Port Alberni boasts a variety of beautiful and interesting camping locations! Whether you want full trailer hook ups or something a bit more off the beaten path, there is a camping spot for everyone in our Valley!
Somewhere in the middle of luxurious camping (glamping some might say) and set-up-your-tent-in-the-middle-of-nowhere camping, lies Stamp Falls Provincial Park. Located about 30 minutes down Beaver Creek Road, Stamp Falls hosts 23 campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and fire pit. There are no shower amenities at this particular location, but several new style pit washrooms and near the entrance of the park you will also find a fresh water tap. The campground is a mixture of reservations and first-come-first-serve sites, many of the campsites overlook dazzling views of the Stamp River and falls. During the summer months, the Park also has Ranger on duty. If you are only passing through Port Alberni for the day, there is also day use area with picnic tables and pit washrooms. It’s good to note the park is open year round, however there is a winter fee in effect from November 16 through March 31 with no services provided – not the most ideal timing for camping anyways. During your stay at Stamp Falls Provincial Park, it is essential to be bear-aware as the salmon can attract quite the population of black bear. You can’t blame them, I mean who wouldn’t want a fresh meal on the riverbank?
Locals and travelers alike are drawn to this particular location for the breathtaking waterfalls, hiking and luscious forest surroundings. Steps away from your campsite, you are able to wake up and enjoy your morning coffee with lavish waterfall views and some of the freshest air you’ve ever breathed. Head back to your site and have a full breakfast spread, cooked on your propane stove or if you are more daring, a grill right on the fire. Enter your early afternoon by taking a day hike on one of the trails that weave around the Stamp River, featuring again, stunning waterfalls, river rapids and deep, Vancouver Island forest.
Stamp River is widely known for its fishing, there is no fishing allowed in the park itself, but it is a temporary home-base for many sport fishermen who visit the Valley. One of the main draws for people to camp here is the annual run of Pacific salmon every summer. Sockeye salmon start their journey along the Alberni Inlet and into the River beginning in June and carry on during July and August and right on through the fall and early winter into December with Coho and Chinook. Thousands of salmon circle the pool below Stamp Falls before they head on their way to their spawning beds. There are several lookout view points along the river to watch the salmon fight up the fish ladders, and recently there was an underwater camera installed where you can view the action below the surface on a tv screen provided on the trail.
If you are looking to really take in the optimal fresh air and scenery that Port Alberni has hidden just outside of city limits, add Stamp Falls Provincial Park to your list of places to visit this Summer.