NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 622

From Skidegate, the road follows the shoreline of Hecate Strait, past driftwood-strewn
beaches, an attractive old graveyard, and Balance Rock, one kilometer (0.6 mile) north of
Skidegate Village. A highway sign and turnout mark the start of a short trail down to the
rock. Continuing north, the scenery becomes rural, as the road skirts land cleared by early
settlers for cattle-grazing; watch for black-tailed deer in this area. Near Lawn Hill look for
tree stumps that have been carved into the shapes of animals and birds.
Naikoon Provincial Park
Just north of Tlell, 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Queen Charlotte City, is the southern
tip of Naikoon Provincial Park. While the park's main entrance is farther north out of Mas-
set, visitors exploring the Tlell area will find interesting things to see and do here in the
park's south end as well. The main attraction down here is the wreck of the Pesuta, a
wooden log barge that ran aground in 1928. To get there, park at the picnic area on the north
side of the Tlell River and follow the river to its mouth, then walk north along the beach.
It's about six kilometers (3.7 miles) each way. Keen hikers may want to attempt the East
Beach Hike, a 94-kilometer (58-mile) trail that leads all the way north from the Tlell River
to Tow Hill via Rose Spit.
Misty Meadows Campground (no reservations, June-mid-Sept., $16), immediately
north of park headquarters, has around 30 sites but is usually uncrowded. Facilities include
a picnic area and pit toilets.
Port Clements
Weather-beaten houses decorated with driftwood, shells, fishing floats, and other sea-
washed treasures line the streets of this logging and fishing village on the shore of Masset
Inlet. Port Clements Museum (Bayview Dr., 250/557-4255, 11am-4pm daily June-mid-
Sept., adult $3) houses an intriguing selection of pioneer artifacts from the area, as well as
black-and-white photos of logging camps and early village life.
Charlotte Main
This rough logging road links Port Clements to Queen Charlotte City via an inland route,
a good alternative to returning via Tlell. To get to it, take Bayview Drive southwest out
of Port Clements. Twelve kilometers (7.5 miles) from town, a short trail leads through the
forest to an unfinished Haida canoe, estimated to have been abandoned around 100 years
ago. Continuing south, the road passes through the Juskatla logging camp. From this point
on, the logging road continues south to Queen Charlotte City (you are now driving on act-
ive logging roads, so travel is safest outside of operating hours of 7am-6pm Mon.-Fri.).