Located in a west coast rain forest of douglas fir and western hemlock, the beautiful Nitinat River Provincial Park offers excellent adventures in wilderness hiking and camping, as well as some of the best fishing on the west side of the Island. The river eventually flows into Nitinat Lake, at the Ditidaht reserve, you can drive through the community and find a great rec site on the lake. There are plenty of spots to set up wilderness camps along the length of the river.
Wildlife viewing is at its best here with a good chance you will see black bears, roosevelt elk, blacktail deer, and numerous birds and small animals. This scenic wilderness park, which protects a variety of rare and endangered plant species, has no developed camping or day-use areas, aside from a rough route leading from the roadside to the river.
The Nitinat River carves through this lush rainforest, creating a series of spectacular falls and quiet pools perfect for viewing steelhead and spawning salmon. While these deep pools within the canyon are closed to fishing, angling is possible in the area around the river bridge pool.
Nitinat River Park can be reached by logging roads from the communities of Port Alberni, Cowichan Lake, and Port Renfrew. The park also protects the spawning grounds of summer steelhead, winter steelhead, sea-run cutthroat and rainbow trout, and chum, coho, and chinook salmon. There are no designated campsites at this park, however, random wilderness camping is allowed. No facilities are provided. Please practice good camping ethics and pack your trash out.
Nitinat river falls area protects old-growth douglas fir and western hemlock forest and deep river pools important for summer steelhead, as well as winter range for roosevelt elk.