Cape Scott Provincial Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cape Scott Provincial Park | |
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| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Nearest city | Holberg |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 222.94 km² |
| Established | 1973 |
| Governing body | BC Parks |
Cape Scott Provincial Park is a provincial park located at the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
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[edit] Geography
The park is known for its old growth forest and sandy beaches. The terrain is rugged and the area is known for its heavy rain and violent storms.
The park's highest point is Mt. St. Patrick, 422 meters above sea level. The park's largest lake is Eric Lake, at 44 hectares.
[edit] History
From 1897 until 1910, Danish settlers tried to establish a fishing community near San Josef Bay. Due to the harsh climate and lack of governmental support, the community failed and all settlers left the area.
Some artifacts can still be seen in the park, including a three-metre-tall granite tombstone, several corduroy roads, the ruins of a farmhouse, and many rusty farming implements.
A lighthouse was built on the cape in 1960 and is still in operation. Despite its remote location, it is still manned by a lighthouse keeper[1], and is one of the few lighthouses that has not been automated. The light-house is operated by the Department of National Defense and is technically outside of the park boundary.[1]
[edit] Recreation
The park is a popular destination for backpackers during the less rainy summer season. Though there is a road to the southern end of the park, most of the area is accessible only by foot. There are designated campsites at Eric Lake, Fisherman's River, and Nels Bight with pit toilets, food caches, and wooden tent platforms. The trip out to Nels Bight, the beautiful beach at the end of the Cape Scott trail, usually takes relaxed hikers about three days to complete, round trip. For those hikers looking for a shorter trail, there is a path out to San Josef Bay, which makes a nice hike for a day trip and lunch on beautiful beach.
