In 2020, a group of friends and I spent a week hiking the incredible Nootka Trail along the west side of Nootka Island in Mowachaht/Muchalaht and Nuchatlaht territory. The 35-kilometer-long coastal hike winds along white sandy beaches with waterfalls, wolves, and whales, and through lush rainforest home to towering cedar and spruce trees. It was a heavenly hike, despite hauling a 60lb bag loaded with heavy camera gear in case we saw wildlife, which we most certainly did! Only took me three years to go through the thousand+ photos but I’m happy to finally share some of my faves.
Despite its amazing natural beauty, the majority of Nootka Island still remains unprotected and threatened by industrial logging. Ancient Forest Alliance is currently working to support local First Nations and their Salmon Parks Initiative which will begin to help conserve some of this spectacular region.
