Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site located about two-and-a-half hours drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometres (30 mi), about a half-hour drive northeast of Brooks.
The park is situated in the valley of the Red Deer River, which is noted for its striking badland topography. The park is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur
fossil locales in the world. Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been
discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and
exhibited in museums around the globe. The renowned fossil assemblage
of nearly 500 species of life, from microscopic fern spores to large carnivorous dinosaurs, justified its becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Dinosaur Provincial Park Visitor Centre
The
Dinosaur Provincial Park Visitor Centre features exhibits about
dinosaurs, fossils, and the geology and natural history of the park.
There is a video theatre, fossil prep lab area, and a gift shop. Public
programs are offered in the summer.
John Ware's Cabin is a restored early 20th century cabin that was used by John Ware, an African-Americancowboy
and important figure in Alberta's ranching history. The cabin is
located near the visitor centre and is open on select days in the
summer.
History
Established
on June 27, 1955 as part of Alberta's 50th Jubilee Year with the goal
of protecting the fossil beds, the first warden was Roy Fowler
(1902-1975), a farmer and amateur fossil hunter.
The park was established as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site on October 26, 1979 both for its nationally significant badlands and riverside riparian habitats, and for the international importance of the fossils found there.
The park protects a very complex ecosystem including three communities: prairie grasslands, badlands, and riverside cottonwoods. Its ecosystem is surrounded by prairies but is unique unto itself. Choruses of coyotes are common at dusk, as are the calls of nighthawks. Cottontail rabbits, mule deer, and pronghorn can all be seen in the park; the prairie rattlesnake, bull snake and the red-sided garter snake are present as well. Curlews and Canada geese
are among the 165 bird species that can be seen in the spring and
summer. Some of the most northern species of cactus, including Opuntia (prickly pear) and Pediocactus (pincushion) can be observed in full bloom during the later half of June.
Geology
The sediments exposed in the badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park were laid down over a period of about 1.5 million years during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch, and belong to three different geologic formations. The top of the terrestrial Oldman Formation, which outcrops at the base of the sequence, is the oldest. It is overlain by a complete section of the terrestrial Dinosaur Park Formation, which is in turn overlain by the base of the marine Bearpaw Formation.
The Dinosaur Park Formation, which contains most of the articulated
dinosaur skeletons, was laid down between about 76.5 and 74.8 million
years ago. It was deposited in floodplain and coastal plain environments by river systems that flowed eastward and southeastward to the Western Interior Seaway.
Paleontology
The badlands near the entrance of the park
Dinosaur Provincial Park preserves an extraordinarily diverse group of freshwater vertebrates. Fish include sharks, rays (such as the durophageMyledaphus), paddlefish, bowfins, gars, and teleosts. Amphibians include frogs, salamanders, and the extinct albanerpetontids. Reptiles include lizards (such as the large monitor Palaeosaniwa), a wide range of turtles, crocodilians, and the fish-eating Champsosaurus.
Mammal fossils from the park are relatively rare and consist of
isolated teeth, fragmentary jaws with teeth, and tooth fragments from
mouse-sized and shrew-sized animals. They include representatives of placental, marsupial, and multituberculate mammals.
Prince Albert National Park encompasses 3,874 square kilometres (1,496 sq mi) in central Saskatchewan, Canada and is located 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Saskatoon. Though declared a national park March 24, 1927, it had its official opening ceremonies on August 10, 1928 performed by Prime MinisterWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King.
The park is open all year but the most visited period is from May to
September. Although named for the city, the park's main entrance is
actually 80 km (50 mi) north of Prince Albert via Highways 2 and 263 which enters the park at its southeast corner. Two additional secondary highways enter the park, No. 264, which branches off Hwy. 2 just east of the Waskesiu townsite, and No. 240, which enters the park from the south and links with 263 just outside the entry fee-collection gates.
The park ranges in elevation from 488 m (1,601 ft) on the western side to 724 m (2,375 ft) on the eastern side.
The hamlet Waskesiu Lake is the only settlement within the park, located on the southern shore of the same-named lake. Most facilities and services one would expect to find in a multi-use park are available.
The park also contains the cabin of naturalist and conservationistGrey Owl, on Ajawaan Lake.
The development of the park as a recreation destination has led
to the region immediately southeast of the park boundaries – locations
such as Christopher Lake, Emma Lake, Sunnyside Beach, and Anglin Lake,
themselves becoming popular recreation destinations. Additional
development has taken place just beyond the park's eastern entry.
