Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Encyclopedia
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a Canadian
national park
reserve in British Columbia
made up of three separate regions: Long Beach
, the Broken Group
Islands, and the West Coast Trail
. The entire park encompasses 511 km² (197 sq mi) of land and ocean. The park is characterized by rugged coasts and lush temperate rainforests. The park is open from mid-March until mid-October.
of the Insular Mountains
and to the west is the Pacific Ocean
.
During fall and winter, the area is continually subjected to moist air masses from the Pacific Ocean. The presence of the mountain ranges causes the air masses to rise and deposit large quantities of precipitation
, a phenomenon known as orographic precipitation. The area averages over 3,000 mm (118 in) of precipitation per year, a key factor in producing temperate rainforests. During the drier summer months the area is frequently covered in fog. Average temperatures range from 14 °C (57 °F) during the summer and 6 °C (43 °F) in the winter.
Sitka Spruce
are generally found near the coast due to its resistance to ocean spray and abrasive wind-blown sand. The spruce fringe acts as a buffer protecting the inland forests from the ocean. Further inland, the forests are composed of western hemlock
, pacific silver fir
and western red cedar. The park also features several bogs in poorly drained areas.
The primary feature in this area is Long Beach itself. The area also contains the Green Point campground, which has 94 campsites for both tents and small trailers. There are also numerous trails in this region, running through bogs and temperate rainforest areas.
Other structures in the area include a ranger station, British Columbia Highway 4, and Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre. This centre is the main educational centre in the area and contains exhibits about local wildlife, plants, native culture, and history. The centre also includes a theatre, restaurant, gift shop, and information desk.
. The largest forested islands are Effingham, Turret, Turtle, Dodd, Jacques, Nettle and Gibraltar Island. The area is accessible only by boat, and is popular with kayakers. There are eight camping areas scattered on the islands. Campers should be aware that there is no fresh water available in the Broken Group Islands, so any water needed will have to be brought in.
is a 75 km (47 mi) trail along the west-coast of Vancouver Island
from Port Renfrew to Bamfield. The trail was built to aid in the rescue of shipwrecked sailors. Construction on the trail started in 1907 and by 1910 the "Lifesaving Trail" was complete. The trail was abandoned in the 1950s. By 1970 the trail was transformed into The West Coast Trail, a challenging trail that takes visitors along rocky beaches, through rainforest, and across sometimes rough and muddy terrain. The trail has been improved greatly over the years and can be traversed in 5–7 days.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
reserve in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
made up of three separate regions: Long Beach
Long Beach (British Columbia)
Long Beach is the largest and longest beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Wickanninish Bay between Tofino and Ucluelet and is adjoined by campgrounds and picnic areas...
, the Broken Group
Broken Group
The Broken Group is a group of small islands and islets in the middle of Barkley Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada...
Islands, and the West Coast Trail
West Coast Trail
The West Coast Trail is a long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It was built in 1907 to facilitate the rescue of survivors of shipwrecks along the coast, part of the treacherous Graveyard of the Pacific...
. The entire park encompasses 511 km² (197 sq mi) of land and ocean. The park is characterized by rugged coasts and lush temperate rainforests. The park is open from mid-March until mid-October.
Geography
The park encompasses a thin strip of land located on the south-west coast of Vancouver Island. To the east of the park lies the Vancouver Island RangesVancouver Island Ranges
The Vancouver Island Ranges, formerly called the Vancouver Island Mountains, is a mountain range extending along the length of Vancouver Island which has an area of 31,788 km² . The Vancouver Island Ranges comprise the central and largest part of the island...
of the Insular Mountains
Insular Mountains
The Insular Mountains are a range of mountains in the Pacific Coast Ranges on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, comprising the Vancouver Island Ranges and Queen Charlotte Mountains. The Insular Mountains are rugged, particularly on Vancouver Island where peaks in Strathcona Provincial Park...
and to the west is the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
During fall and winter, the area is continually subjected to moist air masses from the Pacific Ocean. The presence of the mountain ranges causes the air masses to rise and deposit large quantities of precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
, a phenomenon known as orographic precipitation. The area averages over 3,000 mm (118 in) of precipitation per year, a key factor in producing temperate rainforests. During the drier summer months the area is frequently covered in fog. Average temperatures range from 14 °C (57 °F) during the summer and 6 °C (43 °F) in the winter.
Sitka Spruce
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...
are generally found near the coast due to its resistance to ocean spray and abrasive wind-blown sand. The spruce fringe acts as a buffer protecting the inland forests from the ocean. Further inland, the forests are composed of western hemlock
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
, pacific silver fir
Pacific Silver Fir
Abies amabilis, commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range from the extreme southeast of Alaska, through western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, to the extreme northwest of...
and western red cedar. The park also features several bogs in poorly drained areas.
Long Beach
Long Beach is the most visited and most accessible of the three regions. It is made up of the coastal region from Tofino to Ucluelet.The primary feature in this area is Long Beach itself. The area also contains the Green Point campground, which has 94 campsites for both tents and small trailers. There are also numerous trails in this region, running through bogs and temperate rainforest areas.
Other structures in the area include a ranger station, British Columbia Highway 4, and Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre. This centre is the main educational centre in the area and contains exhibits about local wildlife, plants, native culture, and history. The centre also includes a theatre, restaurant, gift shop, and information desk.
Broken Group Islands
The Broken Group Islands region is made up of over one hundred small islands and islets in Barkley SoundBarkley Sound
Barkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island and forms the entrance to the Alberni Inlet...
. The largest forested islands are Effingham, Turret, Turtle, Dodd, Jacques, Nettle and Gibraltar Island. The area is accessible only by boat, and is popular with kayakers. There are eight camping areas scattered on the islands. Campers should be aware that there is no fresh water available in the Broken Group Islands, so any water needed will have to be brought in.
West Coast Trail
The West Coast TrailWest Coast Trail
The West Coast Trail is a long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It was built in 1907 to facilitate the rescue of survivors of shipwrecks along the coast, part of the treacherous Graveyard of the Pacific...
is a 75 km (47 mi) trail along the west-coast of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
from Port Renfrew to Bamfield. The trail was built to aid in the rescue of shipwrecked sailors. Construction on the trail started in 1907 and by 1910 the "Lifesaving Trail" was complete. The trail was abandoned in the 1950s. By 1970 the trail was transformed into The West Coast Trail, a challenging trail that takes visitors along rocky beaches, through rainforest, and across sometimes rough and muddy terrain. The trail has been improved greatly over the years and can be traversed in 5–7 days.
See also
- National Parks of Canada
- List of National Parks of Canada
- List of British Columbia Provincial Parks