Bamfield Tourism

Hiking

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:00:00 -0000

The Pacific Rim offers numerous walking trails that pass through all of our ecosystems: beaches and headlands, coastal bog, rainforest, and high alpine. The trails range from easy walking paths near town, some of which are wheelchair-accessible, to scenic day-hikes, to challenging multi-day backpacking routes suitable only for the most experienced wilderness travellers.

Whether you are on a short walk in or near town, or hiking in remote wilderness, make sure you are aware of how to travel safely in wildlife habitat.

Short walks and day-hikes

Around Bamfield: Bradyâs Beach is a short and easy 15-20 minute walk from West Bamfield, and from here, if the tide is low, you can explore the beach and rocky tidepools for quite some distance westward. There are also longer day-hikes that head out to lovely beaches and wild uninhabited open Pacific coast, but these trails are rough and can be quite muddy. Tapaltos Beach and Keeha Bay are each a seven-kilometre return trip, and can make for a nice half-day hike or a full-day picnic outing. Continuing from Tapaltos Beach on to Cape Beale lighthouse adds another 5 km to the return trip, but this part of the trail is so rough and muddy that for most people this 12 km will be a solid full-day hike. You can also hike the first 10 km of the West Coast Trail out to Pachena Point Lighthouse without having to get a national parks permit, provided that you hike back that same day.

Kayaking

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:00:00 -0000

Vancouver Islandâs wild west coast is one of the worldâs premiere sea-kayaking destinations â especially the relatively protected waters of Barkley and Clayoquot Sounds.

There are a number of sea-kayaking companies based in the towns: in Port Alberni, Bamfield, Tofino, and in Ucluelet and nearby Toquart Bay. Guided day-trips with trained guides, suitable for beginner kayakers, are available from all of these towns. Many companies offer overnight trips as well, suitable for beginner or advanced kayakers. Paddlers with sufficient rescue and navigational experience may also find kayaks available to rent at all of these locations, except for within Ucluelet town.

A word of caution: Even though the more protected waters of the sounds may appear like tranquil glassy ponds on some mornings, do not be fooled! This is still ocean, and winds causing large breaking waves can come up surprisingly quickly. Every kayaking party (be it just one or two friends, or a large organized group) should have at least one person who is well versed in navigation in areas with strong tidal currents and frequent thick coastal fog. As well, this person should be well versed in performing self-rescues and assisted rescues. The water out here is unforgivingly cold â even in summer â and swimming is not an appropriate safety strategy. If you do not have a group member with the required experience, you should contract a guide.

Favoured destinations for overnight trips are:

The Deer Group (Barkley Sound)
This group of large islands, just off the coast of Bamfield, is less sheltered than the Broken Group. Not being national park, though, it is much quieter and less visited. The islands are known for exquisite rock formations and shell beaches.

Water taxis that take kayaks and gear are available in Bamfield, and with a bit of advance planning boat transport can also be arranged from Ucluelet. The nearest of the Deer Group of islands is only 3 km from Bamfield, but this is a stretch of water that is very exposed to wind, swell and current. Depending upon your groupâs experience level and the prevailing conditions of the day, you may be able to paddle yourselves to the Deer Group from Bamfield.

Bamfield Background

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:50:00 -0000

The village of Bamfield, at the southern entrance to Barkley Sound, lies within the traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht. The Huu-ay-aht are one of seven Nuu-chah-nulth tribes whose territory covers parts of Barkley Sound. Their traditional principal village site was called Keeshan.

In 1849, a carpenter who had been working on a ship along Vancouver Islandâs west coast named William Eddy Banfield left that post to start trading with the native âIndiansâ within Huu-ay-aht territory. Around 1860, Banfield established a permanent trading post there, which came to be named after him. William Eddy Banfield died under mysterious circumstances only two years later; early reports were that he had drowned while out canoeing, but later a Huu-ay-aht man was accused (but never convicted) of his murder.

The arrival of foreign trading ships disrupted Nuu-chah-nulth life up and down the coast, and by the 1880s the village of Keeshan was abandoned. Although the forest has grown up around the old site, some of the original longhouse posts and beams are still standing today. Huu-ay-aht are hoping to have the old village designated as a heritage site and to eventually open it up to tourism.

The true cause of Banfieldâs death has never been determined, but his trading post has lived on. By the turn of the century, it had been chosen as the shore terminus for a submarine telegraph cable linking British North America to the British Commonwealth of Australia. The cable was laid and the first telegraph message sent in 1902.

With renewed importance, the little village opened its first post office a year later, but a spelling mistake by a government official changed its name forever. The village on the shore of Banfield Inlet became known as Bamfield, and the name has stuck.

The telegraph station closed in 1959, when the cable was extended further inland to Port Alberni. The village has continued to be a small, quiet seaside town with a population of several hundred. The Bamfield Marine Sciences opened in the old telegraph building in 1972, and is both a research centre as well as a facility with interpretive tours and displays for visitors over summer. The main economy now revolves around a small seasonal tourism industry, with its main focus on fishing, kayaking, and hiking.

Bamfield is still not the easiest place to get to (an 80 kilometre drive along active logging roads from Port Alberni, or a boat trip from either Port Alberni or Ucluelet), and the locals are quite happy to keep it that way. Tourists are definitely welcome, but as the locals themselves say, âBamfield is not for everyone.â Those looking for fine culture and cuisine, shopping and nightlife may find Bamfield on the dull side. But those who appreciate small-town community spirit, and the treats that only nature at her wildest can provide, might find it right up their alley.

This article was written by Jacqueline Windh