Until the establishment of Grasslands National Park in the 1980s, this was the province's only national park.
The very southern part of the park is predominantly aspen forest with an understory of elderberry, honeysuckle, rose and other shrubs and openings and meadows of fescue grassland.
The fescue grasslands are considered ecologically important because of
their rarity; outside the park, most of the native fescue grasslands
have been lost to the plough or to urban development. The aspen
forest/meadow mosaic in the southwest corner of the park is particularly
unique as it sustains a growing herd of more than 400 plains bison, the only free-ranging herd in its original range in Canada that has a full array of native predators, including timber wolves.
Most of the park is dominated by coniferous forests, with the cover of jack pine and white spruce becoming more prevalent the farther north one goes. Boreal woodland caribou
from a regional population that is declining due to loss of habitat to
forest logging range sometimes into the park, but their core habitat
lies outside the park to the north. White-tailed deer, elk and, locally, moose are the common ungulates. Wolves are fairly common.
The park is noted for its numerous lakes including three very large lakes - Waskesiu, Kingsmere and Crean. The water quality is high and fish populations robust, except for lake trout
that were commercially fished to near-extinction in Crean Lake in the
early 20th century and, in spite of protection, have yet to recover
their former numbers. Northern pike, walleye, suckers and lake whitefish are among the most common larger fish. One of Canada's largest white pelican colonies nests in an area closed to public use on Lavallee Lake in the northwest corner of the park, and pelicans, loons, mergansers, ospreys and bald eagles are common in summer. Otters
are seen regularly, year round. Winter is an especially good time to
find otters as they spend considerable time around patches of open water
on the Waskesiu Lake Narrows and the Kingsmere and Waskesiu Rivers.
Ecosystems
The boreal forest extends northerly into the Canadian Shield
area from the agricultural zones of southern Canada. Prince Albert
National Park lies south of the Shield in landscapes that were shaped by
Pleistoceneglaciers
that deposited glacial till, sand and other materials that were later
colonized by trees and shrubs. The ecosystems of Prince Albert National
Park are lush and productive. During the warm, humid summers there is
abundant insect life and numerous fungi, sustaining a remarkable
diversity of boreal birds and other wildlife. There are many lakes and
rivers creating wonderful water systems for a variety of waterfowl.
In the early 20th century the industries of fishing and logging
were carried out in this boreal forested area. The large 1919 forest
fire eliminated the logging industry.
The Dominion Parks Service hired Grey Owl, Archibald Stanfield Belaney (1888-April 13, 1938), as the first naturalist. He lived on Ajawaan Lake in Prince Albert National Park and wrote of wilderness protection: Pilgrims of the Wild (1935), Sajo and the Beaver People (1935) and Empty Cabin (1936). He was played by Pierce Brosnan in the feature film, Grey Owl (1999).
Activities
There are many things to do in this park:
Scenic driving tours
There are a few main roads through the park.
The Narrows Road along Waskesiu Lake's southern shore, with many
points of interest and picnic areas, ending at a 200-metre narrows,
where there is a campground.
Lakeview Drive or Scenic Route #263 which provides access to several
other lakes: Namekus, Trappers, Sandy (also called Halkett); as well as
many trails.
Highway 264
to Kingsmere River, which accesses a small boat or canoe launch site
midway between Kingsmere and Waskesiu lakes, and a trail through a
railway portage to Kingsmere Lake.
Picnicking
There are many picnic sites within the park, set up with picnic tables, scenic views, campfire pits and swimming areas.
Namekus Lake
Sandy Lake
South Gate
Meridian Day
South Bay
Trippes Beach
King Island
Paignton Beach
The Narrows
Waskesiu River
Waskesiu Landing (Main Marina)
Point View
Birch Bay
Heart Lakes
Kingsmere
Hiking
These
trails are 3 kilometres in length or less. They each have descriptive
guided brochures which help to identify the natural sights along the
way.
Boundary Bog Trail
Mud Creek Trail
Treebeard Trail
Waskesiu River Trail
Kingsmere River Trail
Amiskowan Trail
Ice-Push Ridge Trail
Narrows Peninsula Trail
Spruce River Highlands Tower Trail
There are longer trails for the backpacker and hiker which vary from 13 kilometres in length and to 54 kilometres (return).
Kingfisher Trail
Grey Owl Trail
Freight Trail
Kinowa Trail
Elk Trail
Fish Trail
Hunters Trail
Spruce River Highlands Trail
Swimming
Surrounding
Waskesiu Lake there are several beaches to take in swimming during the
hot summer months. There are also good beaches at the south end of
Kingsmere Lake (boat or trail access), Namekus Lake, and Sandy Lake.
