Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park

Vancouver Island


Home to some of BC's eldest residents, the old-growth spruce and cedar trees in this magnificent but remote park frequently exceed 1000 years of age. With an ancient and mythical ambience, it's a half-hour walk down the valley to commune with the tallest trees. Be aware that the trails are primitive and not suitable for the unprepared. The park is 20km northwest of Port Renfrew abutting Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

For those without a map looking for the main Carmanah Valley trailhead, follow South Shore Rd from Lake Cowichan to Nitinat Main Rd and bear left. Then follow Nitinat Main to Nitinat Junction and turn left onto South Main. Continue to the Caycus River Bridge and, just south of the bridge, turn right and follow Rosander Main (blue-and-white BC Parks signs reassuringly point the way) for 29km to the trailhead. These are active logging roads, which means bumpy, often narrow tracks and the promise of a rumbling approach from a scary log truck – they have the right of way, so don't give them a hard time.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vancouver Island attractions

1. Cape Flattery

19 MILES

The dramatic promontory known as Cape Flattery is the most northwesterly point in the lower 48 states. From the four observation points atop the wild,…

2. Makah Museum

20.68 MILES

Hosted by the Makah Indian Reservation, this museum displays artifacts from one of North America's most significant archaeological finds and is reason…

3. Juan de Fuca Provincial Park

29.02 MILES

A rough and rugged wilderness swath with a wave-crashing coastline where whales, otters and a multitude of marine life thrives. Old-growth forest,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "canada/british-columbia/cowichan-valley/attractions/carmanah-walbran-provincial-park/a/poi-sig/1364213/1335300",
      "destination": "Vancouver-Island",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "Canada",
      "region": "Vancouver-Island",
      "position": "superzone"
    }