Eco Tours Vancouver starts less than an hour’s drive outside Vancouver but it is like entering a different world. The steep black cliffs which plunge straight into the water in many places have kept the area remote and wild. (See map here)
A baby Black Bear poses for pictures
The area along the East shore is reputedly the location of Slumach’s Lost Gold Mine, where a treasure protected by a curse is supposed to be hidden. As you cruise the deepest tidal lake in the world, and stop to see an old mining cave, your skipper will tell you stories of the many failed and sometimes disastrous searches for the lost gold.
From May through July numerous birds, including eagles, waterfowl, kingfishers, merlin, heron and songbirds congregate in the biologically diverse riparian areas adjacent to the Pitt River. In the temperate rain forest that flourishes here, where branches are draped with curtains of moss, it is not uncommon to see otters, mink, fox, beaver and deer. Herds of elk are sometimes encountered, and on a few rare occasions we even see cougars, the most elusive animal in British Columbia.
Black bears are active throughout the summer and fall and chances of seeing some are high. For a few weeks in August and September bears congregate along the river banks, feasting on Pacific salmon and building fat reserves for the dormant winter period ahead. Eco-rafting is a popular, family-friendly way to view bears along the Pitt River. Our drifts are safe and comfortable. Drifting downstream in a raft, with only the sound of the river and the slap of dipping oars, is the ultimate way to experience quiet nature.
Pitt Lake looking to the Pitt River valley, come and explore with Eco Tours Vancouver