Cathedral Grove

MacMillan Provincial Park protects a small stand of old-growth Douglas fir on both sides of Highway 4, and the largest trees are around eight hundred years old, seventy-five metres tall and nine metres in circumference, with western redcedar among them. What makes it unusual is the access: flat boardwalk loops start metres from the parking pullouts, so the forest is reachable by anyone without a hike. The stand survived because the land was donated by the MacMillan lumber company in 1944. A windstorm on new year's day 1997 flattened part of the grove, and the fallen trunks were left in place to show how the forest regenerates.

What you actually see

• The big firs - Douglas firs up to nine metres in circumference.
• The flat boardwalks - loops accessible without climbing from the roadside.
• The 1997 blowdown - fallen giants left to show forest renewal.
• The redcedar stand - a separate loop on the north side of the highway.

When to go

April to October; the grove is open year-round but the highway is snowy in winter and branches drop in storms. Early morning avoids the tour bus traffic. Rain suits the forest.

Honest expectations

The parking is roadside pullouts on a fast highway with awkward crossings, and it fills completely in summer. The grove is small and walked in under an hour. Trees are fenced to protect the roots.

Nearby

Port Alberni lies west; Qualicum Beach is east.