If you’re looking for a striking natural wonder to explore, the Great Bear Rainforest happens to be one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests, and home to some of the most diverse wildlife on Earth.
Whether you hike, sail, drive (up to a point), or fly, a visit here is definitely the stuff of bucket lists. The vast 64,000-square-km region contains stretches of ancient forests and diverse ecosystems, including thousand-year-old cedar trees, grizzly bears, rare white-coloured ‘Spirit Bears,’ and abundant marine life.
Protected forest
And thanks to the 2016 Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Order and Great Bear Rainforest (Forest Management) Act, 85% of the region’s forest and 70% of old-growth are protected from logging.
The Great Bear Rainforest also extends to the archipelago of Haida Gwaii, containing a network of deep valleys, crystal clear lakes, fjords, and inlets. The region is home to over 20 First Nations, who have worked tirelessly in preserving this natural treasure for countless generations.
Visitors can stay at the Spirit Bear Lodge (on the ancestral Kitasoo/Xai’xais lands) and take part in numerous Indigenous-led wilderness tours, including the BC Grizzly Bear Homalco Tours.
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Although there’s mostly roadless wilderness to explore, the forest can be accessed via Port Hard to the south, Bella Bella and Prince Rupert to the north, and the main transportation hubs on and around the Central Coast.
So there you have it, BC. If you haven’t yet explored the natural wonders of the rainforest, summer is a great time to do it!
Great Bear Rainforest
Where: Kitimat-Stikine C, BC
Information on Great Bear Rainforest is from the BC government and Indigenous Tourism BC, and is accurate as of the publication date.
