Raft Cove Provincial Park, Provincial park on northwest Vancouver Island, Canada.
Raft Cove Provincial Park is a coastal protected area on northwest Vancouver Island covering approximately 787 hectares (1,943 acres). The landscape features a crescent-shaped sandy beach, river estuary, and dense forests dominated by western hemlock and red cedar.
Raft Cove Provincial Park was established on March 8, 1990, protecting 787 hectares, of which 444 are land and 343 are water. The park lies south of San Josef Bay in the Nahwitti Lowland, an area of rounded hills and poorly drained terrain. No buildings or settler cabins are documented within its boundaries.
The park's name comes from the driftwood rafts that accumulate on its beach, and the long spit and crescent-shaped sandy beach are the main gathering spots. Board-surfing in the heavy surf has grown popular among surfers seeking uncrowded waves, while the rough currents rule out windsurfing.
A roughly 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) trail through coastal forest leads to the main beach, and visitors should bring drinking water and prepare for muddy, challenging terrain. The best time to explore is during low tide, when the beach expands and longer walks become possible.
Raft Cove's black bears forage along the creek beds and the beach itself, so the animals are often seen on the sand rather than only in the forest. Wolves, cougars, black-tailed deer, raccoons, river otters and red squirrels also live in the park. The Serbian source advises caution because of predators, especially at night.
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