Canoeing
Bagwa
Canoe Route and Bladebone Canoe Route are two canoe routes of varying
lengths. As well the park offers a multitude of lakes which are
amenable to the canoe enthusiast. Amiskowan, Shady, Heart, Kingsmere
and Waskesiu lakes are just a few of them.
Boating
Power
boats are only permitted on some Prince Albert National Park lakes.
Motor boats are allowed on Waskesiu, Crean, Kingsmere, Sandy and the
Hanging Heart Lakes. There is a limit of 40 horse power motors on
Kingsmere. The Waskesiu Marina, Heart Lakes Marina and the Narrows have
boat launches (permit and fee required) and docks. Boat, canoe and kayak
rentals are available at all three, by the hour or by the day. The
Waskesiu Marina has a concrete breakwater. A permit is required to use
boat launch facilities. Personal watercraft are not allowed on any
lakes. Canoes, kayaks and sail boats are allowed on all waters.
Fishing
Just
like those who used the waters for commercial fishing in the early 20th
century, campers may also find relaxation fishing for northern pike,
walleye, lake trout, whitefish, or yellow perch. The park requires
purchase of its own licences to fish in the park. Limits and seasons
are different than in the province of Saskatchewan. Some areas, e.g.,
spawning grounds, are closed to fishing.
Camping
At this
park one can choose from serviced or unserviced 'front country' camping
or go by canoe/boat and backpacking, and choose 'back country' camping.
Most back country camping occurs on Kingsmere and Crean lakes. Permits
and fees are required for all camping, whether front or back country.
Front country sites can be reserved by website or telephone.
Open fires are allowed at campsites (Excluding Red Deer
Campground), after payment for a "fire permit" (fire permits are not
required in picnic areas).
The following are accessible by automobile and can accommodate trailers and motorhomes:
Beaver Glen Campground on the east margins of the Waskesiu town
site has electricity to half of its 213 sites (no water or septic
hook-ups), washrooms with hot and cold water and showers, central septic
tank service and drinking water. Sites can be booked in advance through
the Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service through a toll free
number or via online reservation. Details about how to reserve can be
found at the Parks Canada website.
Red Deer Campground, formerly "Trailer Court" is to the immediate
South-West of Beaver Glen in the Waskesiu townsite. This site has power,
water and sewage hookups at each of its 161 pull through sites and is
designed for large trailers and motorhomes. There are no open fires are
allowed at Red Deer. Sites in Red Deer can be booked in advance in the
same way as Beaver Glen.
The Narrows Campground has flush toilet washrooms with cold water
only, and no other services. Sites at The Narrows are First Come First
Served.
Namekus, Trappers, Sandy Lakes have septic tank toilets, water
source (not drinkable without treatment). These sites are also First
Come First Served.
There are a series of boat-accessible campsites – the level of waves
that can come up with overnight weather changes on Waskesiu, Kingsmere
and Crean lakes, provide some risk for boats that cannot be completely
pulled out of the water at night.
Interpretive programs
The nature centre in the Waskesiu townsite has information about interpretive programs
Freight Trail – 27 km one way
Elk Trail – 39 km one way
Fish Lake Trail – 12 km one way
Hunters Lake Trail – 12 km one way
Westside Boundary Trail – 37 km one way
Red Deer Trail – three loops totalling 17 km
Kinowa Trail – 5 km one way
Amyot Lake Trail – 15.5 km loop
Bicycle rentals are available in Waskesiu townsite.
Wildlife and bird watching
Flycatchers,
Tennessee warblers, red-necked grebe, brown creepers, nuthatches,
three-toed woodpeckers, bald eagle, osprey, great blue herons, common
loon are just a few of the many bird species to be seen in the park.
Elk, black bear, fox, moose, beaver, deer, otter are a sampling of wild
life of the park area.
Although most people visit the park in summer, the best wildlife
watching is often in the winter. Wolves often travel on the frozen
lakes and along the ploughed roads, and elk and deer are common right in
the town of Waskesiu. Open water at the Narrows on Waskesiu Lake and
where the Waskesiu River exits from the lake makes otter sightings very
reliable. Foxes, including the red, cross and silver colour phases, are
frequent sightings in winter too.
Aurora watching
Due to the park's northern latitude, Auroras are very common on clear nights even when solar activity is relatively low.
