It is little wonder that one of the most popular and well-used mountains with hikers on Vancouver Island is Mount Arrowsmith.  At 5,968 feet, Mt. Arrowsmith is the only place on southern Vancouver Island for visitors to experience the alpine environment. In the past, children, seniors, and people with physical limitations were unable to enjoy the glorious alpine mountain experience.

Alpine Adventures for Everyone to Mt Arrowsmith and Mt Cokely

That all changed when in 1999, Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours Inc. began offering a unique Mt. Arrowsmith/Mt.Cokely excursion to people of all ages and physical ability. Eco tourists from Canada and around the world have joined interpretive nature tours travelling in the Rainforest Tour 4-wheel drive van up mountain roads to behold and photograph panoramic vistas of the east and west coast of Vancouver Island.

When visiting today, guests have a variety of flexible options.  When arriving at 4500 feet, one guide leads those who want to hike into the alpine while another guide stays with others in the sub-alpine to photograph and simply enjoy the stunning wildflower display and sub alpine forest.

Mt. Arrowsmith has zones that contain several rare and endangered species of plants and animals; the most notable is the Vancouver Island Marmot, which is North America's most endangered mammal.  Although the mountain is contained within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, efforts are currently underway to grant official park status on the alpine areas of the Arrowsmith massif and surrounding areas.

Ascend Today with Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours Inc

Guests eager to see, do and learn express their delight on this sea to sky adventure. They learn that it is likely First Nations who made the first ascents of Mt. Cokely & Mt. Arrowsmith. There is archaeological evidence that the first inhabitants of this land went into the mountains from time to time for yellow cedar/cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) and to hunt Vancouver Island Marmots (Marmota vancouverensis).

The first documented record of the mountains ascent was in 1887 when First Nation guides Qualicum Tom and his son Jim led John Macoun (Naturalist to Geological Survey, Assistant Director and Dominion Botanist) and his son James up the massif. Some of the original inhabitants of this land called the Mountain "Kuth-Kah-Chulth" translated as ‘that which has sharp pointed faces."

For more information or to visit Mount Arrowmith today, visit: www.rainforestnaturehikes.com for Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours Inc.

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