“See those white bits in this wolf scat? Those are from deer bones.”
We all looked down at the offending poo and I was overcome with a strange mixture of fascination and repulsion. Our forest guide, Ellie, proceeded to tell us in intimate detail that wolves normally eat every single part of the deer, except for the skull and other bone and cartilage areas that are too thick for them to digest.
And so it was I found myself on this epic solo journey into the Great Bear Rainforest of central coastal British Columbia, Canada.
For those living in a dense wilderness where more grizzly bears than humans reside, everyday life can be a tricky prospect. In remote British Columbia, large swaths of forest remain untouched by human development, and the few tiny communities that do exist refuse to install traffic lights for one simple reason: it really irritates the bears.
British Columbia’s Bella Coola Valley first became familiar thanks to a worldwide campaign to protect vast tracts of the region’s rainforest and grizzly bear habitat under the banner of the Great Bear Rainforest. Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is the main attraction. But despite all of the attention, this magical area remains enigmatic to much of the outside world.
Tweedsmuir Park
My solo journey into remote bear country began at Williams Lake, British Columbia, heading west over Heckman Pass, and down the infamous “Hill.” A treacherously steep descent that turned out to be not so treacherous. But still, I was glad for the sturdy SUV I rented instead of my little Mini Cooper S. I knew she would likely not make the journey safely out here in British Columbia backwoods.
Once I settled into Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, my hosts dove right in, offering me a glimpse of what was to come with an introductory nature walk. Leisurely river floats, fascinating tales of the Great Bear Rainforest, and more educational hikes through the remote wilderness were in store.
Great Bear Rainforest Tours
Little did I know I was to get a crash course in Bear 101. I had arrived at the tail end of bear season in the Bella Coola Valley and was told exactly what to do if a bear sighting was had. There would be several during my stay.
From the outset, the main message was this: we are guests in the bear’s home. Even the layout of the Tweedsmuir Resort resembles that of a gorgeous backcountry oasis, with well-appointed chalets tucked naturally into the landscape. Unassuming and humble, the resort was designed to remind guests that we are merely spectators in nature’s game.
The conservation element of my trip was brought to life in the form of a petite, spitfire of a woman named Ellie. The lead guide at the resort, she has been a staunch advocate for the grizzly and their environment for decades. She is known in these parts as “the bear whisperer.” One bear, in particular, knows her quite well and is trusting of her enough to get close to her and her cubs. But not too close.
Our Great Bear Rainforest Tour Guides
Ellie
A middle-aged petite woman, with long thick brown hair that looks like it could be a quarter of her body weight. It was fun to go on a hike with her; her tiny form moved quickly as she scampered up rocky hills and over huge tree trunks with ease – sometimes it was a challenge keeping up with her.
Over the last five years or so, Perfect, the mum bear, has come to grow very fond of Ellie and looks to her as a protector. That’s why she hangs out at the lodge so much. Ellie has even said Perfect has been known to playfully chase after cars and chew on their bumpers. Ellie has yelled at Perfect a couple of times to behave, and Perfect will usually obey her.
I would learn a lot from Ellie. She has dedicated her life to guiding visitors expertly through the rainforest, promoting conservation, and giving first-hand knowledge of signs to look for when hiking the area. Told through her personal stories and expertise, I absorbed the idea that if our natural world is to remain so, it is we who must lead the charge.
Doug
A seasoned bear tracker of 20 years, Doug hails from Prince Rupert island. With long grey- brown hair, he has an eccentric, upbeat personality that is indicative of an exemplary outdoorsman. He is kind soul and a world-class bear tracker.
He played guitar for us our last night during dinner, which was pre-Canadian Thanksgiving. During Bear 101 and later on an Eco tour, he taught us how to track a bear and look for all sorts of signs of their presence. Having lived in the Bella Coola area for many years, he had lots of interesting tales to tell of his tour guide experiences.
We spent four wonderful days hiking through ancient coastal rainforest, floating down the river in both rain and sun looking for bears (which we found, twice!) and informative talks given by the bear guides. Tweedsmuir Park Lodge is an upscale resort and I had my own deluxe chalet, with a king bed and amazing shower. Three meals a day were included in the package price, prepared by local chefs and presented beautifully! I was truly pampered out in the back country.
One afternoon I was on my way back to my chalet after a river tour and one of the other guests frantically motioned for me to join her on the deck at the main lodge. I was quick to find out why: I couldn’t go back to my chalet because Perfect and her two cubs were hanging out right outside my door!
Soon a bunch of us had gathered on the deck and were awestruck at this young family casually hanging out right outside my room, completely ignoring us gawking humans. After a few minutes the bear family moved on and I was escorted by one of the resort’s staff safely back to my chalet.
This is par for the course at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. I was loving every second of it.
The Black Bear – Coastal and Inland Bears in Bella Coola Valley
You can tell a lot about what a bear ate that day by the scat. Towards the latter part of the season and when the salmon runs begin to thin out, bears will take to eating more berries. Bears feed on lots of berries, rose hips, seeds. We saw Perfect and her cubs eating grass on the property. This year there was not much pink salmon, which was their favorite. However, they will eat all different kinds of salmon and the coho and chinook were plentiful. In the past, Ellie has seen male bear scat with lots of bear fur; evidence that the male had killed an eaten a cub.
