How can we forget the bears while talking about Canada? And not just bears, you must know about the Great Bear Rainforest. Oh yeah! That one. I know you must have read about it in your Geography books. But it’s not just limited to that information only. After all how much can you learn from a small chapter in a secondary school book? So, it’s time to recall your memories and tell you some more interesting facts about this amazing forest. Are you ready?

The Great Bear Rainforest is a large area of pristine wilderness. It is as large as the country of Ireland and covers about 6.4 million hectares of British Columbia’s north and central coast. The place is perfect for immersing yourself in silence and enjoying the lush greenery. It is a land surrounded by mist-shrouded valleys and glacier-cut fjords. Moreover, the Great Bear Rainforest encompasses a quarter of the world’s coastal temperate rainforest. It is also the only place on the planet where you can spot the rare White Kermode Bear or the “Spirit Bear.” Yeah! I must say this, you will be extremely lucky if you could capture a glimpse of this rare species on your Canada tour.

Truly, this rainforest will be a fantastic getaway if you love the outdoors, especially hiking in wild jungles. Let’s consider this: Would it not be great to spend a wonderful day viewing eagles and grizzly bears or sea otters, dolphins, and whales? Obviously, it would be! Great Bear offers many outdoor activities for travellers that you can easily experience by booking your trip here!

The Great Bear Rainforest is a large expanse of the coastal temperate rainforest that stretches for nearly 250 miles on the British Columbia coast. Also known as the Amazon of the North, the land has 1000-year-old cedars, waterfalls along the sides of the moss-covered mountains, and crystal-clear waters. The vast land covers nearly 6.4 million hectares.

Travelling And Reaching The Great Bear Rainforest

One thing you must know is that there are hardly any roads to the Great Bear Rainforest, which is, therefore, mainly accessed by boat or floatplane. The location is unique, and you get different experiences each time you visit. It’s completely your choice how you want to experience the l location. Some see the entirety of the wonderful place from a plane, and some love to sail along the coast by the sea to view this marvellous location. You can drive, too, but only up to a certain point. Whatever way you choose to get there, I suggest you remember to prepare well before embarking on your journey to the Great Bear Rainforest, as getting to this remarkable place is nothing short of an adventure.

Now that you know travelling to the Great Bear Rainforest is an adventure by itself, you can imagine what exploring this protected forest would be like. The Great Bear is one of few regions in the world that is mostly a roadless wilderness. So, transportation by land is vastly limited. I know what’s going on in your mind now. You are wondering about how to travel to this remote area? Well, don’t worry; you can access the location in the following ways:

i) Road – Travel to the Great Bear Rainforest would be great through Bella Coola. As the Gateway to the Great Bear, you can access it by car. The road built by residents features a 15 km ascent from the valley floor to the Chilcotin Plateau.

ii) Rail— The best way to see the spectacular BC is by rail. There are train services available almost three times a week from Prince George to Terrace and Prince George to Prince Rupert, which you can easily take!

iii) Sea – Two operators offer sea travel to the Great Bear: BC Ferries and the Discovery Coast Passage. BC Ferries operates a vehicle and passenger service from mid-June to mid-September, and Discovery Coast Passage mostly operates in summer only.

iv) Air – You can travel by air via any airport with access to the Rainforest. They are Bella Bella, Bello Coola, Harley Bay, Kitimat, Ocean Falls, Prince Rupert, Port Hardy, and Vancouver.

How to Experience the Great Bear Rainforest?

While the great remote expanse is a beloved home to many First Nations communities, it is also richly abundant in wildlife. One can find coastal gray wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, Sitka deer, cougars, and mountain goats running wild within the Great Bear. Apart from these land animals, you would love to view the wonderful creatures of the sea as well.

Experience With The Indigenous Cultures and History of the First Nation Communities

The local First Nations Communities are people who have lived in this land for many generations. Great Bear will help you understand their history more in-depth. I will tell different ways of knowing them-

• Visit Klemtu, a friendly village where you will get a warm welcome from the locals. Many would love a cultural tour of the significant sites here.
• You can visit the Big House, a traditional community gathering place built by the West Coast First Nations.
• Take guided forest hikes to see the ancient petroglyphs from Bella Coola. And don’t forget to tour the Museum of Northern BC in Prince Rupert.

I am sure this will help you gain enough information about them.

Watch The Wildlife Up Close!!

