The Bedwell River Valley is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This is one of the most awesome places on Vancouver Island and one that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. The river runs from Bedwell Lake to Bedwell Sound.
The Bedwell River valley was first surveyed in 1856 by John Buttle, John found gold in the valley, the word was out, and the gold rush was on. The miners quickly moved in along with the merchants and a town called bear city was born.
Bear City was a very busy place before the second world war. There were hotels, flophouses, and beer parlours, you could shop in a grocery store, pick up your mail, and hail a taxi in Bear City. Then it just passed on, you can still see ruins here, but it’s a lost ghost town now that has almost returned to the forest.
This remote area offers awesome hiking, sailing, mountain biking, and fishing. The kayaking and canoeing here are the best in the world.
This river is hardly fished, so the fishing is just incredible, there is a winter steelhead run in February and March that is excellent and dolly varden are in abundance throughout the whole river and the sea-run cutthroat fishery in the fall is one of the best on the Island. The wildlife here is awesome, you could see bears, sea wolves, cougars, deer, and many other smaller forest animals, the birdlife is incredible and if you look to the sea, you could several types of whalers, sea lions, elephant seals occasionally and various other sea mammals like the sea otters. Bring your camera when you come and take home some memories.