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 Princess
Louisa Inlet, a royal fjord like so many of its kind and yet unlike any
other in the world, has a charm and scenic beauty that no words can adequately
describe. It must be seen and experienced to be known.
Far inland, approached
from the Strait of Georgia, by way of Jervis Inlet, this magnificent granite-walled
gorge was cut by an ice-glacier of millenniums past through the snow-tipped
mountains that rise sharply from the water's edge to heights in excess
of 2100 metres (7000 feet). As placid as a mountain lake, the ocean waters
of Princess Louisa Inlet move constantly with the tides, but currents
are practically non-existent except for the seven-to-ten-knot Malibu Rapids
at the entrance. The inlet, almost completely enclosed, is 300 metres
(1000 feet) deep and never over 800 metres (1/2 mile) wide in its eight-kilometre
(five-mile) length.
Until mid-June the
warm sun melting the snows of the mountains creates more than sixty waterfalls
that cascade and spume down precipitous sides to mingle with the water
of this finger of the sea. Beautiful Chatterbox Falls at the head of the
inlet tumbles 40 metres (120 feet) into the water to shatter the stillness
that is otherwise disturbed only by the murmur of boat motors or the lap
of water against hulls and pontoons. During July and August the waters
a short distance from Chatterbox Falls are in the comfortable 20 degree
Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) range.
Princess Louisa
Inlet, called by Natives Suivoolot
meaning sunny and warm, has beckoned sea travelers since it was first
seen by man. Except for aircraft, the sea is the only way there. No public
road is closer than 68 kilometres (40 miles) away, and four-wheeled vehicles
are, and probably always will be, unknown.
The privilege of
enjoying this bit of paradise comes through the generosity and foresight
of James F. (Mac) MacDonald who first saw Princess Louisa Inlet in 1919.
He learned of the inlet from an uncle who had sailed it in 1907. Mr. MacDonald
remembered the spectacular beauty of the inlet as he traveled over the
world. In 1926, after years of prospecting in Nevada, Mac struck it rich.
With his new found riches, he was able to attain his real Eldorado: Princess
Louisa Inlet. He obtained the land surrounding Chatterbox Falls in 1927
and build a log cabin that was tragically destroyed by fire in 1940.
Visit the BC Parks
site for more information about great British Columbia Parks.
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