The Nimpkish River is the longest river on Vancouver Island. If you desire to explore the river, it takes a day to raft the length of it. Camping along the river and having a meal is a perfect choice to enjoy nature. Discover the land to explore the wilderness and have some relaxing time during the fishing.
One of the most important and isolated watersheds on Vancouver Island is Nimpkish River Valley, which is more than 100 km (62 miles) long from the ocean. This valley in the mountains is near the Gold River, but it winds its way towards Port Hardy, passes Woss Lake, joins other streams and creeks before depositing to Nimpkish Lake.
Along the river, you can find Lower Nimpkish River Provincial Park. It is placed between the Nimpkish River and Nimpkish Lake. This park's surface area is about 200 hectares (494 acres) and was established in 1995. It is about 300 m (0.18 miles) wide on each side of the river's centre.
For paddling enthusiasts, it should be mentioned that the Lower Nimpkish River might be dangerous. It's better to check the weather and safety conditions.
The Nimpkish River is located on northern Vancouver Island with about 118.1 km (73.4 mi) in length. It originates on the west slope of Mount Alston, flows northwest into Nimpkish Lake and north into the Broughton Strait, 8 km (4.9 miles) east of Port McNeill.
From Victoria:
Due to traffic conditions from Victoria to the Nimpkish River, the fastest route is via BC-19 N. It is 451 km (280.2 miles) and takes about 5 hours.
Take Government St to Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N for 1.2 km (0.7 miles). Follow Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 N to BC-19 N in Mount Waddington D. Drive 450 km (279.6 miles) to reach the Nimpkish River.
From Nanaimo:
Getting to the Nimpkish River from Nanaimo is via BC-19 N. It is 340 km (211.2 miles) and takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Head west on Fitzwilliam St toward Wesley St for 800 m (2624.6 ft). Continue onto Third St and drive 1.9 km (1.2 miles). Follow Jingle Pot Rd for 650 m (2132.5 ft). Turn right onto BC-19 N (signs for Campbell R). After 337 km (209.4 miles), you will reach the Nimpkish River.
There is no designated hiking trail to get to the Nimpkish River.
Nimpkish River Valley hasn't been colonized by European at all. There is only a significant settlement in the valley named Woss, on Woss Lake that feeds into the Woss Creek and then into the Nimpkish River. European Settlers arrived there around the 20th century.
Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park is in the realm of Namgis First Nation. This nation is the first one on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the vicinity of islands in the southern Queen Charlotte Strait region. This region also includes the town of Alert Bay and the community of Sointula. Both communities are offshore across the Broughton Strait from the city of Port McNeil.
Around the Nimpkish River, you may have age-friendly activities such as fishing, walking and camping. But be cautious about whitewater experiences. Have the pleasure of Nimpkish whitewater adventure, which is suitable for individuals aged 14-90-up. It runs from the beginning of May until mid-June depends on the river level. You may want to consider paddling in "Toilet Bowl" and "The Flusher." It is about 2.7 m (9 feet) that you can move from pool to pool. You can have a walk around rapidly.
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.
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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.
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.
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 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.
Located north of Woss, Mount Elliot Ecological Reserve has about 324 hectares (800 acres) area. It was established in 1989 to preserve representative old-growth montane forests and a small self-contained subalpine drainage, including Tsitika Lake, in its natural state. Nature observation, hiking and photography are permitted in Mount Elliot Ecological Reserve.
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.
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.