Great Bear Rainforest

Misty Valleys, Old-Growth Forests, Fjords And Wildlife, Bald Eagles, Rare Spirit Bears, Whales And bountiful Salmon Streams

A wild and remote ecosystem like none other. A land alive with Grizzly and Spirit Bears, Humpback and Killer Whales. A place where Bald Eagles soar overhead while a massive migration of five species of Pacific Salmon thunders southbound for natal streams. Welcome to the wild Pacific West Coastโ€ฆthe Great Bear Rainforest!

A remote coastline encompassing a staggering 6.4 million hectares on British Columbiaโ€™s North and Central Coast and traditional territory of Coastal First Nations. Towering trees. Rocky outcroppings, Hidden waterways and wide open Pacific Ocean make British Columbiaโ€™s Great Bear Rainforest a Canadian coastal gem!

More than 10,000 years of Indigenous history and First Nations stewardship, sustainability and preservation. A sense of place and bond with territory beyond what most understand. A place where DNA, geography and even linguistics are shared among all living things comprising a world-class marine ecosystem.

Quite simply, the Great Bear Rainforest is the largest remaining temperate rainforest on Earth and one of the worldโ€™s finest untouched ecosystems. Stretching from Stewart, British Columbia South to Vancouver Island, Great Bear Rainforest encompasses British Columbiaโ€™s North and Central Coastsโ€ฆand famed Inside Passage waterway to Alaska.

The Great Bear Rainforest map

Its remote locale defines the Great Bear Rainforest. Accessed via Prince Rupert in the North, Bella Coola on Central Coast, or Port Hardy to the South, Great Bear Rainforest is a world apartโ€ฆyet not that far away! BC Ferries and Pacific Coastal Airlines in Vancouver provide direct access into the heart of the region.

From bear and whale viewing, eco-tourism to authentic Indigenous experiences, Great Bear Rainforest is as much wild life on the frontier as a wildlife viewing safari. For the adventurous, a smorgasbord of marine activities await, from boating to paddling, sport fishing to sailboat. And for the photographer, writer or artist in everyone, thereโ€™s a fresh experience at every turn.

Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands are home to the Spirit (Kermode) Bear, accessed through remote communities of Klemtu and Hartley Bay respectively. There is no shortage of iconic species and apex predators in Great Bear Rainforest, but viewing a Spirit Bear represents a true touchstone experience and a unique moment in rainforest time. Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu and Gitgaโ€™at Spirit in Hartley Bay specialize in these moments and share them with an Indigenous perspective that tells a deeper story.

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