Fairy tale forests are full of mystery and magic. Every child has dreamed of Hansel and Gretel's forest; winding pathways edged with ferns and mosses, sheltered by giant trees with a canopy that seems to touch the clouds. If you have ever pictured yourself lost in such a fairy tale forest, then might already have a mental image of what Vancouver Island's Avatar Grove looks like.
We visited Avatar Grove last month during our family road trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Located close to the remote fishing village of Port Renfrew, Avatar Grove is protected by the Ancient Forest Alliance because of its incredible old-growth western red cedar and Douglas fir trees and the fact that it features 'Canada's Gnarliest Tree', a moniker that intrigued me so much we just had to go see what it was all about.
There is no fee to visit Avatar Grove, and the forest is as natural as could be, with very little commercialization. The only evidence of human interaction are the roads leading to the grove, a signpost announcing the trail head, and a boardwalk with stairs that lead up to the top of the hike (and the boardwalk is only sporadic - it doesn't even span the entire length of the hike). Perhaps this lack of tourist fare is due to the fact that Avatar Grove rests on Crown lands and the unceded territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation.
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| The forest was so calm and peaceful. |
I liked the fact that Avatar Grove was so natural and wild. While I did appreciate the boardwalk and stairs for getting us through the muddier and steeper sections of the hike, my favourite parts were the ones where I felt like I had just been dropped into the middle of the woods to fend for myself.
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| The boardwalk and stairs in Avatar Grove were well maintained. |
Before I get ahead of myself, lost in the memory of the forest, I will give you a little information on how to access Avatar Grove. The road to Avatar Grove is about 10 kilometres away from the town of Port Renfrew, B.C. on Vancouver Island. You can use your GPS if you need assistance, but we just asked at the local post office for directions, and the helpful lady gave us a little map and drew the route on it with her pen. Easy peasy! (Except we did still manage to get lost, but that's because I'm just awful with maps.)
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| The road to Avatar Grove was a little bumpy, so drive with caution! |
The road is paved for about half of the drive, which then becomes a gravel road, and after a short period the gravel road becomes a wee bit treacherous, with potholes, giant rocks, and even washed out spots. We took our SUV, and did see some smaller cars traversing the road so it is possible to access Avatar Grove in nearly any vehicle if you just go slow and steady.
Keep an eye out for a medium sized signpost which points visitors in the directions of Upper Avatar Grove, Lower Avatar Grove and Canada's Gnarliest Tree. Beyond the signpost, there is no other evidence that a trailhead exists. There are no port-a-potties, no parking lots, no massive attraction signs. We just pulled up on the side of the road, got out, and started hiking.
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| The sign to the Avatar Grove trail head. |
We chose to hike to the Upper Grove, since that's where 'Canada's Gnarliest Tree' was located. According to a website I searched, the Upper Grove is a 500 meter round trip with an 80 m elevation gain - not a difficult hike at all! There is a Lower Grove with a loop hike that is said to be gorgeous as well, but with two kids and a pretty rainy day, we opted to just stick to one hike for the day. The Lower Grove is a bit of a longer trail, clocking in at 650 meters for the whole loop, but with an easy 25 meter elevation gain.
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| Small girl in a big forest. |
Since 'Canada's Gnarliest Tree' was our main focus, onwards we forged into the Upper Grove trail. You began climbing instantly, up a set of steps and onto the wooden boardwalk. Right away, giant trees edged the path, reaching up into the sky, covered with moss and skirted with lush, green ferns. Some trees were thinner, but there were plenty of massive trunks that would need three to five people, arms outstretched, to span their bases.
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| The trees in Avatar Grove were MASSIVE! |
At first we were the only people in the forest. It was so peaceful, with the pitter-patter of rain slipping through the canopy and down to the forest floors. Determined birds chirped through the sprinkle. My children's excited voices echoed through the woods, potentially scaring off any bears that might have decided to visit the area. (There were no bear signs or warnings, so I'm not trying to freak people out. I just don't ever want to get caught in the woods with a bear!)
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| My little family and I beside a huge tree. |
Other people did eventually join us on the trail, but it was definitely not busy that day. Granted, we were visiting during shoulder season and it was a pretty gloomy day, but I appreciated the lack of crowds.
Some brief history on the grove: it was "discovered" in 2009 by a member of the Ancient Forest Alliance and named 'Avatar Grove' after the James Cameron film because of its resemblance to one of the magical forests in the movie. I could not disagree with the nomenclature. The forest did feel a little alien, simply because of its sheer size and peaceful stillness. The growth has been protected and closed to logging - thank goodness - since 2012.
I can't say for certain how long the hike is to reach 'Canada's Gnarliest Tree' because we were climbing the hill with two small children, and I'm also pretty tortuous to hike with because I'm constantly filming and photographing. I'd say it took us 30-40 minutes to reach our destination at the end of the trail, but in reality you could probably reach it in 15-20 minutes.
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| We found Canada's Gnarliest Tree! |
You could tell right away that you were gazing at 'Canada's Gnarliest Tree' before even reading the sign. The tree is a huge cedar, but unlike the other huge cedars in the forest, this one has a massive, bulbous lump growing on its lower trunk. The lump is not just one singular growth, but made of numerous lumps all piled upon one another. (It kind of looks like the tree has a cancerous growth, but that sounds so ominous.)
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| The gnarly tree has a massive growth on its trunk. |
We hung out at the base of the gnarly tree for a little while, trying to answer questions from our kids, rather unsuccessfully. Then the rain began to pick up, and we decided to turn around and get back to the car before anyone got pneumonia.
Along the way back, we encountered more of B.C.'s infamous banana slugs. I love them; my kids do not.
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| Banana slug alert! They are slimy but pretty neat! |
Once at the bottom, we peeked into the Lower Grove. A large platform has been built at the Lower Grove trail head, allowing you a panoramic view down into the loop trail. At this point, we were all drenched and chilly, so that was the only glimpse we got of the Lower Grove.
Despite the rain and gloom, I truly enjoyed our trip through Avatar Grove. I highly recommend you spend a morning or afternoon exploring this old-growth forest, and take an Instagram-worthy photo with 'Canada's Gnarliest Tree'. Watch the video to get a real feel for the forest and all it has to offer!
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