Golfing
Stanley Thompson
designed an 18-hole golf course in the park. It was built in the early
1930s. Its official name is the Waskesiu Golf Course, but is often
called "The Lobstick" after a tournament it hosts each year.
The Wickaninnish Beach Provincial Park formed the nucleus upon
which the national park was assembled. After years of negotiation
between the federal government and the provincial government of W.A.C. Bennett, a breakthrough was reached after Jean Chrétien took over for Arthur Laing as the federal minister responsible for parks. British Columbia adopted the West Coast National Park Act
in 1969 and the two governments signed an agreement in 1970 to create
the park through land assembly and extinguishing forestry rights.
Following protracted negotiations, the park was finally added to the National Parks Act in 2000, classified as a "park reserve" based on an accepted claim of certain rights to the area by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.
History
The early popularity of national parks, like Banff and Yoho,
created speculation about other potential parks, like one on Vancouver
Island with access to the Pacific Ocean. The recreational potential of
Long Beach was known and the nonprofit group Canadian National Parks
Association put forward the idea, in 1929, of it becoming a park. In
1930, at the request of the federal government, the provincial
government placed a reserve on land in the Nitinat Lake
area and, in 1948, the provincial government reserved land that would
later become the Wickaninnish Beach Provincial Park. Reconnaissance
trips by government representatives, one of them being Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside,
found insufficient rationale to establishing a park there at that time
due to its remote and inaccessible location, outstanding forestry
encumbrances and with respect to its development as a health resort type
park, its cold waters and fog, among other reasons.
Regardless, in 1947 the Victoria Chamber of Commerce added their voice
to advocating park here, in the form of an addition to the Strathcona Provincial Park with land along the Clayoquot Arm to Long Beach.
In 1959 the provincial government opened both the Wickaninnish Beach Provincial Park (which was expanded in 1961 and 1968) and Highway 4,
from Tofino to Port Alberni. The highway resulted in thousands of new
visitors descending on the beaches each year throughout the 1960s,
including for international surfing competitions from 1966 to 1968.
Though new tourist accommodations did open, some along the beach, the
number of visitors far exceeded Tofino and Ucluelet's capacity resulting
in many camping on the beach. This led to a plundering of the foreshore
for food and souvenirs, building temporary shacks from driftwood,
improvised latrines, and leaving behind garbage and vehicles sunk in the
sand. The deteriorating conditions of the beach and the inability of
the local community and the province to cope fueled a more urgent call
for a national park, particularly by the Vancouver Island Chambers of
Commerce and local MLAHoward McDiarmid. However, communication and negotiations with federal Minister of Resources Arthur Laing with the provincial Minister of Recreation and Conservation Ken Kiernan and the cabinet of W.A.C. Bennett
were strained as they disagreed on the appropriate size of the park and
cost-sharing, in addition to their political animosity. The project
would only advance after 1968 when Jean Chrétien replaced Laing, as Pierre Trudeau succeeded Lester B. Pearson
as prime-minister. The BC government was hesitant to relinquish rights
to the Effingham Islands portion of the Broken Group and to lose
forestry activities in the West Coast Trail area but proceeded to adopt the West Coast National Park Act
in early 1969 which authorized the Minister of Recreation and
Conservation to enter into an agreement with the federal government to
establish the national park along the west coast of Vancouver Island.
The final agreement was shortly reached and endorsed by the province in
Order-in-Council 1466/1970 with the province responsible for acquiring
lands and the federal government paying for half the costs.
Following the agreement, lands were assembled by the province within
the areas delineated by the agreement and transferred them the federal
government with both paying the acquisition costs equally. The
Wickaninnish Beach Provincial Park was transferred to federal government
in 1971 to form the core of the Long Beach Unit and the province
purchased or expropriated the private lands around the beach, along with
the crown lands of the Broken Group Islands.
The park's opening ceremony occurred in 1971 and was attended by
Princess Anne of England who was presented with a driftwood abstract
sculpture by Jean Chrétien, the minister responsible for Parks Canada. The sculpture was the work of local artist Godfrey Stephens.
However, the acquisition deadline of 1975 was missed as the two
governments and the companies with the timber rights on the provincial
crown land, B.C. Forest Products Limited and MacMillan Bloedel, could
not reach a compensation settlement. By 1982, the Broken Group Unit and
most of the Long Beach Unit had been secured but all of the West Coast
Trail Unit was tied up in the disagreement on the value of the timber;
an appraisal by the provincial forestry ministry of the value of the
timber rights that would secure the remaining lands was deemed
unacceptably high by the federal counterparts.
