''Parts of this article have been adapted from th
BC Parks website
'' M𐞥uqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

located on the west coast of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada.

History

As a result of land-use planning for Vancouver Island, this former 28,780

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

(71,117

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

) recreation area (established in 1986) was upgraded in 1995 to a Class 'A' Provincial Park. In addition to this upgrade, 22,851 hectares (56,466 acres) known as the Brooks-Nasparti area, has been added to the park. On July 13, 2009, the park was renamed Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park (a.k.a. M𐞥uqʷin Provincial Park) and, in 2018, M𐞥uqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park under the guidance of the Che:k'tles7et'h' peoples.

Geography

The park is 51,631 hectares (127,583 acres) in size. Brooks Peninsula is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of

Port Alice, British Columbia Port Alice is a village of approximately 739 (2021 census) located on Neroutsos Inlet, southwest of Port McNeill, on Vancouver Island, originally built by Whalen Pulp and Paper Mills of Vancouver. The community is known for its natural environ ...

. Access to the park is by boat or float plane. Brooks Peninsula juts 20 kilometres (12 mi) into the Pacific Ocean and has a rugged and varied coastline, with long fjords and sandy beaches. The inland is seldom-explored and densely wooded with mostly

old growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

. The highest point is a sub-peak of Snowsaddle Mountain at 1143 m (3,750 ft) elevation. Mountains in the park, known as the

Refugium Range The Refugium Range is a low, small mountain range comprising the mountains/hills of the Brooks Peninsula on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of and is a subrange of the Vancouver Island Ranges which in turn for ...

, include Klaskish (963m or 3,159 ft),

Nunatak A nunatak (from Inuit language, Inuit ) is the summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or glacier that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge. They often form natural pyramidal peaks. Isolated nunataks are also cal ...

(930m or 3,051 ft), and

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(787m or 2,582 ft). Peaks in the area higher than 700 m (2,300 ft) were above the glaciers during the last ice age and are therefore a refugium with unique plants.

Conservation

Unaffected by the last ice age, Brooks Peninsula is considered a unique geologic feature. As a result, the geology of the peninsula is different from that of the rest of Vancouver Island and many rare plant communities exist, providing unparalleled opportunities for scientific study. This remote wilderness area includes an extensive, wild ocean coastline, long sheltered inlets, rugged mountains, pristine estuaries with high waterfowl and fishery values and high biodiversity values associated with old-growth forests. The Brooks-Nasparti addition encompasses the entire watershed of the Nasparti River and streams draining into Johnson Lagoon, the west-facing slopes along Nasparti Inlet, the Power River and Battle Creek watersheds and the Mount Seaton area The park preserves the peninsula's pristine wilderness landscape, which contains the

of the

Vancouver Island Ranges The Vancouver Island Ranges, formerly called the Vancouver Island Mountains, are a series of mountain ranges extending along the length of Vancouver Island which has an area of . The Vancouver Island Ranges comprise the central and largest part ...

and Coastal

Western Hemlock ''Tsuga heterophylla'', the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the northwest coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern ...

biogeoclimatic zone.

Cultural heritage

The park is located within the traditional territory of the peoples comprising today's Kyuquot/Cheklesahht and

Quatsino First Nation The Quatsino First Nation is the First Nations band government of the Gwat'sinux subgroup of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples, based in the Quatsino Sound region on the west coast of northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, focused on the ...

s band governments. Battle Bay in the southern portion of the park is rich in First Nations cultural history. Many battles were fought at this location in order to retain control of this prosperous area. First Nations reserves located adjacent to the southern portion of Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park are not for recreational use. Visitors are encouraged to contact the Kyuquot/Cheklesahht First Nation band office in Kyuquot prior to exploring Brooks Peninsula.

Recreation

Brooks Peninsula is infrequently visited; its surrounding waters however provide superb kayaking and canoeing. It is entirely undeveloped and has no marked trails and no facilities, although in some locations ocean debris is placed at known trail heads. Camping is permitted anywhere in the park, but made complicated due to the remoteness, difficulty of access, and lack of facilities. Nearby

Solander Island The Solander Islands / Hautere are three eroded remnant volcanic islets towards the western entrance of the Foveaux Strait just beyond New Zealand's South Island. The islands lie south of the coastline of Fiordland. The islands are andesite ...

is an Ecological Reserve and access is prohibited.

Gallery

Image:Brooks_peninsula2.JPG, Brooks peninsula from the Bunsby Islands, looking north Image:Brooks_Peninsula_garbage.jpg, A barrel washed up on the shore, an example of the widespread ocean litter on the peninsula.

References

External links

*
Brooks Peninsula Marine Provincial Park at BC ParksBrooks Peninsula at the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia

A collection of aerial photos of Brooks Peninsula
{{British Columbia parks Peninsulas of British Columbia Provincial parks of British Columbia Kyuquot Sound region Kwakwaka'wakw Nuu-chah-nulth 1995 establishments in British Columbia