Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
national parkA national park is a reserve of natural or semi-natural land, declared or owned by a national government, set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, and protected from most development...
reserve in
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
made up of three separate regions:
Long BeachLong Beach is the largest and longest beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located along Wickanninish Bay between Tofino and Ucluelet and is adjoined by campgrounds and picnic areas...
, the
Broken GroupThe Broken Group is a group of small islands and islets in the middle of Barkley Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada...
Islands, and the
West Coast TrailThe West Coast Trail is a long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is open from May 1 until September 30. The trail is part of the Pacific Rim National Park...
. The entire park encompasses 511 km² of land and ocean. The park is characterized by rugged coasts and lush temperate rainforests. The park is open from mid-March until mid-October.
The park encompasses a thin strip of land located on the south-west coast of Vancouver Island.
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
national parkA national park is a reserve of natural or semi-natural land, declared or owned by a national government, set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, and protected from most development...
reserve in
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
made up of three separate regions:
Long BeachLong Beach is the largest and longest beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located along Wickanninish Bay between Tofino and Ucluelet and is adjoined by campgrounds and picnic areas...
, the
Broken GroupThe Broken Group is a group of small islands and islets in the middle of Barkley Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada...
Islands, and the
West Coast TrailThe West Coast Trail is a long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is open from May 1 until September 30. The trail is part of the Pacific Rim National Park...
. The entire park encompasses 511 km² of land and ocean. The park is characterized by rugged coasts and lush temperate rainforests. The park is open from mid-March until mid-October.
Geography
The park encompasses a thin strip of land located on the south-west coast of Vancouver Island. To the east of the park lies the
Vancouver Island RangesThe Vancouver Island Ranges, formerly called the Vancouver Island Mountains, is a mountain range extending along the length of Vancouver Island which has an area of 31,788 km². The Vancouver Island Ranges comprise the central and largest part of the island...
of the
Insular MountainsThe Insular Mountains are a mountain range on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, comprising the Vancouver Island Ranges and Queen Charlotte Mountains. The present day Insular Mountains are rugged, particularly on Vancouver Island where peaks in Strathcona Provincial Park rise to elevations of...
and to the west is the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
.
During fall and winter, the area is continually subjected to moist air masses from the Pacific Ocean. The presence of the mountain ranges causes the air masses to rise and deposit large quantities of
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
, a phenomenon known as orographic precipitation. The area averages over 3000mm of precipitation per year, a key factor in producing temperate rainforests. During the drier summer months the area is frequently covered in fog. Average temperatures range from 14°C (57°F) during the summer and 6°C (43°F) in the winter.
Sitka SpruceThe Sitka Spruce is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 100 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter. It is by far the largest species of spruce, and the third tallest conifer species in the world...
are generally found near the coast due to its resistance to ocean spray and abrasive wind-blown sand. The spruce fringe acts as a buffer protecting the inland forests from the ocean. Further inland, the forests are composed of
western hemlockTsuga heterophylla is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California....
,
pacific silver firPacific Silver Fir is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range from the extreme southeast of Alaska, through western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, to the extreme northwest of California...
and western red cedar. The park also features several bogs in poorly drained areas.
Long Beach
Long Beach is the most visited and most accessible of the three regions. It is made up of the coastal region from Tofino to Ucluelet.
The primary feature in this area is Long Beach itself. The area also contains the Green Point campground, which has 94 campsites for both tents and small trailers. There are also numerous trails in this region, running through bogs and temperate rainforest areas.
Other structures in the area include a ranger station, British Columbia Highway 4, and Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre. This centre is the main educational centre in the area and contains exhibits about local wildlife, plants, native culture, and history. The centre also includes a theatre, restaurant, gift shop, and information desk.
Broken Group Islands
The Broken Group Islands region is made up of over one hundred small islands and islets in
Barkley SoundBarkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island and forms the entrance to the Alberni Inlet. The Broken Islands Group lies in the sound....
. The largest forested islands are Effingham, Turret, Turtle, Dodd, Jacques, Nettle and Gibraltar Island. The area is accessible only by boat, and is popular with kayakers. There are eight camping areas scattered on the islands. Campers should be aware that there is no fresh water available in the Broken Group Islands, so any water needed will have to be brought in.
West Coast Trail
The
West Coast TrailThe West Coast Trail is a long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is open from May 1 until September 30. The trail is part of the Pacific Rim National Park...
is a 75 km trail along the west-coast of
Vancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific coast of North America between 1791 and 1794....
from Port Renfrew to Bamfield. The trail was built to aid in the rescue of shipwrecked sailors. Construction on the trail started in 1907 and by 1910 the "Lifesaving Trail" was complete. The trail was abandoned in the 50s. By 1970 the trail was transformed into The West Coast Trail, a challenging trail that takes visitors along rocky beaches, through rainforest, and across sometimes rough and muddy terrain. The trail has been improved greatly over the years and can be traversed comfortably in 5-7 days.
See also
External links