Elk Falls is located just west of Campbell River on the Gold River Highway. It has a great many trails for hiking, picnic areas, and over 200 individual campsites along the Quinsam River. The Quinam River campsite provides great riverside camping in the heart of a world-renowned fishing area. The Quinsam River with its great trout fishing runs right by the campground.
After a great morning meal at your campsite among the beautiful forests along the river, you could pack a picnic lunch and head up the canyon view trail. After walking just 3 km from the campground, you will reach the Elk Falls day use and picnic area, this picnic area contains many easy walking trails and of course, the incredible cascading waterfall that gives this park its name. The upper falls and the day-use areas are located just below the dam on John Hart Lake.
There are many lakes in the area, many of which have been stocked with rainbow, cutthroat, and dolly varden trout, these lakes can offer up some incredible fishing along with great wildlife viewing. During late spring and through the summer, fishermen head to the tidal waters at the mouth of Campbell River to fish for returning pink salmon. Fish include steelhead, cutthroat, and dolly varden trout, chinook, chum, coho, and pink salmon.
Hiking trails also lead to other areas in the park, which is home to a large and wonderful stand of old-growth douglas fir. The trails that lead along the canyon offer up some great photo opportunities along with breathtaking views of the river far below.
Elk Falls Park has a wide variety of birds including great blue herons, killdeer, ravens, crows, chestnut-backed chickadees, and eagles being the most abundant resident bird species, but you can also see western tanagers, golden-crowned kinglets, barred owls, red-tailed hawks, and other avian visitors. Mammals include blacktail deer, black bears, cougars, and Roosevelt elk as well as Shrews, Squirrels, Voles, Raccoons, Otters, Muskrat, and Beaver. A beaver dam and pond are located west of the campground on the Beaver Pond trail.
So for some awesome camping, hiking or fishing, head out to Elk Falls Park and see what this part of the island has to offer, and don’t forget to bring your camera.
In 2015, a new suspension bridge opened up to the public, the bridge is built over the falls and gives you some incredible views, this is world-class and a must-see for everyone.