I understand you are curious to know about the spots from where you can see these bears or other animals. So, I have mentioned some of them below. Check these-

• At Khemtu, you have got a greater chance of spotting the ever-elusive Spirit Bear. A local guide can take you to the remotest part of the Great Bear to have a single sighting of this magnificent creature.
• At Bella Coola Valley, you can view the prime wildlife. Grizzly Bear sightings are quite common here with many of them wandering throughout the town.
• At Prince Rupert, you can take a plane ride or boat ride to the Khutzemateen Grizzly Sanctuary. Nearly 50 grizzlies have 450 sq km live in a protected wilderness here.

The migration of the world’s wild salmon begins around late August and continues till September or October. If you are lucky, you can witness the bears and cubs when they feed on Salmon. Marine life is found in abundance in the coastal waters of the Great Bear. You can view them during the bear-viewing trips that have dedicated whale-watching tours from Alert Bay Bella Coola or Campbell River.

Go Sport Fishing on the Coast

The Great Bear Rainforest offers many full-service fishing lodges for anglers. Most fly-in lodges are found on the doorstep of prime fishing grounds. The Hakai Pass, Rivers Inlet, and Millbank Sound are some of the places for excellent fishing. Bella Coola and Prince Rupert have many beautiful fishing locations.

Fun fact – Nearly 80% of the nitrogen in the ancient trees growing along the salmon rivers has been derived from salmon nutrients.

Enjoy the Boat Cruise

One of the interesting things you can opt for is to hire a boat cruise. Many companies organize specialized small-boat cruises and guided sailboat outings between May and October. The cruise is a week-long voyage during which you can enjoy a lot of things-

• Touring the First Nation Village
• Soaking in a Natural Hot Spring on the Glacier Cut Fjords
• Cruising among the mist-shrouded inlets, and
• Visiting the pure river estuaries to glimpse the grizzly bears.

All cruises are arranged for a few passengers, creating a more personal and intimate setting. That will bless you with a wonderful adventure with ecological integrity.

Go On A Kayaking Adventure!

Kayaking in Klemtu, Bella Bella, and Shearwater, located on the central and north coast of the Rainforest, can be a great experience for adventure seekers like you and me! But you need to take a guided tour as the waters are challenging for those unfamiliar with the surroundings.

Go On a Hike or Skiing

Plenty of hiking trails, ranging from easy to moderate, are available in the Bella Coola Valley. Bear viewing tours usually include guided rainforest hikes. Many lodges have hiking options available. Feeling a bit adventurous? You can go heli-hiking above the tree line, and fearless skiers can explore the peaks of the Coast Mountains.

Which Is the Right Place to See the Spirit Bears?

The Spirit Bear, or the Kermode Bear, is a subspecies of the American Black Bear and lives on the Central Coast and North Coast regions of British Columbia, Canada. Most Kermode bears are black, but between 100 and 500, you will find fully white bears exist.

You need to begin from the coastal village of Klemtu to see the spirit bears on Princess Royal Island, which is also their home turf. Another way to view them would be to go on a tour conducted by local cultural guides to areas where they have been commonly sighted.

Klemtu has a water-front accommodation known as the Spirit Bear Lodge. I suggest you reserve a room at this community-based eco-tourism venture owned and operated by Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation. The Spirit Bear Lodge offers special tours to view the rare creature. Although the sighting of the Spirit Bear is not guaranteed, the tour operators make every effort towards it.

Right Time to Visit

The Great Bear Rainforest is a jungle, so I highly suggest you visit it during the warmest months. June to August is the best time to visit, as the bear viewing season usually is from June to October. The best chance of seeing a bear is during the time these marvellous creatures hunt for fish. The annual salmon run, which occurs from late August to September or sometimes October, is the ideal bear-viewing period.

I must say that the Great Bear Rainforest is a global treasure and anyone who wishes to enjoy scenic natural surroundings should explore. The protected, coastal temperate rainforest is the official residence of the mysterious Spirit Bear. As the largest temperate rainforest in the world, it is a sublime and protected ecological wonder. So, do take time to visit the archipelago of Haida Gwaii, which has a vast network of high and low valleys, crystal clear lakes and streams, and diverse arrays of plant and animal life on Earth. The beauty of the Great Bear will inspire, thrill, and transform you as you witness the delicate ecosystem’s dazzling abundance.

Last Updated on April 21, 2024 by Pragya Chakrapani