49.269943, -126.075544
Ahousat Hot Springs, Take a dip in a perfect, therapeutic, warm spring while gazing out over an impressive seaside inlet. You’ll almost certainly have the place to yourself, missing the crowds at the far-more-famous and far warmer Hot Springs Cove.
Ahousat Warm Springs, located on the south side of Flores Island, is a natural warm spring with medicinal properties that bubbles up into a concrete tank. The spring water is smooth and flavorless, with just a slight sulphur odor, and has a high temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). The concrete ponds are constantly clogged with algae, making for a less-than-pleasant soak. Make an effort to scrub it out.
A non-maintained historic path connects the warm springs to Whitesand Cove’s deep sandy beaches. This path once led to a life-saving telegraph line and an abandoned homestead.
Camping in the wilderness, backcountry, or on a walk-in basis is permitted, but no services are offered. This Gibson Marine Provincial Park does not allow reservations, and all campsites are first-come, first-served. The park and hot spring are located on the Ahousat First Nations’ ancestral territory. And it can only be reached by air or boat from Tofino. Water taxis run from Tofino and Ahousat to the park.
Wolves have been seen frequenting campsites. Please keep all fruit and food-scented things, as well as any loose items, out of sight of wildlife. Food must not be sold or made accessible to animals – doing so violates the Park Act.
Gibson Marine Park, located immediately south of the Nuu-chah-nulth village of Ahousat, also offers access to the ‘Walk the Wild Side’ trail, a constructed path with boardwalk parts that spans 10 kilometers from Ahousat to the summit of Mount Flores. The majority of the route parallels sandy shores, with trails cutting through headlands to connect to the next cove. The trail can be reached from either of Gibson Marine Park’s beaches.
Visitors from all over the world come to discover Clayoquot Sound. Flores Island is a popular destination for kayakers, who can find plenty of opportunities for camping and wildlife watching from the Island’s stunning sandy shores.
Location: 49.269943, -126.075544
Ahousat Hot Springs is situated in Gibson Marine Provincial Park on the shores of Matilda Inlet. Flores Island is located off the west coast of Vancouver Island, with access from Tofino to the remote First Nation settlement of Ahousat.
Flores Island is a popular tourist destination in Clayoquot Sound. Hiking, whale watching, fishing, kayaking, beach camping, and other activities are available to locals. This vast, undeveloped wilderness preserves undisturbed watersheds with old-growth Sitka spruce forest stands, as well as representative coastal and aquatic habitats. This involves exposed rocky coasts, sandstone islands, beaches, sheltered channels and bays, fast narrows, mudflats, and shallow banks, as well as excellent spawning opportunities for coho salmon.
Gray whales travel by the Island during their yearly journey from Baja California to Alaska, and the park has excellent opportunities to see them. Over the summer, Gray whales that are seasonally resident use the bays for feeding. Visitors travel from all over the world to see the whales and kayak the waters of Clayoquot Sound, and a journey to the region will be incomplete without exploring Flores Island.
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