Great Bear Rainforest British Columbia Spirit Bears

Why visit Great Bear Rainforest

The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled temperate rainforest in the world. It stretches from the Discovery Islands in the south to the border with Alaska in the north, and it is a place of western red cedars that can be a thousand years old and Sitka spruce that reach about ninety metres.

It is also a living homeland. The Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Kitasoo/Xai'xais, Gitga'at and Tsimshian peoples have deep ties to this coast, and in 2016 an agreement between the province, First Nations, conservation groups and the forest industry protected 85 percent of the old-growth forest from industrial logging.

The best places to visit on the central coast

Bella Coola Valley

Bella Coola is the only port between Vancouver and Prince Rupert with a road connection to the Interior, which makes it the easiest way to reach the rainforest without a boat. The valley sits in Nuxalk territory and is home to grizzly and black bears, wolves, cougars and mountain goats.

The Bella Coola Valley is the only place between Vancouver and Prince Rupert where a road reaches the coast from the BC Interior. Photo: Wallace Howe from Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Bella Bella

Bella Bella sits on Campbell Island and is the heart of Heiltsuk Nation territory, where people have lived for thousands of years. The Heiltsuk were among the First Nations who helped launch the early campaigns to protect the rainforest.

Bella Bella is the main community of the Heiltsuk Nation on Campbell Island. Photo: Shawn from Airdrie, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

The best places to visit in spirit bear country

Princess Royal Island

This is the largest island on the north coast of British Columbia, about 2,300 square kilometres of forest reachable only by boat or air. Spirit bears are most common on Gribbell, Princess Royal and Roderick islands, where they make up 10 to 20 percent of the Kermode bear population.

The spirit bear is a white-coated variety of the Kermode black bear found on the central and north coast of British Columbia. Photo: Crocodile2020, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park

Established in 1938, this large park covers parts of the Kitimat Ranges, the Pacific Ranges and the Rainbow Range. The Atnarko River and its salmon have long been important to the Nuxalk people.

Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park protects mountain country and salmon rivers such as the Atnarko. Photo: Shawn from Airdrie, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

The best places to visit around Prince Rupert

Museum of Northern British Columbia

On the waterfront at the foot of McBride Avenue, the museum tells a ten thousand year story of the Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit and Nisga'a peoples. It also operates the Carving Shed.

The museum in Prince Rupert tells the long history of the Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit and Nisga'a peoples. Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

North Pacific Cannery

About 20 kilometres from downtown at Port Edward, this national historic site is the oldest and most complete cannery left from the two hundred or so that once dotted the northwest coast of British Columbia.

North Pacific Cannery is a national historic site and the oldest surviving cannery on the BC north coast. Photo: upyernoz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Food and local flavors

Seafood is the heart of eating on this coast. Prince Rupert is known for its salmon and halibut fishing, so look for smoked salmon, fresh halibut and, from the crab boats, Dungeness crab, one of the most important seafood catches on the west coast of North America. Bannock, the pan-fried bread of Indigenous cooking, is worth trying wherever local Nations share their food. In Bella Coola, a coffee shop and a handful of restaurants cover the basics, and Cow Bay on the Prince Rupert waterfront is a pleasant place to browse shops and galleries before dinner.

Popular dishes to try in Great Bear Rainforest

Where to stay

Choose a base that fits how you plan to travel. The Bella Coola Valley suits drivers and anyone arriving on the Port Hardy ferry.

Hagensborg, about 14 kilometres east of Bella Coola near the airport, is a quieter option for people flying in or who want a campground or a lodge with mountain views.

Prince Rupert is the better choice if you arrive by train, ferry or plane, or want museums, harbour views and restaurants within a short walk. It also works well as the last stop on a coastal route.

Where to stay in Great Bear Rainforest

Best time to visit

Late summer and autumn are the main wildlife seasons, because salmon runs draw grizzlies and Kermode bears to the rivers. The Port Hardy to Bella Coola ferry runs from mid-June to the end of September, and summer sailings between Bella Bella and Bella Coola are more direct, so July to September is also the easiest time to move around. Bella Coola has warmer summers than many coastal places, thanks to its semi-inland position.

Getting there and getting around

The Bella Coola Valley is reached by Highway 20 from Williams Lake, a drive of about 454 kilometres that takes six to eight hours. The last stretch, known as the Hill, climbs 18 kilometres of gravel with steep grades and switchbacks, so drive slowly.

BC Ferries sails from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island to Bella Coola two or three times a week in summer, and a coastal route links Bella Bella, Shearwater, Ocean Falls and Bella Coola.

Prince Rupert has an airport on Digby Island, reached by shuttle and ferry, plus a VIA Rail train from Jasper with an overnight stop in Prince George.

A suggested itinerary

Practical tips

• Book ferries and lodging early for summer, as reservations are recommended on the Bella Coola routes.
• Pack waterproof layers, since Prince Rupert is the rainiest city in Canada.
• Join wildlife tours run by licensed local operators or Nation-owned businesses and keep a respectful distance from bears.
• Allow flexibility in your schedule, because weather can delay small planes and ferries.
• Drive the Hill section of Highway 20 in daylight and in good weather, and check road conditions first.
• Carry cash, snacks and a charged phone, since services thin out quickly beyond the main towns.