Uchuck III to FRIENDLY COVE Nootka Sound + Visiting GOLD RIVER on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Come join us on Vancouver Island, British Columbia as we continue our road trip to Sam's hometown of Gold River to board the Uchuck III for a scenic boat ride to Friendly Cove, Nootka Sound. One of our main goals for this trip was to revisit my hometown of Gold River, BC with my Dad. For Audrey and her Father it was a chance for them to see where I grew up and an opportunity for all of us to enjoy a day exploring Yuquot.
We departed Gold River at 10 am and began the two-and-a-half hour voyage to Yuquot via Nootka Sound. The landscapes were breathtaking the whole way, with sprawling coastal forests featuring Douglas Fir, Sitka spruce, Arbutus, Western hemlock, and Western red and yellow cedar.
We pulled into Yuquot, also known as Friendly Cove, just as we were finishing up lunch. Yuquot was the summer home of Chief Maquinna and during its fur trade heyday (in the 1780s and 1790s), it had a community of up to 1500 people. This is the site where the first contact between Europeans and First Nations took place in British Columbia.
Our first tip when you get off the Uchuck, would be to check out the views of Friendly Cove from the beach. This black-pebble beach which is directly to the right of the pier offers beautiful views of Friendly Cove, plus there are lots of tree trunks where you can sit down and enjoy the beauty of the place.
After a little stroll along the beach, we followed the hiking trail over to Yuquot Church. The church that stands here today was originally dedicated to Pope Pius X, and it was built in 1956 to replace the previous church that burned down. The structure was eventually decommissioned as a church in the 1990’s and today it acts as a cultural centre and museum housing replicas of sacred carvings.
After visiting the church, we walked over to the other beach where we encountered a totem with outstretched palms staring out to sea. Yuquot means “where the wind blows in all directions”, so it would make sense to have a lighthouse there! And just like that, our visit to Friendly Cove came to an end and we boarded the Uchuck 3 once more.
A special thanks to TROVER our partner for this road trip!
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Uchuck III to Friendly Cove Nootka Sound + Visiting Gold River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia:
Come join us for an epic road trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada where we partner with Trover to cover the island from the south all the way up to the north. Unlike most Vancouver Island road trips and travel series which focus on the triangle of Vancouver, Nanaimo and Tofino, we branch off and visit lesser-known places such as Gold River, Port Alice and Malcolm Island just to name a few.
Our trip to Vancouver Island starts off with a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, followed by the shortest flight of our lives from Vancouver to Victoria. From Victoria, we head to our base of Mount Washington in the central part of the island, where highlights include spotting black bears, hiking in Mount Washington and visiting vineyards in Comox.
Our journey then continues to Gold River, Sam's hometown, where we board the Uchuck III en route to Friendly Cove. We also go to nearby Campbell River where we walk along a beautiful fishing dock, tour a hatchery and come across a black bear, and hike in Elk Falls which was our favourite hike on this entire journey.
Heading to northern Vancouver Island, we base ourselves in Port Alice and visit the nearby towns of Port McNeill, Port Hardy and Telegraph Cove. For separate day trips, we take the ferry to Malcolm Island where we visit the former Finnish Community of Sointula and take another ferry to Alert Bay where we have the opportunity to appreciate First Nations totem poles, artwork and museums.
Our Vancouver Island road trip concludes with visits to Parksville, Nanaimo and Victoria. Overall, it was one of the best road trips we've ever done focusing mostly on nature, outdoor adventure, wildlife spotting and visiting off-the-beaten-path villages and communities that have a lot to offer but aren't that well known.
If you are thinking of doing a Canada road trip, Vancouver Island should be at the top of your list. For more information and tips on all the places we visited on Vancouver Island, you can check out this Trover list:
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