There are many caves in this part of the island, many around Huson Lake, and I hiked into as many as I could. You would drive right by the Artlish Caves then, but now it’s quite a hike.
Huson Lake is a pretty cool lake. It’s a pretty lake. Over the years, I have spent a considerable amount of time in the area. First, in the 1970s, when I was logging and our camp was located in Zeballos. We would head out from Zeballos and drive until we reached the Artlish Main, then this road took us out to this area and eventually back out to the Zeballos Main, with only a short run to the highway. Later in life, I began fishing these lakes and hiking up some of the mountains dotted throughout the area.
There are many caves in this part of the island, and I hiked into as many as I could. You would drive right by the Artlish Caves then, but now it’s quite a hike. After leaving Atluck Lake, the road turns into the Tahsish main. Turn onto the East Artlish Mainline to reach the trail to the Artlish Caves. You can only go about 50 more meters, and you will see that the bridge has been removed. Park here and look for the trail on the left side of the bridge area.
It’s a bit of a scramble both down to the creek edge and then up the other side. After that, you will travel on old, overgrown logging roads for quite some time before veering off on the trail. At one point on the trail, you will need to cross Crystal Creek. Sometimes it’s a fairly easy crossing, but at times the creek can be quite full, and you find it quite difficult to reach the far side. Several creeks need to be crossed.
Of course, when you are at Huson Lake, it’s a must that you visit the Huson Caves. There are over 1,000 known caves on the island, with most of them on the North Island, and the Huson caves are one of the best-known caves.
The Huson Cave system is a great place to introduce the public to caves carved out of limestone rock by Atluck Creek. The system contains 15 caves that are easy and safe, perfect for the inexperienced caver; no special equipment is necessary. The Little Huson Lake Cave Park is in an incredible area of the island, and the canyon has some very special features which are unique to Vancouver Island.
I love camping at any of the lakes around here, but I like Huson Lake best of all. There is a very nice campground with lots of space. There is a boat ramp and picnic tables, along with a very large green area. The grassy green area is great for kids to play in. The last time I was there, there was a swing there. The beach is a nice spot here with a sandy beach, shallow shore and warm water; there is a floating dock to swim out to. You can launch your boat at the boat launch. Fishing is always good on a troll, and these guys can get pretty big.
There is a lot of wildlife here, a large variety of songbirds, ducks, loons and birds of prey. You will likely get a chance to see larger animals like elk, deer and black bears. Bring your camera and take home some incredible memories.
