Driving from Campbell River to Telegraph Cove
After finishing our too-short look around Campbell River on the morning of Day 22 (May 17), we drove north on the Island Highway (BC Highway 19), with no overnight destination in mind. Late in the day, we decide that Telegraph Cove would be perfect – and it was.
The drive from Campbell River to Telegraph Cove is very easy – 203 km (126 mi) on generally good roads. Click here to open an interactive version of the map in a new window.
We pulled away from the RV park at about 11:30, and a few minutes later stopped at the Seymour Narrows “viewpoint”. The information panel describes Ripple Rock, the navigation hazard in the Narrows that I’ve mentioned before.
Highway 19 is a really pretty drive, but you’re hemmed in by trees much of the time. Occasional views of snowy mountains are both a treat and a surprise. I hadn’t expected this much snow to still be on the mountains, often quite low. The further north you go, the more logging you see on the slopes.
Just before 1:00, the Eve River Rest Area beckoned us to stop for lunch. A picnic table on a grassy area well off the highway was just what we needed.
A short trail leads down to the Eve River, which, judging by the erosion damage, has seen some pretty serious flooding not too long ago.
Tucker was both very curious and very nervous about what was living in that hole 🙂
At 3:00 we reached the Telegraph Cove Road, and made the decision to make the drive (about 20 km), with only the vaguest idea of what was there.
The Telegraph Cove Road is rather rough for a paved road, and with constant curves and some steep sections, it’s a slow drive.
This dry-land log sort at Beaver Cove, just a couple of k from Telegraph Cove, was very interesting. I’ve never seen one that was complete right from railway to booming grounds, and I’d be back for a better look.
By 3:30 we were set up in the nearly-empty Telegraph Cove RV Park. The sign on the office said that an attendant would be around to collect an unspecified fee either that evening or the next morning.
One of the many joys of early-season RV travel – empty campgrounds!
We went for a walk to see Telegraph Cove proper. I’ll tell you about our wanderings over the next 20 hours or so in the next post.
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