Uchuck III to FRIENDLY COVE Nootka Sound + Visiting GOLD RIVER on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Come join us on Vancouver Island, British Columbia as we continue our road trip to Sam's hometown of Gold River to board the Uchuck III for a scenic boat ride to Friendly Cove, Nootka Sound. One of our main goals for this trip was to revisit my hometown of Gold River, BC with my Dad. For Audrey and her Father it was a chance for them to see where I grew up and an opportunity for all of us to enjoy a day exploring Yuquot.
We departed Gold River at 10 am and began the two-and-a-half hour voyage to Yuquot via Nootka Sound. The landscapes were breathtaking the whole way, with sprawling coastal forests featuring Douglas Fir, Sitka spruce, Arbutus, Western hemlock, and Western red and yellow cedar.
We pulled into Yuquot, also known as Friendly Cove, just as we were finishing up lunch. Yuquot was the summer home of Chief Maquinna and during its fur trade heyday (in the 1780s and 1790s), it had a community of up to 1500 people. This is the site where the first contact between Europeans and First Nations took place in British Columbia.
Our first tip when you get off the Uchuck, would be to check out the views of Friendly Cove from the beach. This black-pebble beach which is directly to the right of the pier offers beautiful views of Friendly Cove, plus there are lots of tree trunks where you can sit down and enjoy the beauty of the place.
After a little stroll along the beach, we followed the hiking trail over to Yuquot Church. The church that stands here today was originally dedicated to Pope Pius X, and it was built in 1956 to replace the previous church that burned down. The structure was eventually decommissioned as a church in the 1990’s and today it acts as a cultural centre and museum housing replicas of sacred carvings.
After visiting the church, we walked over to the other beach where we encountered a totem with outstretched palms staring out to sea. Yuquot means “where the wind blows in all directions”, so it would make sense to have a lighthouse there! And just like that, our visit to Friendly Cove came to an end and we boarded the Uchuck 3 once more.
A special thanks to TROVER our partner for this road trip!
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Uchuck III to Friendly Cove Nootka Sound + Visiting Gold River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia:
Come join us for an epic road trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada where we partner with Trover to cover the island from the south all the way up to the north. Unlike most Vancouver Island road trips and travel series which focus on the triangle of Vancouver, Nanaimo and Tofino, we branch off and visit lesser-known places such as Gold River, Port Alice and Malcolm Island just to name a few.
Our trip to Vancouver Island starts off with a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, followed by the shortest flight of our lives from Vancouver to Victoria. From Victoria, we head to our base of Mount Washington in the central part of the island, where highlights include spotting black bears, hiking in Mount Washington and visiting vineyards in Comox.
Our journey then continues to Gold River, Sam's hometown, where we board the Uchuck III en route to Friendly Cove. We also go to nearby Campbell River where we walk along a beautiful fishing dock, tour a hatchery and come across a black bear, and hike in Elk Falls which was our favourite hike on this entire journey.
Heading to northern Vancouver Island, we base ourselves in Port Alice and visit the nearby towns of Port McNeill, Port Hardy and Telegraph Cove. For separate day trips, we take the ferry to Malcolm Island where we visit the former Finnish Community of Sointula and take another ferry to Alert Bay where we have the opportunity to appreciate First Nations totem poles, artwork and museums.
Our Vancouver Island road trip concludes with visits to Parksville, Nanaimo and Victoria. Overall, it was one of the best road trips we've ever done focusing mostly on nature, outdoor adventure, wildlife spotting and visiting off-the-beaten-path villages and communities that have a lot to offer but aren't that well known.
