The Cathedral Grove Stroll

Unless you’re off-roading, flying, or boating it to Tofino, you’ll likely pass through the MacMillan Provincial Park and more specifically, Cathedral Grove. If you happen to drive through the area, taking a break here is a must and will certainly be worth it.

The trail is not a hike – it is simply a nice stroll/walk. Mighty and massive 800 year-old trees cover the entire trail. It is a great chance to get up-and-close to these impressive wonders of nature. There are two main trail loops that will each take around 20 minutes to cruise through, but if you are like myself, you’ll certainly take a little bit longer to take in the scene. Both loops certainly provide an outstanding opportunity to appreciate nature; the south loop showcases groves of ancient Western red cedar and the largest Douglas-fir trees, with the biggest one measuring over 9 metres in circumference, and the north loop will take you to the shores of Cameron Lake.

Roadside parking is available on both sides of the road (from what I remember). It is important to remember that this is a highway, and although the speed limit is reduced for the park-related congestion, make sure to keep yourself, the younger ones, and pets safe when crossing the road. And of course, camera is a must. The park is roughly 22KM east of Port Alberni, 140 KM east of Tofino and 54KM west of Nanaimo.

My stop here took place in the summer of 2009 during which time I ventured from Edmonton, Alberta to attend the 2009 Nitinaht Windfest. The week of kiting and camping was awesome at Nitinaht! We dashed up to Tofino in the hopes of catching some of the winds forecasted for the following day, and the journey back from Tofino was when I got my first chance to check out Cathedral Grove. The island rocks!

Finally, the park was damaged awhile ago from a major storm and the following statement was taken from the BC provincial parks website:

Improvements to MacMillan Park can be supported by “feeding” the donation tree next to the main trail; your contributions will be used for youth team trail projects, volunteer projects, revegetation projects and new signs. The park’s small size and accessibility has left it vulnerable to impacts from high visitor use. Please stay on designated trails, where you will find ample opportunities to view and photograph this bit of history.

If you have another questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks!

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