Parc provincial Carmanah Walbran - Port Renfrew, British Columbia

Marie-Elaine L.

Wow! Quelle magnifique forêt! Des individus qui ont près de 1000 ans! Quelle sagesse et quelle merveille que cette forêt. Une ballade sous le signe de l’enchantement et la découverte. Le climat humide et la biodiversité qui sont présents est à découvrir!
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Jordan B.

This is an amazing place!! One of the best hidden gems on the island. Everybody goes to Cathedral Grove but for a real, spectacular tree experience, go to the Carmanah Valley.

Arron M.

Most amazing old growth forest experience. Well worth the drive. The last 20 minutes of the drive was very bumpy... it wasn't too bad until you pass the last clear cutting site. Thanks to the massive ancient trees being saved in 1993 I will be back every year to explore more of this pristine ecosystem.

SEAN T.

Beautiful park full of ancient wonders! Most people were camping in parking lot because you can’t drive to the other more private sites anymore. We made the 5 minute walk to them with our gear and it was worth it. Super desolate!
Make sure you bring sat phone and spare tire.

Kathryn A.

There’s nothing quite like hiking in an old-growth forest - it’s simply magical! The unmaintained trails are in rough shape but manageable (leave your dog(s) at home for this one) and well worth it. Highly recommend!

Austin S.

At home during my early years, my parents had a poster in the basement. The poster was simply an image of a person gazing at an array of massive old growth trees with a white border and text beneath reading, “Big Trees not Big Stumps.” As a child, I was absorbed by the image and often found myself staring, imagination running wild.

It wasn't until I read "Big Lonely Doug" nearly two decades later that I found the location of the photo- Carmanah.

Carmanah Walbran is not easy to get to. Although Victoria is physically quite close to Carmanah at only 188km, which I would equate in my Ontario mind as a standard trip to the cottage, what Google Maps does not advertise is logging roads, elevation gains with steep switchbacks, and poor (if existent) signage. This should not be a day trip from Victoria; I would strongly recommend coming prepared to camp.

Carmanah is, however, the most stunning park I have ever stepped in. The path North is growing in and decaying thanks to funding cuts to BC parks, but that means Carmanah truly feels Jurassic and (relatively) unmolested by humanity. You will have an awe-inspiring adventure among Canada's tallest trees. The Scale just doesn't translate in photos. It's the park I have always wanted to go to since I was a child and it was completely worth the trip!

ben S.

Be prepared. Know what youre doing. It is some tough trails past the first couple kilometers. Beautiful park, real touch of the coast without all the people and the wait time for the west coast trail.

Cole W.

One of the most beautiful places on Vancouver island, remote and isolated, be prepared for a long drive from Lake Cowichan or whatever side you come down from, the roads are mostly fine, minus the odd pothole, but once you hit Rosander Main, it's a long drive, so many potholes you'll feel like your driving Quebec, but once you arrive, you'll be greeted with an old growth forest like no other, Sitka Spruces that reach for the sky, rivaling the height of the mighty redwoods themselves, Carmanah Walbran is a place will forever dwarf Cathedral Grove, the drive may be long and bumpy, but you'll forget all about it as soon as you set foot in this one of a kind place