A while back I was fortunate to be able to visit San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park, located on the far northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It’s not what you might call the most “dog friendly” place to camp for the simple reason that it’s home to one of the largest populations of wolves on the West Coast.
In fact, dogs are not allowed anywhere in Cape Scott except for the area of San Josef Bay, which is also the most popular place to camp. On this trip I had my sixteen year old little buddy Hank – a rat terrier mix – with me and I kept him right by side on a leash, or carried him in my arms when he was too tired to walk.
As I write this, Hank has been gone over the rainbow bridge now for about two years, yet we’ll always have the wonderful memory of my last camping trip with him to treasure.
Getting To Cape Scott Provincial Park
When I visited Cape Scott Provincial Park we were living on Gabriola Island, in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, and getting there involved a ferry ride and about a six hour drive up to the north end of Vancouver Island, then traveling out a long and rough stretch of gravel forestry road past the old logging town of Holberg to the park’s entrance. (Logging trucks are a constant hazard to be aware of and travelers are advised to give them a wide berth.)
After Hank and I arrived at the main parking lot and set out on the trail, it was about an 8 kilometer hike to San Josef bay. It was a weekday and as we trekked onward to the bay we encountered only a couple of surfers who were on their way home. In many parts of the trail there are bridges and board walkways over the swampy ground and it was a fairly easy hike, aside from the load I was carrying.
I did end up carrying Hank much of the way – which he loved – but it sure didn’t do my back any favors when combined with the heavy pack and photography gear that I’d brought along.
Clear Dark Skies
Hank and I visited Cape Scott in late March, which by British Columbia standards is pretty much still in the middle of winter, although winters tend to be much milder and wetter there than the rest of Canada. We lucked out and had extraordinarily clear skies, which aren’t really that common at that time of the year in this region.
Because of the nice weather, I was able to take advantage of the clear night skies, free from light pollution, and do some night photography.
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The Neighbors at San Josef Bay
Hank and I settled into our cozy little Big Agnes Fly Creek tent at the edge of the forest, having placed all of our food and aromatic items inside the bear safe lockers that are provided by the park. We were lulled to the sleep that night by the sound of the surf and what seemed like dozens of wolves, calling to each other across the water from both sides of the inlet.
There were no other humans around, the closest probably being those living in the little town of Holberg, about 20 miles away. It was an eerie sensation and I must admit that at first it sent shivers up my spine to feel such a sensation of primal nature all around us. When I finally adjusted to the sense of isolation and after my rational brain assured me that the wolves would mind their distance and leave us alone we crashed out and both slept like logs.
Beautiful, Mysterious Sea Caves
The next day we went to check out the sea caves just around the bend from San Josef Bay. At low tide you can access a couple of really nice ones. I went back after dark and took this photo from the inside of the cave. Sadly there was a fair amount of plastic trash among the mats of dried kelp at the mouth of the cave. Much of it had Japanese writing, which makes me wonder how much might be debris still coming from the 2011 tsunami. We picked up two large garbage bags full the next morning and packed it out to the parking lot.
Should You Take Your Dog To Cape Scott Provincial Park?
In all honesty, if I were able to make it back to Cape Scott Provincial Park, I’d probably leave my furry friends at home next time. Selfishly I wanted one last epic camping trip with my little buddy Hank, as he was 16 years old at the time and starting to gradually decline.
This is a harsh environment at the best of times, and even with his doggie sweater on, I struggled to keep him comfortable a the temperature fell after dark. At one point, when inside the sleeping bag with me, he managed to wiggle his way all the way down to my feet (in the still zipped up bag!) I quickly brought him back up to shoulder level, fearing he’d suffocate down there.
Also, out of respect to the wolves who call this park home, I think that the scent that domestic dogs leave behind in wolf territory might also disrupt natural mating and other patterns. Wolves are having a hard enough time as it is without us messing up their scent communication system.
Another good reason to leave your furry friends behind is that there is so much more to see in this 22,294 hectare park than just San Josef Bay which is the only part of it where you can bring your four legged friend.
Nevertheless, it’s a place well worth visiting, especially if you love raw nature and solitude.
A Morning Serenade By The Wolves
Below is a short video that I shot one morning just after Hank and had our breakfast. There were several wolves “talking” to each other from various locations around the cove. The audio is a bit faint, but you can still hear their mournful calls over the sound of the surf.
