Before contact, Port Clements was used by the Haida people as a fishing site; they would camp here while the salmon were running. The First Nations’ history is strong in this part of Haida Gwaii, with the many permanent and temporary camps and village sites that can be found in Masset Inlet.
The village is right in the inlet, and Masset is located at the place where Masset Inlet meets the sea. Up at the white creek trail, you will find Grouse Creek, where many First Nations artifacts have been dug up. These included stone utensils, carving chisels and other interesting pieces of history.
I think the highlight of a visit to this community would be walking out to the end of the Rainbow Warf to watch the sunset. The warf was originally owned by the feds; it was transferred to the BC Government at a later date. Then it passed into the care of the village of Port Clements. This is the longest wharf I have seen.
Just below Port Clements, you will find Yakoun Bay. The Yakoun River enters the sea in this bay. There is a trail here that, at one time, took you to a viewpoint to see the golden spruce. The ancient tree, estimated to be about 300 years old, was a massive Sitka spruce known for its rare golden needles. It had been cut down in January 1997. The tree was chopped down by Grant Hadwin.
His actions sparked international outrage. I had the privilege of seeing this tree in the early 70s, when I was working in Justkatla. It was an amazing sight to see. It was raining just before I reached the tree, the sun came out when I arrived, and it was such a sight.