Montag, 9. Juli 2012

From Nanaimo to Ucluelet


On the way across the island there are two main attractions between Parksville and Port Alberni. The first one is the Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, where the Little Qualicum River runs through a narrow canyon with several falls. From the parking lot we take a 30 minutes loop that on both sides runs along the rim of the canyon.


A little further east comes Cathedral Grove within MacMillan Provincial Park, a small untouched area with firs up to 800 years old and a hight of up to 75 m (83 yards). There is a small parking lot on the main road with short loops on both sides of the road. 


The distance between Port Alberni and Ucluelet is 90 km (56 mi) without any signs of human settlement. The road leads up and down between high mountains and often through dense forest, in the last part very winding, steep, and narrow.
 
In Ucluelet we find a site at Ucluelet Campground ($39,20 for a non service site; they also have full hook-ups for $46), right at the village entrance. Once again we take our bicycles for a tour around town. Well, we got a map from the visitor information at the corner where the road to Ucluelet branches off, but it unfortunately does not show the many steep hills ! 

At the southeastern end of the village we finally come across the Wild Pacific Rim Trail, wow. It is a loop starting at a parking lot close to the lighthouse. We walk it for a while back and forth, and it is really worth doing that.





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