An agreement was finally reached in 1988 to transfer the remaining
lands, free of encumbrances, and the park was formally included into the
National Parks Act in 2000 with Bill C-27 of the second session of the 36th Canadian Parliament.
Aboriginal presence
The Canada National Parks Act
classifies national parks where the geographic area is subject to a
claim in respect of aboriginal rights that has been accepted for
negotiation by the Government of Canada as a "park reserve" which allows
for the continuing of traditional renewable resource harvesting
activities by aboriginal persons. Related to the Pacific Rim National
Park Reserve, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council
had submitted a claim in 1980 which the government accepted for
negotiation in June 1983. In the early park formation little
consultation had occurred with the First Nation groups whose interests
in the land they intended to purchase or trade for other similar lands.
While seven First Nations claim area within the park as part of their
traditional territory, Parks Canada incorporated a working relationship
with those interested in its management. Beginning in 1995 the First
Nations Program resulted in the creation of the Nuu-chah-nulth
interpretative trail, cultural information included in educational
literature and displays, increased employment in park services, and
shared management responsibilities.
The park boundaries exclude 21 Indian reserves
belonging to seven different First Nations, though most of the park is
claimed as part of their traditional territories which were never ceded, including the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht, Pacheedaht, and the Hupacasath. In the Long Beach area where the Tla-o-qui-aht claim traditional territory, they have declared the entire Kennedy Lake watershed, as well as Meares Island, as a tribal park.
In the Broken Group area, an archaeological site on Benson Island found
evidence of human presence dating back more than 5000 years, though the
Tseshaht
are the only remaining group whose people had lived on the islands.
While Benson Island had hosted a summer village (and wintered in the
area now known as Port Alberni), it had been abandoned; a subsequent
village on Effingham burnt down in 1914.
Long Beach
Surfers approaching waves on Long Beach, February 2016.
The 212 km2 (82 sq mi) Long Beach Unit, located along Highway 4 between Tofino to Ucluelet,
features several beaches, short trails, and a campground. Wickaninnish
Bay is bordered by the eponymous Long Beach, as well as Combers Beach,
and Wickaninnish Beach, while Florencia Bay to the south includes a more
sheltered beach. The two bays are connected by a 3 km (1.9 mi)
Nuu-chah-nulth Trail and the Kᵂisitis Visitor Centre (formerly
Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre). The Pacific Rim Visitor Centre,
located at the park entrance along Highway 4, is the park's primary
information centre and meeting area. A separate park administrative and
maintenance building is located further down the highway, closer to the
campground and airport. The Tofino/Long Beach Airport, owned and operated by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, is an enclave within the park.
On the north side of the Long Beach Unit is Grice Bay. Its boat launch can be used for paddling around the bay or to access the Clayoquot Sound or the Browning Passage around the Esowista Peninsula to the ocean. The exclave portion at Kennedy Lake is a day use area for picnics and swimming but the area is flanked on both sides by the Kennedy Lake Provincial Park which has a campground and boat launch.
Broken Group Islands
Map of the Broken Group Islands
The Broken Group Islands unit is a 106 km2 (41 sq mi) area in the Barkley Sound
with over one hundred small islands. The area is predominantly marine
with high-relief rock reefs and kelp beds anchored by a rocky substrate.
The island beaches vary from shallow sand terrain to exposed weathered
rock. The south side of the outer islands, such as Wouwer, Howell, Cree
and Benson Islands, are subject to strong winds and swells,
as are the Crossing Imperial Eagle and Loudon Channels between the
group and Vancouver Island. The islands are uninhabited though
archaeological sites show there are several abandoned village sites.
For recreational purposes, the area is predominantly used for sea kayaking, as well as related camping and wildlife viewing. Other marine vessels pass through the area but Parks Canada prohibits motorboats
from landing on islands with campsites. Kayaks are most often launched
from Toquart Bay to the north, but sometimes from Ucluelet which is
13 km from the first campsite at Clarke Island or from Bamfield which is
15 km from Gibraltar Island. Other boats can dock at Port Alberni. For
multi-day trips, Parks Canada
maintains campgrounds on seven of the islands: Hand, Turret, Gibraltar,
Willis, Dodd, Clarke and Gilbert islands. The names of the islands are
derived from an 1861 survey map of the area by George Henry Richards. There was formerly a campground on Benson Island but ended in 2009 at the request of the Tseshaht First Nation, though day-trips area are still permitted.
