There are also many ways to enjoy yourself indoors in Campbell River. They include touring museums and heritage sites, browsing art galleries, watching live theatre and shopping.
Campbell River, with its long coastline, forest trails, mountains, rivers and lakes, is an ideal starting point for almost any kind of outdoor activity. Camping, hiking, biking, rock climbing and sky diving are all popular with locals and visitors alike. The scenery and wildlife viewing are superb - you're well advised to bring binoculars along on most of your outings.
Campbell River offers the full spectrum of camping and RVing experiences - from remote wilderness to full-service, pull-through sites. Hiking and biking opportunities are similarly diverse. You can also take both waterfront and woodland walks within the city limits, of which the Rotary Seawalk is the most easy to traverse. It offers beautiful views of the Strait of Georgia and the islands. Trails in nearby Elk Falls Provincial Park follow the banks of the Campbell and Quinsam Rivers and lead to a number of lovely waterfalls. More challenging hiking and biking trails can be found in the Snowden Demonstration Forest. Golf is another popular pastime in the area, which is home to one nine-hole and two 18-hole golf courses. One of these, Sequoia Springs, is reputed to be among the best course on Vancouver Island.
Campbell River has a number of stand-out structures worth investigating. If you're interested in large, public works, visit the John Hart Generating Station or Strathcona Dam. John Hart Generating Station, completed in 1947, uses three penstocks to carry water to its six-unit, 126-MegaWatt powerhouse. Three large surge towers prevent its penstocks from bursting when they're closed. Strathcona Dam, constructed between 1955 and 1958, is an earth-filled dam with an extremely wide base. Smaller-scale structures of interest include Cape Mudge Lighthouse, an operational lighthouse that was established in 1898, and Discovery Fishing Pier, a saltwater fishing pier located in downtown Campbell River that stretches 183 m (600 ft) into the salmon-filled waters of Discovery Passage.
Campbell River is a sizable centre for Vancouver Island. This is reflected in its busy arts and culture scene. Museums and heritage sites are thorough, well appointed and well maintained, while galleries are full of interesting pieces crafted with unique, local perspectives.
The Campbell River Museum provides a comprehensive view of the history of the area through a combination of indoor and outdoor exhibits and films. Its First Nations Gallery features displays on fishing methods, the archaeological evidence for 9,000 years of First Nations settlement as well as the devastating epidemics of the 18th and 19th centuries. Other stand-out exhibits include: Willows Hotel, a faithful recreation of the façade and lobby of Campbell River's first hotel; Steam Donkey, an operational, steam-powered logging vehicle that was manufactured circa 1916; West Coast Garden, a 2.8-ha (7-ac) garden containing 80 native plant species and a totem pole; Floathouse Living, a life-size reconstruction of a 1920s-era floathouse; and Pioneer Life, a pioneer cabin modelled on one built in the late 19th century on Bates Beach, just south of Campbell River.
The Campbell River and District Art Gallery is housed in the same building as the Visitor Info Centre. Its local artists' exhibits change monthly.
Popular local heritage sites include Haig-Brown House, the former home of pioneering conservationist and author Roderick Haig-Brown, and the Maritime Heritage Centre, home to the BCP 45, a wooden seine boat left over from the heyday of the west coast fishing industry.
Chief among Campbell River's charms is its exquisite natural beauty. Laid out along the coast and wrapped around a pocket of natural woodland, it provides an ideal setting for easy urban walks and other forms of outdoor fun. Mystic Woods Nursery, with its waterfall, fish pond, display gardens and refreshments patio, is perfect for family outings and picnics. At 10 ha (24 ac), Kitty Coleman Gardens allows for longer, more solitary walks. Its cedar bark paths wind through a calming combination of gardens and woodland. If you fish, you won't want to miss the chance to cast your line from the 183-m (600-ft) Discovery Fishing Pier, a saltwater, salmon-fishing hotspot. Near the pier you can amuse yourself with a round of mini-golf and a few laps in a Saratoga Speedway go-cart.
The city of Campbell River gives the great outdoors a run for its money with many excellent entertainment options. There are the unique shops, cafés and fresh seafood restaurants along Shoppers Row, the city's main street. The Tidemark Theatre presents musicals, plays and concerts throughout the year as well as a regularly rotated exhibit of local art in its foyer. If you're in town September through February, take in a Junior "B" Hockey League game at the local arena.
You don't have to go far to appreciate the natural beauty of Campbell River. Superb views of the ocean, islands and mountains - and occasionally surfacing whales - can be had from the Discovery Fishing Pier downtown or from the popular Rotary Seawalk. Venturing a little farther afield is definitely worth the effort. Ten minutes north of the city you can watch the powerful tides of Seymour Narrows. Mitlenatch Island Nature Park is home to the largest seabird colony in the Strait of Georgia and, depending on the season, is also a great place to spot sea otters, harbour seals as well as Steller and California sea lions. There are many guided hiking tours available, including one that covers beaches, hiking trails and waterfalls - plus throws in a gourmet lunch! Tours on horseback range from one-hour trail rides to multi-day excursions. To see the whole area in a short period of time, nothing beats an aerial tour. A typical one flies you over the city, Della Falls, Comox Glacier, remote marinas, logging camps, First Nations villages and the islands to the north.
Campbell River is a restful place: the scenery is beautiful, with plenty of beaches and waterfront parks for languid forms of leisure such as sunbathing, picnicking and quiet reading. If that's the sort of experience you're looking for, then Miracle, Saratoga or Storries Beaches and McIvor Lake are four good places to start. The city's waterfront beaches provide an excellent view of marine vessels in Discovery Passage and, for serious relaxation, its spas offer a full complement of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments, such as massage, manicures and hydrotherapy.
Laid out along the coast, named for a river and self-described as the "Salmon Capital of the World," Campbell River is a water-oriented city if ever there was one. Swim, paddle, dive or fish to your heart's content, then sun yourself on one of the many sandy beaches along Oyster River and nearby lakes.
There are number of excellent diving spots along Discovery Passage, including Copper Bluffs on Quadra Island and the HMCS Columbia, a sunken, 112-m (366-ft) destroyer. You can also book a unique "Snorkelling with the Salmon" tour on the Campbell River that will have you swimming along with a massive summer or fall salmon run.
If you canoe, the famous Sayward Forest Canoe Route will give you many hours of enjoyment. If you kayak, the Quadra Island, Cortes Island, Desolation Sound and Campbell River Estuary routes offer some breathtaking scenery. You can even kayak with Orcas in Johnstone Strait if you're in the mood for an overnight excursion.
Then there's the fishing. Freshwater or saltwater, it's some of the finest anywhere, particularly if it's salmon you're after. All five species of Pacific salmon use the area's waterways, while steelhead, cutthroat, lingcod, prawns and crab are also plentiful. Campbell River is home to the famous "Tyee Club," an exclusive fishing club established in the 1920s. There's only one way to become a member: you must catch a chinook salmon of 14 kg (30 lb) or more from a rowboat in a specific location using specific tackle. Good luck!
Campbell River's ski hills are part of one of the largest, all-natural ski bases in Canada. The biggest and busiest local hill, Mount Washington, is located just 35 to 40 minutes from downtown. It offers alpine and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, snow tubing and a 300-m (984-ft) natural luge track. If you prefer a quieter, more family-oriented environment,
Mount Cain is the hill for you. A 1.75-hour drive from Campbell River, it offers skiers lots of untouched powder along with snowshoeing and mountain-climbing opportunities.