Features on the pop-up map correspond to items detailed in the Essential Vancouver Island Outdoor Recreation Guide.

Campbell River/Strathcona:

This is country for lake and salmon lovers. The city of Campbell River is at the seaside edge of the namesake valley, a relatively flat expanse not far from some of the highest peaks on Vancouver Island. A scattering of lakes is dominated by Campbell and Upper Campbell lakes, which are created in part by a dam system. Campbell River as a region is noted for its ocean and river salmon fishing, but trout lovers tend to focus on the Sayward Forest lakes, as do visitors drawn to the many recreational campsites there. While this area lacks the visual impact of the more mountainous areas of Vancouver Island, with the exception of a few scenic corridors, it compensates with a simple charm – something you'll understand when you hear the loons call on a quiet summer's evening.

Campbell River is growing by leaps and bounds, shedding the last vestiges of a frontier-style roughness for a more polished image of new housing developments and a burgeoning retail sector. A great improvement has been the development of a seawalk trail through most of the city, from the thriving south end at Willow Point to near the downtown core in the north. The downtown features a busy commercial area including the terminal for ferry service to Quadra Island . Visitors can choose to bypass it all by staying on Highway 19 or can drive the more scenic but slower Highway 19A along the waterfront. As well as the waterfront walks, Campbell River features a large forest park known as Beaver Lodge Forest Lands, which was gifted to the province by the Elk River Timber Company in 1931 for the development of an experimental forest. It doubles as a large municipal park and includes13 km of trails, with a main trail along the former Esquimalt and Nanaimo railway right-of-way.

The city is the gateway to central Strathcona Provincial Park, which is reached by turning west off the Island Highway onto Highway 28, then following Buttle Lake south. The snow-capped peaks will loom larger until you are surrounded by many of the most impressive sights on Vancouver Island. Strathcona is Vancouver Island 's largest (at 245,800 hectares) and first provincial park. The paved road along Buttle Lake gives access deep into the park, allowing travel by casual visitors, while backcountry routes provide the potential for a lifetime of exploring alpine areas for hardy hikers and climbers.

Casual visitors will enjoy the many picnic areas along Buttle Lake, each with its own spectacular mountain vistas, as well as short trails exploring various features of the park. Highlights include walks to places like Myra Falls, a beautiful waterfall cascading over various tiers before emptying into Buttle Lake.

An odd feature of the park is a working mine just west of the south end of Buttle Lake. Boliden-Westwin Resources mines about 1.4 million tonnes a year of ore for the zinc, copper, gold and silver. The trucks are a regular feature on the narrow and winding Westmin Mine Road along Buttle Lake.

- Excerpts from The Essential Vancouver Island Outdoor Recreation Guide, by John Kimantas, Whitecap, 2008

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Watch this space as our site grows.

Recommended places to explore:

Sightseeing: A drive down Buttle Lake is one of the most scenic on Vancouver Island.

Hiking: While trails in Strathcona are varied enough to appeal to any skill level, my personal favorite is Phillips Ridge.

Kayaking/canoeing: The Sayward Forest Canoe Route is a circle through some wonderful lakes west of Campbell River.