The Nitinat River runs through Nitinat Park where a wonderful forest of big trees is protected. The river drops through a series of waterfalls and awesome deep pools. There are great opportunities to view salmon and steelhead. The canyon and its incredibly beautiful deep pools are closed to fishing, but the pools around the park bridge are open for fishing.
You can find a variety of rare and endangered plants that are protected by the park, there are no developed campgrounds or even any day-use facilities here in this park, but camping is allowed and is well worth it as this is a wonderful park.
The Nitinat River Provincial Park comprises 160 hectares of BC coastal rainforest that includes several endangered species of plants like the tooth-leaved monkey flower and the scouler’s corydalis, both are quite rare and beautiful. The park protects the river where summer steelhead, winter steelhead, sea-run cutthroat, rainbow trout, chum, coho, and chinook salmon spawning beds. The park also protects a forest of big trees.
Nitinat Park is located above Nitinat lake. The park can be reached from Port Alberni, Port Renfrew, or Lake Cowichan via the Nitinat Main Logging Road. Be sure to visit both sites, the river falls and canyon where if you look carefully, you could find a rope swing that is so much fun in the summer months for swimming, and the River Bridge Pool is a great place for fishing.
Whenever we travel past the park, we stop at both the canyon to view the rushing river, best seen in the winter months, and the pools around the bridge for a break in the journey and a bit of fishing, sometimes the fishing is awesome, other times it can be slow, but it’s always fun.
All pets must be on lease, and you are responsible for cleaning up after them, please pack out all you bring in.