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Rotary Club of Campbell River
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
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Rotary Club of Campbell River
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
Decking install South to North side
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Rotary Club of Campbell River
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
Elk Falls from bridge
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Rotary Club of Campbell River
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
Heading to the viewing platform
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Rotary Club of Campbell River
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
Opening Day
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Rotary Club of Campbell River
Elk Falls Suspension Bridge
Suspension Bridge
By Neil Cameron, photos submitted by the Rotary Club of Campbell River
If Walt were alive, he would want the Elk Falls suspension bridge and viewing platform project as part of Disneyland.
It is a thriller of a ride, but one that doesn’t move. The viewing platform takes you virtually face to face with the top of the falls and a complete view of it to its bottom where it crashes into the canyon below and becomes the Campbell River. The suspension bridge takes you out, over and across the canyon, 64 meters above the white water below. From the suspension bridge one is afforded a stunning 360-degree view of nature in its purest form — with the falls cascading beautifully on one side, canyon walls soaring above to their tree-lined crests, and the beginning of the Campbell River as it roils below towards the ocean. Perhaps the only thing Walt wouldn’t have liked is that it’s totally free of charge. Opened in May, the Elk Falls suspension bridge offers views never before witnessed, except by a handful of people. Almost as remarkable as its stunning views was the way in which the project came together.
Headed up by the Rotary Club of Campbell River, the project is a unique partnership between the club, BC Hydro and BC Parks — with vital monetary support also coming from Community Futures Strathcona and the Island coastal Economic Trust. The total cost of the six-year project was $740,000, which is astonishingly small considering its potential economic impact for the community.
Still, it couldn’t have happened without the help of a lot of people. “This is not a one-man or even a one-committee effort,” said Rotary Club president Lorrie Bewza, who was the spearhead for the project. “This took a lot of people, a lot of organizations to come together and get things done. They all deserve a lot of credit.” The co-operation of BC Hydro and BC Parks was essential and helped lead to the creation of a beautiful and spacious parking facility and interpretive centre nearby. The 83-spot parking facility, with bus and RV parking, is part of BC Hydro’s legacy for its $1 billion John Hart Replacement Project.
And while the suspension bridge is a gut-swooper experience, it is designed for safety. It could hold 400 130-kg people or about 52,000 kg. In true Rotary fashion, the club upgraded 340 meters of trail so it would be wheelchair accessible.
Hundreds of people came to the first opening and they continue to come from all over for the experience of a lifetime. So how will that $740,000 investment turn out? Previously there were about 70,000 day use visitors per year at Elk Falls, and expectations are that it will grow 100 per cent meaning about $5.3 million will be injected into the local economy.
Already word is spreading about what is undoubtedly the most unique suspension bridge anywhere. While it may not be the highest, the Elk Falls suspension bridge and viewing platform takes you virtually into the centre of nature. The Vancouver Island conference Centre, for instance, have indicated they are looking to offer day trips to the view the falls and the old growth forests in surrounding Elk Falls Park. On the May long weekend, the popular Elk Falls campsite was virtually over flowing with many of the people there taking the short jaunt to the suspension bridge.
And it will undoubtedly help the shoulder tourism season because it is open year round. And in the fall, when heavy rains hit and the falls swell to five to 20 times its normal size, well let’s just say you better have some raincoats handy.
The suspension bridge is easy to reach; just a few minutes drive west of Campbell River on Highway 28. It well marked and there is plenty of parking.
“I think one of the most rewarding things about the project is seeing the reactions of people who go out on it for the first time,” said Bewza. “Everyone is simply blown away. And I know that anyone who has family or visitors coming, the suspension bridge will be the number one thing on their to-do list.”
The old lookout over the falls takes you down beside where the water spills into the canyon. As spectacular as that is, one still can’t see right to the bottom of falls.
One of the unique things that will also happen in the fall is the possibility of seeing chinook and coho salmon spawning in the canyon waters below. The bridge and lookout are connected to the popular Millennium View trail that also hooks up to the Canyon view trail, offering enthusiasts the chance to circumvent the upper non-canyon section of the Campbell River.
“It’s really a complete package,” said Bewza. “And all the people who worked so hard on the project got the very best of rewards. They get to go out on the bridge and take it all in whenever they want.”
For more information visit Campbellriver.travel 1-877-286-5705