NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 623

A turnoff to the west (signposted) leads to Rennell Sound, the only point on the island's
remote west coast accessible by road. At the end of the road await great beachcombing op-
portunities and free primitive campsites. The final descent to Rennell Sound is a hair-rais-
ing 24 percent gradient, one of the steepest public roads in North America.
MASSET AND VICINITY
Known as Graham City when founded in 1909, Masset (pop. 900) lies just south of a Haida
community named Massett. Over time, Massett became known as Old Massett or Haida,
and Graham City was incorporated as Masset (with one “t”). The population has decreased
since downsizing began on the local Canadian Armed Forces Station, where at one time
half the local population lived. Today, Masset's economy revolves around the ocean, with
most workers involved in the fishing industry—either as fisherfolk or as workers in the loc-
al fish canning and freezing plant.
Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary
Bordering Masset to the east is Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary, where you can observe Canada
geese, sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, great blue herons, many varieties of ducks, and
other waterfowl resting during migration. Several short walking trails wind through the pre-
serve near town; follow Hodges Avenue west onto Trumpeter Drive and continue alongside
the inlet to the trailhead. For better views, drive along Tow Hill Road toward Naikoon Pro-
vincial Park, turning left at the sanctuary sign onto Masset Cemetery Road. Along this road,
more signs mark trails or other points of interest. You first pass a turnout for the Bird Walk
Trail, which winds along the edge of a marshy area. Then farther down the road, you come
to Simpson Viewing Tower, where you may spy waterfowl, bald eagles, peregrine falcons,
and other birds of prey, as well as four-legged marsh animals such as muskrats.
Back on Tow Hill Road, continue east to a parking lot and a trail to the beach. Just across
from the parking lot is beautiful Masset Cemetery, where the graves are marked by large
aboveground mounds of moss planted with flowering bulbs and surrounded by bushes and
trees. It's a peaceful place to ponder the beauty of Haida Gwaii.
Old Massett
If you're in search of Haida treasures, head for the village of Old Massett, also known as
Haida. It's just a five-minute drive from Masset, west down the coastal road. Go as far as
the road takes you and you'll end up at the old blue schoolhouse, now Ed Jones Haida
Museum (9am-5pm Sat.-Sun. summer, donation). Exhibits include a large collection of fas-
cinating old photographs showing how the villages used to look, Haida art and prints, and