Cowichan River Provincial Park is a 750-hectare area stretching almost 20 kilometres, from the village of Lake Cowichan to Glenora, just south of Duncan. This spectacular provincial park protects significant stretches of the Cowichan River, a designated Canadian Heritage River that encompasses an impressive balance of nature, human heritage and recreational values.

This first-class recreational corridor allows for a myriad of recreational activities, from swift river kayaking to canoeing and tubing, from peaceful nature walks to exceptional hikes, all taking place on and around a river flowing through a glaciated valley in a stunning landscape. The park is internationally recognized for its wild salmon and steelhead trout, and for the historic Cowichan River Footpath that winds through dense Douglas-fir and Western Hemlock forest.

The Cowichan River originates at the easterly end of the community of Lake Cowichan. At its head is Cowichan Lake, the source of the river, twenty miles long and ringed by hills up to five thousand feet. The river is fed additionally by numerous small creeks from surrounding Vancouver Island Ranges as well as the smaller Somenos and Quamichan Lakes near the town of Duncan. Less than thirty miles away and five hundred feet lower, the river ends its journey at the sea, after rushing and fighting its way off the boulder-strewn floor of the valley, varying from swift rapids to waterfalls, to wide, slow channels through expansive valley flats.

Cowichan, derived from the Coast Salish word 'Khowutzun' meaning 'land warmed by the sun', is an area rich in First Nations history. The Cowichan Valley has been home to First Nations people from the earliest times. Cowichan is the collective name for a number of villages on eastern Vancouver Island. Today, the Cowichan Tribes make up the largest band in British Columbia and members of the band still own and reside on much of the land surrounding Duncan and along the Cowichan River.

The Cowichan River Footpath is an historic 20-km trail that winds its way along the scenic Cowichan River from Glenora to Skutz Falls. The Cowichan Fish and Game Association built the footpath during the 1960's, and although the trail was primarily for anglers, it is now a popular spot for hikers and naturalists. The banks of the river support an interesting diversity of wildlife. This is an easy to moderate level of hiking, and you should allow about 6-1/2 hours to hike its length. If you plan to hike the complete trail, it's advisable to arrange a pick-up at one end. The main trail is well marked, but several older secondary routes still exist, and these are not sign-posted or maintained.

Fish Ladder at Skutz Falls

Skutz Falls offers magnificent views of river rapids and a man-made fish ladder, and is a prime location from which to watch spawning salmon ascend the fish ladder in the fall, or for a picnic at the end of a day's hike. The Cowichan River is home to seven species of game fish; coho, chinook and chum salmon, and steelhead, rainbow, brown and trout. The cowichan is one of only two rivers in British Columbia known to contain Brown Trout.

Marie Canyon day-use area overlooks the Cowichan River as it surges through a spectacular sheer rock canyon. This is also a prime location to watch spawning salmon in the fall, and an excellent area for kayaking and canoeing. Experienced whitewater kayakers may wish to navigate the river between Skutz Falls and Marie Canyon. Swimming and tubing are popular activities at the Stoltz Pool day-use area and below Skutz Falls.

There are 39 drive-in and 4 walk-in sites at the Stoltz Pool campsite. Campsite reservations are accepted. The Stoltz Pool Campground is open with full services year round. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with some sites reservable through Discovercamping.ca. A reduced winter camping fee is in place. The old Skutz Falls Campground is now closed indefinitely.

66 Mile Trestle over the Cowichan River

The restored 66 Mile and Holt Creek railway trestles along the Trans-Canada Trail offer spectacular river views and the opportunity to imagine back to a time when log-laden traincars would thunder along these tracks high above the Cowichan River.

The 66 Mile trestle and the Skutz Falls forest service bridge provide access to the Skutz/66 Mile Loop Trail, which encorporates a section of the Cowichan River Footpath.

This 8-kilometre trail offers spectacular views along the Cowichan River as it travels through a steep canyon environment high above the Cowichan River. The trail loops on both sides of the river, with sections of the trail down at river level providing easy access to the river.

At Stoltz Pool, the picnic site overlooks the river from a grassy area nestled in a grove of old big leaf maple trees. The Stoltz Pool Loop is a relatively short, gentle trail that runs adjacent to the river for much of its length before gently climbing inland through second-growth forest above the campground.

Burma Star Memorial Cairn

The Burma Star Memorial Cairn, a replica of the Kohima Monument in Myamar (Burma) is located at the day-use area of Stoltz Pool. The cairn was erected by the Burma Star Association to commemorate and tell the story of Major Hoey and the Allied Second World War campaign in East Asia.

Cowichan River Provincial Park provides access points at various locations along the river, which allows canoeists and kayakers of all skill levels the opportunity to gain experience on the water. During the summer months tubing is extraordinarily popular on the Cowichan River. Thousands will bob and spin down the river, through peaceful bends and invigorating rapids.

Cowichan River Provincial Park stretches from the town of Lake Cowichan to Glenora, just south of Duncan, and can be reached from Highway 18 or from Highway 1, south of Duncan.

West Access: Skutz Falls Road provides access to Skutz Falls Day Use area, Horseshoe Bend Group Campsite, Marie Canyon Day Use area, and the Skutz Falls Trailhead of the Cowichan River Trail. Follow signs from Skutz Falls Road via Cowichan Lake Road and Mayo Road to Riverbottom Road.

Middle Access: Located off Highway 18, the Highway 18 Connector provides access to the Stoltz Pool Campground via Stoltz Road.

South East Access: Located on Robertson Road in the Glenora area south of Duncan. Proceed west on Glenora Road, turn right onto Vaux Road and continue down Vaux Road as it leads to Robertson Road. This provides access to the Holt Creek Trailhead of the Cowichan River Footpath.

Other provincial parks nearby are Gordon Bay Provincial Park and Koksilah River Provincial Park.