The White River runs through an awesome park of the same name, the White River Provincial Park. It is on northern Vancouver Island and is a small wilderness area of incredible beauty that protects an old-growth forest and important Roosevelt elk and black bear habitat.
This awesome 68-hectare park and its old rainforest are stunning enough that Hollywood took notice. Portions of the River were used as a film site for the movie, The Scarlet Letter, which was filmed here and at Myra Falls in 1994. Visitors to the park today will find remnants of the film set, including wide boardwalks designed to accommodate horse-drawn carriages.
A short 5-minute loop trail through the forest leads down to the river. Along the way, visitors will be standing in awe of the massive Douglas fir and western red cedar trees. These giants helped earn White River the nickname the Cathedral Grove of the North Island. I am always so impressed with not just the giant trees, but the beauty of this forest and the incredible River as it runs past here, this is something everyone should see at least once in their lives.
Fishing in the park is excellent, with summer steelhead, Coho, Rainbow Trout, and Dolly Varden found in the River. The park is undeveloped and there are no facilities available. There are ample places to pitch camp here though and it’s also an ideal place for an afternoon of fishing and picnicking.
The Provincial Park is located on the White River. The park is accessed by the gravel White River Road off the Island Highway 19 from Sayward Junction. The River flows into the Salmon River near Highway 19, at Sayward on the east coast of Vancouver Island.