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MacMillan
MacMillan Provincial Park is located on Vancouver Island 31 km (19
miles) west of Parksville
and 17 km (10.5 miles) east of Port
Alberni.
Travelling
Here
To get here from Hwy 19, take Hwy 4 (Memorial Avenue) from Qualicum
Beach or Hwy 4A from Parksville through Errington and Coombs
to the junction with Hwy 4 (Alberni Highway). Coming from Port Alberni,
take Johnston Road (Alberni Highway) and travel up the hill towards
Parksville and Qualicum Beach. MacMillan Provincial Park is situated
next to Cameron Lake near the summit.
Hwy
4A
MacMillan Provincial Park is divided in half with Hwy 4A cutting
through the middle of the park. On the north side, there is a trail
that borders Cameron Lake, taking around 30 minutes to complete.
On the south side of Hwy 4A is Cathedral Grove, a mixed forest that
contains various Douglas-fir trees, some of which are greater than
800 years old. Although a severe wind storm on New Year's Day in
1997 did change the park and trails forever, there is still lots
to see and experience.
Limited
Facilitates
For facilities, the park is very limited but it does have some pit-toilets
and a sign kiosk located on Hwy 4. Be very careful of traffic when
crossing Hwy 4 from the parking area if you would like to experience
both sides of the park.
Animal
Encounters
During the year, there is a possibility that you could encounter
a bear, cougar, or wolf when visiting MacMillan Provincial Park.
This can be especially true during fish spawning times. Also remember
pets are required to be on leash and well behaved, and owners must
clean up after them.
High
Winds
MacMillan Provincial Park can at times experience severe winds due
to storms that batter this part of Vancouver Island. If you are
in the park when it is windy you must leave immediately because
of the danger of falling trees.
Cameron
Lake
For outdoor recreation, nearby Cameron Lake provides the best swimming
opportunity while you are visiting MacMillan Provincial Park. The
best spots are located in the Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park
day-use area and the Beaufort day-use area on Hwy 4. Swimming and
other watersports are at your own risk with no lifeguards present
in the BC Park system.
Provincial
Campgrounds
RV camping and tenting are not permitted at MacMillan Provincial
Park, but there are a number of provincial parks close by where
camping is available, including Little Qualicum Falls, Rathtrevor
Beach, and Englishman River Falls.
BC
Parks
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