Highlights
- Accessible for beginner backpackers. The Elk River Trail is great for beginner backpackers to practice skills and try out gear. The rushing green Elk River is a constant companion along the way, with two designated gravel bar campsites at 6 km or 9 km. Hike to Landslide Lake for views of Mount Colonel Foster, Elkhorn Mountain, and Rambler Peak.
- BC’s first provincial park. Strathcona Provincial Park was established in 1911 and is 245,807 hectares in size. It is not as well known as other parks, preserving a truly wild experience for hikers and backpackers.
- Wildlife diversity. Some mammal species who live on the Island are found no where else. Examples include the Roosevelt elk, coastal black-tailed deer, Vancouver Island wolf, and the endangered Vancouver Island marmot. Birds we see often include the chestnut-backed chickadee, gray jay, common raven, red-breasted nuthatch, Pacific wren, and Steller’s jay.
- Island alpine landscape. Strathcona Provincial Park contains endless natural features such as cold blue lakes, green forest valleys, snowy mountain peaks, waterfalls, glaciers, high ridges, granite domes, and basalt spires.
