Checking out the black bears along the Quinsam River near Campbell River

by Keith and Heather Nicol

    Fall is a spectacular time of year in the Comox Valley and on Vancouver Island in general since the trees are changing colour and the salmon return to the rivers. We have done a previous blog this year about swimming with pink salmon in the Puntledge River in Courtenay and here is a link to that blog-  https://keithnicol.blogspot.com/2025/08/swimming-with-salmon-in-puntledge-river.html.   As the fall progresses different salmon begin to ascend the rivers and we recently had a chance to see bears scouring the river for salmon along the Quinsam River near Campbell River. On this occasion we were lucky since we saw 6 bears in the space of 90 minutes but on a previous visit this fall we saw no bears in the same length of time so this is very much a hit and miss situation. But if you want to try your luck here is how to get to the area where we saw numerous bears. 

The viewing area is virtually at the Quinsam River Fish Hatchery and you can view a salmon interpretative centre at the hatchery as well. There are several trails in the area and we opted to first take the trail (actually a road) above the hatchery for several hundred meters and then after seeing several bears in that area we headed to trails below the hatchery. The bears tend to walk along the river edge occasionally grabbing a salmon and then walking off into the woods.  Below the hatchery you may encounter many fishermen and we also saw a couple more bears in this area. The bears don't seem to be bothered by the fishermen or photographers but you will want to follow basic bear safety. Read the signs about how to be safe around bears that are posted at the hatchery and carrying bear spray is not a bad idea. These trails are well established and there are large parking lots at the main trail heads. Note that the hatchery road opens at 8:00 am and closes at 3:30 pm so plan your trip accordingly. See you on the trail. 

                                          A fisherman catching a fish while a bear cruises the other side of the river 

Fall is a good time to visit the Elk Falls suspension bridge near Campbell River

 

by Keith and Heather Nicol  

With the good fall weather holding decided to check out Elk Falls near Campbell River and the suspension bridge that has been built there in 2015.  The suspension bridge spans Campbell River in Elk Falls Provincial Park and offers stellar views of the river as it plunges 25 meters over a picturesque waterfall.  The suspension bridge opened in mid May, 2015 and  attracts lots of people during the summer but we wanted to check out it out in the autumn with the fall colours. Also according to the posted information BC Hydro is releasing more from Sept 17 to Nov 13 on Wednesdays and Thursdays   so now might be a good chance to see the falls with extra water if you can go on those days. The pictures below were taken on Thursday, October 16.                                                                         Be sure to check out the side trail to get this lookout of the falls   To get to Elks Falls Provincial Park drive through Campbell River and take the road toward Gold River. Simply follow the signs to the turnoff to the Elk Falls trails and suspension bridge. The bridge is roughly 1 km trail from the parking lot and the wide gravel trail is suited to just about all walkers. We also walked an 800 meter side trail to get down to the river and another lookout which we recommend.                                 On Oct 16 there were a steady stream of visitors to the Suspension Bridge   There are also other hiking trails in the area but we liked the 800 meter Old Growth Loop which passes by some huge trees that have never been logged. These trees also managed to avoid a devastating fire in 1938 which burned much of the timber in the surrounding area. Evidently 1938 was the driest summer in 64 years and the forest was tinder dry. The fire was evidently set off by a logger who accidently dropped a pick on a rock and a spark set off the dry grass near his feet.  For more information on the park see: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/elk_falls/

Checking out the Fall Colours in Paradise Meadows – Strathcona Prov.Park

 

By Keith and Heather Nicol

We love seeing fall colours unfold in different areas of the Comox Valley. But recently we decided to check out the fall colours in Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park. Here the main colours aare created by the blueberry bushes turning a bright red in the open boggy areas. The Comox Valley is blessed with being able to get up into the mountains in just 30 minutes and the Paradise Meadows area can even be accessed by wheelchairs. We walked around the 4 km Paradise Meadows loop which is mostly boardwalk but recommend that people using a wheelchair or children’s stroller stick to the 2 km loop since the longer loop has some rooty wet areas. We parked in the Nordic Centre parking lot at Raven Lodge which is part of Mt Washington Alpine Resort but there is also a parking area at the smaller Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre. We were amazed at how full the parking lot was given that it was mid week but we guess everyone had the same idea we had. Just a note of caution- we waited until around noon to travel to Paradise Meadows yet still in the shady areas the board walk was icy from the frost over night so use caution if especially if you get up there early before the temperature warms up. Check this out this fall to see bright reds and golden colours of fall. See you on the trail.