West Coast Trail
The West Coast Trail Unit covers 193 km2 (75 sq mi) and features the 75 km (47 mi) hiking trail between Port Renfrew and Bamfield. The corridor was created in 1889 as an extension of a telegraph line from Victoria to lighthouses along the coast, and eventually to Bamfield, the Canadian terminus of the All Red Line. After the disaster of the American steamship SS Valencia,
in 1906 with 37 survivors reaching shore along the telegraph line, the
federal government upgraded the corridor to act as a trail with several
shelters along the way. By 1911, it was classified as a public highway
with a 20 m (66 ft) right-of-way known as the Life Saving Trail or the
Shipwrecked Mariners Trail. The federal government ended its maintenance
program for the trail between Port Renfrew and Carmanah Point in 1954,
and the remainder of the trail by 1967. Meanwhile, there were several
failed attempts at development, including coal mining, fish canning, resort development in Clo-oose, and small-scale logging—the result of which are several abandoned donkey engines along the trail used to transfer logs down to the foreshore. Eventually the provincial government sold the timber rights but following advocacy by Sierra Club Canada and locals, the BC Parks branch placed a reserve, in 1964, around the trail which outdoor enthusiasts had continued using.
With a national park being proposed at Long Beach, to which the federal
government felt was too small by itself to be a national park, they
were amenable to adding this trail. Sympathetic with the logging
interests, the provincial government resisted but it was included in the
1970 agreement with its specific boundaries to be determined. Over the
next several years, the provincial government, forestry companies, and
park advocates negotiated and finalized the boundaries, with
conservationists advocating for boundaries to include the entire
watersheds
and federal government advocating for a visual buffer between the trail
and logging areas. While the Nitinat Triangle, northwest of Nitinat Lake,
was added in 1973, the final boundaries were not agreed upon until
1988. In the meantime, there was a lack of trail maintenance since BC
Parks viewed it as a national park though the land had yet to be
transferred to the federal government, though Parks Canada did invest in
repairs and improvements in 1973 and the early 1980s, including bridges
and cable cars over creeks and various campsite facilities.
The southern trailhead is located across Gordon River from Port Renfrew
with first two campsites 5 and 13 km in. The northern trailhead is
located across the Pachena River from Bamfield. From there, the Pachena Point Light
is 10 km (6.2 mi) in and the first two campsites are at the 12 km and
14 km markers along the trail. The northern end of the trail, outside of
Bamfield, also features a separate 7 km (4.3 mi) trail to Cape Beale with a campsite at Keeha Beach. Overall, the trail is typically done in 6 or 7 days with stretches along rocky beaches, rainforest, and rough, muddy terrain.
Tsusiat Falls, a campground on the West Coast Trail.
Geography
In the Parks Canada system of natural region representation, the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, along with the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, represents Pacific Coast Mountains. Geographically, this natural region includes Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and the Coast Mountains. Based on its landscape and habitat diversity, Parks Canada characterizes this region as Canada's rocky west coast created by crustal material
moving eastward creating coastal mountains, deep fiords and channels
carved by the release of water from retreating glaciers, and
experiencing heavy rainfall and mild temperatures resulting in
temperate rain forests.
The Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, along with the Gwaii Haanas and Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, are the three national parks with direct access to the Pacific Ocean. Located on the west side of the Vancouver Island,
the park is situated on the Estevan Lowlands, a thin strip of coastal
land located between the ocean and the West Vancouver Island Fiordlands
and Vancouver Island Ranges of the Insular Mountains. While the almost all of Vancouver Island is part of the Wrangellia Terrane, most of the Long Beach Unit is part of the Pacific Rim Terrane, separated from Wrangellia Terrane by the West Coast Fault.
Climate
Like
the climates of nearby Tofino and Ucluelet, the park's climate is the
result of its unobstructed southwestern exposure to the ocean and its
inland mountains to the northeast. The prevailing jet stream brings low pressure systems off the ocean from the Gulf of Alaska in the winter. Its cool, moist air mass experience orographic lift as it immediately rises through the mountains and deposits large quantities of precipitation. Henderson Lake, inland from Broken Group in Barclay Sound, is the one of the wettest places on Earth. The park area averages over 3,500 to 4,000 millimetres (140 to 160 in) of precipitation per year. Affected by the Kuroshio Current,
the sea water temperatures range from 8 °C (46 °F) in January to 14 °C
(57 °F) in August. In the summer the jet stream bring high pressure
systems, with warmer air masses that retains moisture, in from the
mid-Pacific resulting in dry, sunny summers. The air temperatures
generally range from 5 to 18 °C (41 to 64 °F).
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