While exploring spectacular Vancouver
Island North, don't miss the chance to hike one of the most famous
trails on the Island. Cape Scott Provincial Park comprises 15,070
hectares of wilderness at the very northern tip of the Island.
In covering the 27km trail, a hiker
will go through magnificent stands of trees; walk on boardwalks
through bogs and beside wide, diked meadows; pass over rushing
creeks; enjoy unforgettable white sand beaches; walk leg-aching
lengths of old corduroy; wade knee-deep in muddy gumbo, and experience
the nostalgia of the old plank road once used by the army between
the lighthouse and Experiment Bight.
Along the way the hiker will see
remnants of the Danish colony started in the late 1800s and abandoned
in the mid-1900s. Old farming equipment, rotting buildings and
a gravestone stand as testament to the heroic efforts made by
these long-ago settlers.
Anyone setting out on this hike should
be sure to pick up information and ensure they are adequately
prepared, as this is a wilderness area without supplies or equipment
of any kind.
Coastal natives were the first people
to occupy the area and there are still two Nahwitti reserves within
the park's boundaries.
