Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This 440-hectare (1,090-acre) park lies along the north side of the highway, 10 kilometers
(6miles)westofCoombs.Thepark'smainhikingtrailleadsalongsidetheLittleQualicum
River to a series of plummeting waterfalls, both upstream and downstream of the main
day-use area. Stay the night in a sheltered riverside campsite ($21 per night; no showers).
ThesourceoftheLittleQualicumRiveris
Cameron Lake,
alarge,deep-green,trout-filled
body of water just outside the western park boundary.
At the west end of Cameron Lake, Highway 4 dives into one of the last remaining easily
accessible stands of old-growth forest remaining in British Columbia. The tallest trees are
protected by
MacMillan Provincial Park.
The road through the park is narrow, so take
extra care pulling into the main parking lot. From this point, a 500-meter (0.3-mile) trail
leads through a majestic stand of 200- to 800-year-old Douglas firs that rise a neck-strain-
ing 70 meters (230 feet) from the forest floor.
If you hit Port Alberni on a cloudy day, you won't know what you're missing—until the
sky lifts! Then beautiful tree-mantled mountains suddenly appear, and Alberni Inlet and
the Somass River turn a stunning deep blue. Situated at the head of the island's longest in-
let, Port Alberni is an industrial town of 18,500 centered around the forestry industry. The
town's three mills—lumber, specialty lumber, and pulp and paper—are its main sources
of income. The town is also a port for pulp and lumber freighters, deep-sea vessels, and
commercial fishing boats.
