Vargas Island Provincial Park | |
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Location | Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada |
Nearest city | Tofino |
Coordinates | 49°10′45″N126°01′40″W / 49.17917°N 126.02778°W |
Area | 5,805 ha (22.41 sq mi) |
Established | July 13, 1995 |
Governing body | BC Parks |
Website | BC Parks Vargas Island |
Vargas Island Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, comprising the west side of the island of the same name, which is located west of Meares Island and northwest of the resort community of Tofino in the Clayoquot Sound region of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The park was created as part of the Clayoquot Land-Use Decision on July 13, 1995 and contains 5,805 hectares (14,340 acres), 1,543 hectares (3,810 acres) of it being upland and 4,262 hectares (10,530 acres) being foreshore. Also located on Vargas Island, on its north side, is Epper Passage Provincial Park. [2]
This island is home to the mammalian species of black bear, cougar, and wolf. There is some concern about wolves in the parks becoming habituated, after two wolves had to be killed because of their attack on a male sleeping camper on July 2, 2000. [3] For both human safety and the future of the wolf population in Clayoquot Sound, food must be stored out of reach of wildlife and animals must not be approached or fed by visitors.
The island is apparently named for Diego de Vargas, who regained New Mexico for Spain in 1693–94. [4] : 282
Clayoquot Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is bordered by the Esowista Peninsula to the south, and the Hesquiaht Peninsula to the North. It is a body of water with many inlets and islands. Major inlets include Sydney Inlet, Shelter Inlet, Herbert Inlet, Bedwell Inlet, Lemmens Inlet, and Tofino Inlet. Major islands include Flores Island, Vargas Island, and Meares Island. The name is also used for the larger region of land around the waterbody.
Big Bunsby Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park on the west coast of northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, to the southeast of the Brooks Peninsula in Checleset Bay. It is accessible only by boat.
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Clayoquot Plateau Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the west side of the Kennedy River, to the northeast of the town of Tofino.
Dawley Passage Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the south end of Fortune Channel, which lies between Meares Island and the mainland of Vancouver Island just south. The park is to the north of the resort town of Tofino and is accessible by boat only. It was created on July 13, 1995 as part of the Clayoquot Land-Use Decision and contains 154 ha, .
Epper Passage Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the north side of Vargas Island in the Clayoquot Sound region of the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Also on Vargas Island is Vargas Island Provincial Park. Other provincial parks nearby are Flores Island Marine Provincial Park, Gibson Marine Provincial Park, Maquinna Marine Provincial Park, Sydney Inlet Provincial Park, Dawley Passage Provincial Park and Hesquiat Peninsula Provincial Park. The park was created as part of the Clayoquot Land-Use Decision on July 13, 1995, and contains approximately 306 ha.
Flores Island Marine Provincial Park, also known as Flores Island Provincial Park, is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the island of the same name in the central Clayoquot Sound region of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The park contains 7113 ha. and was created on July 13, 1995, as part of the Clayoqout Land-Use Decision. Gibson Marine Provincial Park, which was created in 1967, adjoins it to the southeast. Sulphur Passage Provincial Park is off the northeast coast of Flores Island, surrounding Obstruction Island.
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Maquinna Marine Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located northwest of Tofino in the Clayoquot Sound region of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, protecting Ramsay Hot Springs, which is the name-source of the cove, settlement and former post office of Hot Springs Cove.
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