Vancouver Island Outdoor Recreational Land Access

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Outdoor Recreational Land Access in Canada & USA

British Columbia Outdoor Recreational Land Access

Vancouver Island Outdoor Recreational Land Access

Compared to the rest of BC, Vancouver Island is only 30% Crown land, with major blocks of the land privately owned by the large timber fiber corporations. Weyerhauser and TimberWest Forest Products own large tracts of once was the Baron's land, provided in compensation for the building and continued providing of an Island railroad link. For reference, this railroad ceases to exist.

-- AndyJames - 05 Sep 2007 Search Google for The Dunsmuir Land Grant for more to the story of the Island's coal and rail history.

TimberWestLandAccess is not officially permitted. Day use permits ($450) have been issued for some sporting events that used trails that crossed or are on TimberWest lands. For more detailed information see TimberWestLandAccess.

South Vancouver Island Land Access

Along the west coast from Victoria to Shirley (just past Sooke), just about all the land is private, Capital District Park, or Department of Defense lands.

Middle and North Vancouver Island

There is a survey line drawn from where Muir Creek joins the ocean (west of Sooke) to the head of Finlayson Arm (Goldstream Park). Another line from Muir creek to the Campbell River area (passing through the Port Alberni area). These two lines form a roughly 90 degree angle. Most of the land area between the lines that was not already settled, granted, claimed or reserved, was traded to the Dunsmuir Coal Company in exchange for that Company locating and building a railroad somewhere in that corridor, this took place in the late 1800's if I'm not mistaken. Much of the rest of the North Island is made up of tree farm licences and parkland to my knowledge. AJ