After flowing through Strathcona Provincial Park, the Heber River joins the Gold River at the town of Gold River on central Vancouver Island.
Access to this pretty river is directly off Highway 28, which runs from Campbell River to Gold River. This is a premier Vancouver Island fishing river.
The Heber River has a good summer steelhead run in June and early July, despite the negative impact of extensive logging in the area. Fly-fishing in the river is excellent. Camping is available at the Gold River campsite between Gold River and Muchalat Inlet.
This river is a great spot for fishing, and you can put a canoe in and run it for miles, fishing all the way. When I was younger, some friends and I would head up late in the fall after the fall rains had filled the river and canoe it for miles. I first fished this river when I was about 7 years old. It was 1962, and man, the fishing was good.
An old guy named Paddy, who used to look after the gatehouse at the trestle that crosses the upper Campbell Lake, first took my dad, brother, and me to this river. This man knew every fishing spot on the North Island. Or so it seemed to a young man of 7 years. It was awesome to know him. Paddy took us to all his fishing holes, and he had so many in our area.
There is a good chance of seeing black bears, Roosevelt elk, blacktail deer, cougars and many other small animals like the raccoons, martens and squirrels and birds are just incredible to see, so when you visit this area, bring your camera, take home a memory or two.