The Quatse River is a beautiful little river that flows from Quatse Lake into Hardy Bay. The bay is on the north end of Vancouver Island. The river is a short river with the fishing limited to the lower 5 km. The river supports a great run of steelhead, coho, and a few sea-run cutthroats. Stocking of cutthroats has been initiated in the hope of developing the fishery for this species.
There are many hiking and biking trails in the area and a fine rec site that is located in a large stand of old-growth rainforest. The river has a very nice trail that runs alongside it where you can get to see the salmon run, please watch for bears as there can be quite a few there. The Quatse River estuary has some very nice trails for getting out for a walk.
The last time I took a walk along this river, was in 2015, I saw a black bear with two cubs feeding on salmon, then just around the corner I saw a big male fishing, then a little further up the river, there were two young bears, maybe two years old, fishing together, most likely siblings. So when walking here in the fall, please be bear aware.
The Quatse River Regional Park and Campground is a beautiful little campground that is just minutes away from Port Hardy. It’s a great spot to spend a few days. There are 62 campsites with 41 of them with water and electrical hookups for RV’s and the other 21 are set up for tents.
BC Ferries inside passage terminal is only five minutes drive away. The forested layout of the park provides privacy and the big trees are just awesome.