Along the river, bears like to hang out around log jams where they can easily catch salmon. In the woods, there is evidence of bears all around. Look for bear paw prints in the mud, worn down tree trunk from the bears rubbing their fur on the trunks. Bear fur caught on the trunks and stomp marks on the ground.
Even though bears seem to be solitary creatures, they actually are quite social and definitely form communities. The two sisters (Perfect and Dark) came from a mother who hung out around the town of Bella Coola. It is thought that she got too close to humans and/or their food and she may have been killed, leaving the two sisters to grow up alone and have their own cubs.
Female bears, especially with cubs, will avoid male bears at all costs, because male bears have been known to kill cubs, although it is rare, at least in British Columbia. In fact, we saw no male bears during the trip, as they tend to shy away from peopled areas and certainly do not hang out at the lodge like Perfect and Dark do. I did not get the names of Perfect’s cubs, but Dark’s cub was named Light.
When it is time for the bears to hibernate for the winter, they travel up the mountain towards the tree line where there is more snow, make a hole or find a cavern or cave and stay there where they can cover themselves with snow until the weather turns warmer and they come down from the mountain into the valley where they can forage for berries and salmon for another season.
Bear cubs will stay with the mother for 1-3 three seasons until they are able to fend for themselves, and then the mother will literally scare them away, or she will simply abandon them so they can live on their own.
Other Wildlife in the Great Bear Rainforest
Wolves are common and will feed mostly at night. On a nature walk with Ellie (the bear whisperer) apart from wolf scat, we found part of a deer vertebrae and a hip bone with the marrow sucked out. Wolves can and will eat the bones, pretty much all bones except for the skull, which is too thick.
The tiny Pika are cute little suckers and make their home in rocks and build nests behind and under near rock faces. They look a lot like chipmunks and will dart expertly in and out of rock faces, sometimes hundreds of feet above ground.
There are many other species found in this forest, too many to mention. All of them play an important part keeping the ecosystem functioning.
Atnarko River Wildlife
Bald eagles (adolescenct and fully grown) eagles, dipper, osprey (the eagles will usually chase them away) great blue heron, (birds with black and white feathers) and more can be found all along the Atnarko river. These birds compete with the bears for the best pick of fish.
British Colombia is home to one of the most untouched temperate rainforests in the world. The Great Bear Rainforest is over 16 million square acres with plants and trees that are hundreds of years old. The ecosystem provides space for multitudes of diverse wildlife, including the renowned Kermode bears (also known as spirit bears).
Read on to learn more about the Great Bear Rainforest and Tweedsmuir Provincial Park and some of the best activities offered there.
Things to Do in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
Because the Great Bear Rainforest is so enormous, visitors must choose a smaller portion of the area to visit. Many people choose to visit Tweedsmuir Provincial Park as it is an accessible starting point to launch many adventures into the wilderness.
Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is near the small community of Bella Coola, which offers many tours and activities.
Grizzly Bear tours are a very popular activity in the area considering how many bears live there. You can embark on a wildlife safari through Bella Coola Grizzly Tours where you’ll encounter grizzly bears, black bears, and spirit bears.
For hiking the Great Bear Rainforest, you can go off on your own or book a guided backpacking trip across the stunning landscapes. Great Bear Adventures offers five-day backpacking trips in the rainforest where you’ll pass spectacular waterfalls including Hunlen Falls, the highest waterfall in all of Canada.
You can also book an eco-friendly rafting trip through Great Bear Adventures, which will take you paddling down the Atnarko River where bears often frequent for some fish.
Bird and photography lovers can book a birding and nature tour that will walk deep into the forest to observe amazing creatures such as Raptors, Bald Eagles, Hawks, Osprey, Owls, Woodpeckers, Warblers, and so many more.
Fishing enthusiasts, horseback riding-lovers, canoers, and all kinds of adventure-seekers will have a spectacular time exploring Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.
Where To Stay in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
There are many campsites available for those who wish to go camping near Bella Coola out in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. For those who prefer to stay in Bella Coola hotels, the Tweedsmuir Park Lodge is one of the most popular ones in the area- it also offers a number of activities and tours, including nature walks, hikes, river fishing, and more.
Bear Conservation in the Great Bear Rainforest
The large quantity of bears is one of the main things that draw people to the Great Bear Rainforest (over 15,000!). However, it is important to remember that the rainforest is the bear’s natural habitat and must be protected at all costs.
You can do your part not to harm the environment and pick up after yourself. While embarking on any bear-watching tours, make sure to closely follow the instructions of the guide so you do not scare or harm the bears going about their daily routines.
How to Get to the Great Bear Rainforest
There are primarily three ways to get to Bella Coola Valley and the Great Bear Rainforest.
- By car. This is how I chose to travel. From Portland, I drove north through Seattle, then across the Canadian border. From there I headed east, then north to the town of Williams Lake, the last major town before the journey west into remote Canadian backwoods and the Great Bear Rainforest. Highway 20 is the last stretch that will get you there and shortly after you leave Williams Lake, cell phone service is no more.
- By ferry. The BC Ferry from North Vancouver Island to Bella Coola runs only 3-4 days a week during peak season. This would have been a fantastic way to get there, but unfortunately my schedule wouldn’t allow it. It runs through the majestic and scenic Inside Passage
- By seaplane or fly into Prince Rupert Airport. This is the more expensive option, but the views are spectacular. And you’ll get to your destination faster.
Map of the Great Bear Rainforest