If you are thinking of doing a Canada road trip, Vancouver Island should be at the top of your list. For more information and tips on all the places we visited on Vancouver Island, you can check out this Trover list:
Music We Use:
Air Nootka - Leaving Gold River
Flight to Escalante Bay (Hesquiat Peninsula) with Air Nootka
Air Nootka Cessna landing at Gold River
Taken from Beaver
Air Nootka - Preparing for take off at Gold River
Flight to Escalante Bay (Hesquiat Peninsula) with Air Nootka
Taking off of Gold River BC in a beaver floatplane
on our way to the Nootka trail with Nootka Air.... Sadly this plane was written off 3 weeks later in a crash in the same area:
2 fatalities...
Departing Gold River
Air Nootka C-FSKZ 19 Aug 13 en route to Escalante Point
Air Nootka Trip Nootka Sound BC
Taking a tour around Nootka Sound 2003 with Air Nootka. Rest In Peace to our pilot Grant.
Muchalat Lake Campground in Gold River on Vancouver Island
Here is a walk thru of the Muchalat Lake campground on June 03, 2015 from There is no sound due to an annoying background noise so you were spared it. Hope you enjoy and it helps your decision to visit the Gold River area to camp.
To view the full article go to
To view more of our great videos for other Vancouver Island campgrounds view below:
Bonanza Lake Campgrounds:
Cougar Creek Boat Dock:
Cougar Creek Recreation Site:
Crest Mtn Trail:
Klaklakama Lake Campgrounds:
Muchalat Lake Campgrounds:
Schoen Lake Campgrounds:
Woss Lake Campgrounds:
Upana Caves:
Dehavilland Beaver Seaplane flight through Gold River Pass Vancouver Island
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Northwest Seaplanes offers both scheduled seaplane flights, exclusive seaplane charter flights and Seattle Tours by seaplane to meet your every need! We are truly your best choice for Seattle seaplane flights.
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Nootka Island Lodge - YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!
Nootka Island Lodge is simply a great place to be. Visit nootkaislandlodge.com to book your vacation today!
Permission was granted for all shots in this video.
Mailflight with Air Nootka
Diving through a gap in the clouds at Kyuquot to drop off and pick up mail and passengers.
Flying Nootka Air Float Plane from Lagoon Bay to Campbell River Vancouver Island BC Canada
Amazingly Perfect Day for flying from Lagoon Bay to Campbell River Vancouver Island BC Canada on an Air Nootka float plane after three days fishing for Salmon and Halibut.
Flight Gold River to Nootka Lodge Dehavilland Beaver CFCDT
Filmed during 20 minute flight from Gold River to Nootka Lodge on a Dehavilland DHC-2 Beaver CFCDT for a 3 day fishing trip. Great pilot and great scenery. Sorry about the noise but that's what a Beaver sounds like.
Dehavilland Beaver Floatplane Flying over Gold River BC
nootka island
faze alpine air
Road Report: to Tahsis & Gold River, BC
Road trip from Vancouver heading towards Tahsis. Hwy 28 from Campbell River to Gold River, then onwards on the Tree to Sea highway (80 kms of gravel road) to our destination: Tahsis, taking pictures along the way.
Nootka Sound Timber
Music - Gregory Alan Isakov - San Luis
Slideshow editing - Ollie Jones
A photographic journey through the daily lives of the people of Nootka Sound Timber.
I flew a private plane to a remote island // BACKPACKING NOOTKA TRAIL
Hiking the Nootka Trail, a backpacking trip on a remote island (Nootka Island) in British Columbia, Canada. AKA what the West Coast Trail was 30 years ago or like the West Coast Trail, but better. The Nootka Trail is totally possible to do while backpacking on a budget and staying cheap with travel. Great trip idea for Vancouver Island backpacking, British Columbia travel, or how to travel cheap in general.
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Air Nootka, charter flights to the island:
Flights beginning around $300 one way, split between members of a 3-6 person group.
Nootka Trail guide:
Heli Logging in Muchalat Inlet
Seen near Gold River BC, in Muchalat Inlet:
- Heli Logging by air crane helicopters
- August 2, 2016, seen from the MV Uchuck III
My Travels with Nootka Air
Gold River BC