Cape Scott Provincial Park

Cape Scott Provincial Park is a provincial park located at the cape of the same name, which is the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and located 563 km (350 mi) from Victoria. It was established in 1973 with about 37,200 acres (15,100 ha), and later expanded to approximately 22,294 hectares (55,090 acres).[2] Lanz and Cox Islands Provincial Park, formerly Scott Islands Marine Provincial Park,[3] is offshore, to the northwest of Cape Scott.

Cape Scott Provincial Park
IUCN category II (national park)[1]
A trail through the forest near Laura Creek, Cape Scott Provincial Park
LocationVancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Nearest cityHolberg
Coordinates50°44′00″N 128°20′00″W
Area222.94 km²
Established1973
Governing bodyBC Parks

Geography

The park is known for its old growth forest and sandy beaches. The terrain is rugged and the area is known for its heavy rain and violent storms.

The park's highest point is Mt. St. Patrick, 422 metres (1,385 ft) above sea level. The park's largest lake is Eric Lake, at 44 hectares (110 acres).

Most of the park is in the Nahwitti Lowland, which is a subunit of the Hecate Depression, and a part of the Coastal Trough.

The former settlement of Cape Scott, which was founded by Danish-Canadian immigrants, is located within the park at 50°47′00″N 128°20′00″W at the head of Hansen Lagoon.[4] Another related settlement in the area is Strandby, named after a coastal village in Denmark and located facing Shuttleworth Bight at 50°50′15″N 128°08′20″W.[5]

Climate

History

The Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations created trails through the area that includes the park, using these trails for trade, to harvest resources, and to visit locations that were considered sacred.[7] Three First Nations reserves are within the park, including the former village of Nahwitti.

In 1786, the area was named "Cape Scott" in honour of David Scott, a merchant of Mumbai (Bombay), who had backed James Strange's maritime fur trade voyage to the Pacific Northwest Coast.[8][9]

From 1897 until 1910, Danish settlers tried to establish a fishing community near San Josef Bay. Due to the harsh climate and lack of governmental support, the community failed and most settlers left the area. Following that, another attempt was made at Hansen Lagoon, similarly failing by 1917. Alfred Spencer, the last resident, left in 1956.

Some artifacts can still be seen in the park, including a three-metre-tall granite tombstone, several corduroy roads, many ruins (that look like anonymous mossy mounds), and rusty farming implements.

Recreation
Backpackers walking across the beach at Experiment Bight
See also: North Coast Trail

The park is a popular destination for backpackers during the less rainy summer season. A logging road connects the towns of Port Hardy and Holberg to the southern end of the park. The rest of the park is accessible only by foot, helicopter, or boat. A popular backpacking trip is to hike the 16.8 km (10.4 mi) Cape Scott Trail to Nels Bight, which typically requires 4–7 hours each way and is rated as easy/moderate in difficulty.[7] It is mostly flat, but is often very muddy. Much of the trail consists of wooden boardwalk. The 43.1 km (26.8 mi) North Coast Trail, which opened in 2008, is an extension of the Cape Scott Trail. It has some very difficult sections in the east, and more moderate terrain in the west.[7]

There are several campsites with pit toilets, metal food caches, and wooden tent platforms along the original Cape Scott trail and the North Coast Trail. For day hikers looking for a shorter trail (less than an hour each way), there is a path out to the beach at San Josef Bay.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Cape Scott Park". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  2. "Cape Scott Park". BC Geographical Names.
  3. "Scott Islands Park". BC Geographical Names.
  4. "Cape Scott (settlement - rescinded)". BC Geographical Names.
  5. "Strandby (former locality)". BC Geographical Names.
  6. Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  7. Cape Scott Provincial Park North Coast Trail Map and Pocket Guide. Wild Coast Publishing. 2008.
  8. Gough, Barry M. (2011). The Northwest Coast: British Navigation, Trade and Discoveries to 1812. University of British Columbia Press. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-0-7748-4292-1. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  9. "Cape Scott". BC Geographical Names.
  10. Island Nature: Exploring nature on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond http://islandnature.ca/2010/04/san-josef-bay/
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