Nitinaht Canyon Trek

During a trip to Nitinaht lake for a kitesurfing event, some fellow kiters mentioned a cool spot to check out during one of the no-wind days. They recommended this cool canyon hike along a river running deep in the forest.

The canyon walls are mostly smooth and polished rock and they are probably over 80 feet in most areas. The river flows slowly along the canyon and collects in various pools. There are a few spots to climb and jump off along the way. The pools are all separated by small waterfalls and rocky terrain, but its pretty easy to get through them. To be warned, the water is pretty damn cold. A wetsuit is highly recommended since swimming will be required. A decent pair of footwear is a must too.

Also, the canyon has several caves to check out. Bring along a flashlight to explore these caves.

Getting There
There are two points of entry for the hike and both spots have no signage or any other markings.

For both options, when you are heading away from Nitinaht lake, there is a fork on the road as if you are coming from the opposite direction. So, you’ll be taking a sharp right onto this other road. Follow this road for a bit, and you’ll drive over a couple small bridges.

For the first point, I don’t remember exactly what bridge (I think it’s the third), but there is a very small bridge, maybe 1-2 meters, and it’s not very visible. There is a small shoulder right before the bridge and that is where you’ll park. The start of the trail is also not very visible, but if you go close to the bridge and jump in the bush a bit, a small path should be visible. The path from here is very narrow and steep, so be careful on your way down to the river. I am heading out there again, and I’ll ask around to get some specific information on where to find this awesome place!

For the second point, there is a small road on the right that you’ll take. The road is before the bridge from the first point above. The road will go down towards a river and it will end. Park there and hike along the river heading in the left direction with respect to driving down this road. Shortly, there will be another small river feeding the larger lake. Start walking up this smaller river until you hit the canyons and enjoy!

On a side note, the map doesn’t show exactly where the canyon entrance is, but I hope to find the exact location very soon.

Check out my other post on Nitinaht Lake too! And of course, if you have questions, please feel free to comment and I’ll do my best to answer. Thanks for looking!

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