Elk Falls tumble out of sight

Elk Falls Provincial Park is located west of Campbell River on central Vancouver Island, and is named for the 25-metre waterfall on the Campbell River that plunges over a rocky precipice into a rock-walled canyon below.

Visitors are attracted to Elk Falls Park for different reasons. Some come for the beautiful scenery, whilst others fly in for some of the finest year-round salmon fishing in the world.

Other attractions include magnificent forest trails, the nearby Quinsam River salmon hatchery and in autumn, salmon spawning in the Quinsam and Campbell Rivers. During late spring and through the summer, you can head to the tidal waters to fish the legendary chinook and feisty coho. Rainbow, cutthroat and Dolly Varden are stocked in the surrounding lake areas as spring progresses. From November to March, the steelhead run in the Quinsam River.

Looking upstream from Elk Falls

Explore the extensive network of walking and hiking trails in elk Falls Provincial park. The popular Canyon View Trail provides beautiful walks through mature Douglas-fir forest, home to Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco and Golden-crowned Kinglets. The Quinsam River Trail follows the Quinsam River upstream and outside of Elk Falls Park to the Quinsam River Hatchery, which rears Pink, Coho, and Chinook salmon, and Steelhead and Cutthroat trout for release into the Quinsam River.

The Beaver Pond / Kingfisher Trail parallels wetlands and leads from the campground back toward the Campbell River and Hwy 28. Visitors can spot beavers and marsh birds along this trail. The Millennium Trail parallels the Campbell River along the canyon route, offering excellent views of the waterfall and the mature forest, containing some old-growth Douglas fir.

  This park offers 122 vehicle accessible campsites. Approximately 25 of these sites border the Quinsam River; the rest are set in a second-growth forest. The Quinsam Campground entrance is located on the west side of the Quinsam Bridge. The campsites provide a convenient base camp for day tripping to attractions in Gold River, Sayward, Kelsey Bay, Rock Bay, the Sayward Forest area and the wonderful parks on Quadra Island and Cortes Island. A Private campground graces the shoreline area of the Quinsam River. Campsite reservations are accepted, and first-come, first-served sites are also available.

Thundering Elk Falls

Elk Falls Provincial Park

After fishing or hiking, take a refreshing dip in the swimming holes at the day-use area in the park. Other facilities include an adventure playground, a sports field, picnic areas, freshwater, and toilets. The park is open all year. Fees are collected for services May 1 to October 15.

The beautiful 1,087-hectare Elk Falls Provincial Park is located west of Campbell River on the Gold River Highway 28, just 2 km west of the Island Highway 19.