May 03, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Port Alberni, Hiking
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View a larger image on flickr.com
To get to the trail head for this hike you need to prearrange a boat shuttle across
Great Central Lake. We took the boat from the Ark Resort which is about 17kms from
Port Alberni on
Vancouver Island. After crossing the picturesque lake we coated ourselves in bug repellent before setting out on our 16km hike to the base of the Della Falls where we would camp. It was pretty flat to begin with and then gradually got steeper. It did seem to take a long time, probably 6-7 hours. We camped overnight at a nice campsite on the creek. You will want to camp close to the base of the falls because the next day is a long one!
The next morning we took in the scenery looking up at Della Falls, Canada’s tallest waterfall 440m high! It was breathtaking standing in front of these cascading falls - we took lots of pictures!
Next was our 2-3 hour hike up to get a view of the falls ending at Love Lake before the 1.5-2 hours to get back down to our site.
We were the first group to head up the trail for the season in early June and there was still a lot of snow at the top of the trail. We couldn’t really find the path after a certain point but we knew what general direction we were going in to get to Love Lake based on our map. My friends with ice axes and proper hiking boots lead the way by kick-stepping a make-shift path in the snow which really helped.
January 25, 2007 | Tips from Us >
Port Alberni, Hiking
Find more information about Port Alberni - Hiking
December windstorms caused severe damage along the West Coast Trail. Approximately 2,000 trees have toppled, cable cars at Carmanah and Klanawa have come down, the suspension bridge over Logan Creek has disappeared and there is a sizeable mudslide 12 kilometers from the Pachena trailhead. Parks Canada staff are still assessing the damage.
Parks Canada has many National Parks and National Historic Sites in remote areas and has contingency funding available for events such as this. Parks Canada is making every effort to ensure that visitors can have a west coast trail experience this summer. Although this had a major impact on the forest, it was a natural phenomenon. The landscape along the West Coast Trail has changed considerably. Parks Canada will continue to keep the public informed of progress.
For more information please visit the
Pacific Rim website.