacular place for hiking in nature trails and enjoy lying in the sun on the rocks while listening to the soothing sound of a waterfall, here is your place.
Elk Falls Provincial Park, with an area of 1807 hectares (4465.1 Acre) on Central Vancouver Island, is a beautiful destination. An attractive 25-meter (89-foot) waterfall and some of the best year-round salmon fishing in Canada are just two proofs that it is one of the most well-known provincial parks on Vancouver Island.
Elk Falls Provincial Park nicely laid out trails in the forest, with a stunning viewpoint for Elk Falls. The Suspension Bridge stretching across the canyon below the falls is the highest pedestrian bridge on Vancouver Island.
The thundering waterfall is fantastic, and the view of that from the Suspension Bridge is spectacular. Old-growth Douglas firs and cedars are a prominent visit.
Elk Falls Provincial Park is located on the east side of John Hart Lake, 3.6 km (2.2 miles) away from Campbell River city. Access to the park is possible from Gold River Hwy. There is a parking lot on the west side of the park, which you can access from Elk Falls Park Road. Besides Elk Falls, there are two other waterfalls to visit while at the park, like Deer Falls and Moose Falls.
From Victoria:
The fastest route to get to Elk Falls Provincial Park from Victoria is via Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N and BC-19 N. It is 269 km (167.1 miles) and takes about 3 hours.
Get on BC-19 N in Nanaimo from Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N in 106 km (65.8 miles), merge onto BC-19 N. Drive 159 km (98.7 miles) more and take Gold River Hwy/BC-28 W to Canal Access Rd. After 3.6 km (2.2 miles), you will reach the Elk Falls Provincial Park and Protected Area.
From Nanaimo:
The access to Elk Falls Provincial Park from Nanaimo is via BC-19 N. The route is 158 km (98.1 miles) and takes about one hour and a half.
Head west on Fitzwilliam St towards Wesley St, 800 m (2624.6 ft), further continue onto Third St. Drive 1.9 km (1.1 miles) and continue onto Jingle Pot Rd. After 650 m (2132.5 ft), turn right onto BC-19 N (signs for Campbell R). Drive for 151 km (93.8 miles) and turn left onto Island Hwy/BC-19A N (signs for BC-28 W/Gold River). Continue onto Campbell River Rd/Gold River Hwy/BC-28 W. Keep following Gold River Hwy/BC-28 W and, after 2.8 km (1.7 miles), turn right onto Canal Access Rd. 650 m (2132.5 ft) more, you will reach the Elk Falls Provincial Park and Protected Area.
1. "Elk Falls Viewing Platform" is an out and back trail that starts and ends in the parking lot placed at Elk Falls Park Road. The length of this easy trail is 1.8 km (1.1 miles). The best time for use is from May until October. The elevation gain is 55 m (180.4 ft).
2. "Elk Falls Loop Trail," with a 1.4 km (0.8 miles) length, is an easy trail near Quinsam 12. The best time for using this trail is from March until October. The elevation gain is 45 m (147.6 ft).
3. "Elk Falls via Millenium Trail" is a loop with a 3.9 km (2.4 miles) length near Campbell River. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching. It's an easy trail with 102 m (334.6 ft) elevation gain.
4. The moderate level "Canyon View Trail to Elk Falls Viewing Platform" is a loop with an 11.1 km (6.8 miles) length near Campbell River. Besides hiking, camping is possible too. The elevation gain is 342 m (1122 ft).
5. "Millenium Trail to Elk Falls" is a moderate loop with a 6.4 km (3.9 miles) length. Near Quinsam 12. The best time for using this trail is from March until October. The elevation gain is 224 m (734.9 ft).
6. "Beaver Pond Elk Falls Circular Route" is an easy loop with an elevation gain of 88 m (288.7 ft). This trail has a 3.1 km (1.9 miles) length, and it's near Campbell River.
Elk Falls Provincial Park was established in 1940, and the protected area in 2013. The park got its name from the Campbell River's waterfall. It had over 1124 hectares (2777.4 Acre) of land. In 1946, part of the land was separated from the park for construction of the John Hart Dam and Power Station. After 1946, the park had some land deletions and additions. Nowadays, the size reaches 1074.4 hectares (2654.9 Acre).
One designated archaeological site is at the southeast corner of Lot A, L. 67, P1. 8916.
Elk Falls Provincial Park offers a convenient and cheap Encampment with full services, and provides large private sites along the Quinsam River and rests in an exceedingly lovely forest setting. It is one of the largest camps in the region and often has points for camps. You can reserve the campground from late March to the end of October. The park offers winter camping too, but with no services.
Elk Falls Provincial Park has multiple hiking trails, which offer fantastic hiking through the old-growth forest. After hiking on the small paths that led to the rocks above the falls, it will be delightful to rest in the sun on the rocks. In the summer, visitors can swim in the Campbell River.
Campbell River is known as the Salmon Capital of the world, and anglers head to the Quinsam and Campbell Rivers to fish for chinook or Coho salmon during late spring and through the summer. Fish species include Cutthroat, Steelhead, Dolly Varden trout, freshwater Sculpin and Chinook, three Spine Stickleback, Chum, Coho, Pink and Sockeye Salmon.
Wildlife in Elk Falls Park includes a variety of birds and small mammals. Golden-crowned kinglets, Great blue herons, Chestnut-backed chickadees, killdeer, Glaucous-winged gulls, crows, and starlings are the most resident bird species in excellent. Mammals include deer, cougars, bears, voles, raccoons, shrews, squirrels, mink, river otters, muskrat and beaver. A beaver dam and pond can be found west of the campground. Roosevelt elk also uses parts of the park for the winter.
Based on the BC Act, Elk Falls Provincial Park is one of the protected areas on Vancouver Island, where you are not allowed to hunt.
