Day Trips

Being centrally located on Vancouver Island, there are tons of wonderful day trips, in both the Alberni Valley and other parts of the island. Here are a few of our favourites:

  1. Take a day trip on the M.V. Frances Barkley. Bring your binoculars and camera and take a ride on this working freighter, with plenty of time to watch wildlife and share experiences with the ship’s crew.
  2. Spend an afternoon visiting McLean Mill National Historic Site, Canada’s only commercial steam-operated mill. View demonstrations of the saw mill and old time logging techniques as well as original buildings and restored logging equipment. Then take in a show of the resident Tin Pants Theatre Company who will entertain you with old stories and songs about the way it was.
  3. Ride the Alberni Pacific Railway, a restored 1929 Baldwin ex-logging locomotive that winds through the City of Alberni and surrounding forests. The train boards at the 1912 CPR Station in downtown Port Alberni, and goes to McLean Mill.
  4. Spend the day at Sproat Lake. To do this, pack a picnic lunch and drive to the Fish and Duck Pub on Faber Road, where you can rent a speed boat. From here you can visit Fossli Provincial Park and walk to the waterfalls, then ride into Two Rivers Arm for a picnic and a swim. Head back to tour the Petroglyphs at Sproat Lake Provincial Park and see the water bomber base. A great day trip.
  5. In the morning hike the Log Train Trail to McLean Mill. You can hike back to your vehicle or take a taxi. In the afternoon visit one, or both, local wineries.
  6. Take a back country driving tour to Nahmint Lake. This takes you around Gracie Lake, along the north side of Nahmint Lake to the Alberni Inlet, then back to Port Alberni.
  7. Visit the Horne Lake Caves, where you can see crystal formations and ancient fossils.
  8. If you visit in the early summer or fall, don’t miss a morning excursion to see the salmon jumping at Stamp Falls. There are phenomenal numbers. Mid-morning is best on a sunny day as the sun falls into the pool below the falls and you can see hundreds of them lined up waiting their turn.
  9. Enjoy a drive through the mountains to Pacific Rim National Park. Have lunch at the interpretive centre or in Ucluelet, take in Amphitrite Lighthouse and a walk on the wild Pacific Trail and be back in Port Alberni for dinner.