by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
I’d argue that the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region is the best place to live in Canada — for year round outdoor recreation.
My parents live in Parksville. And — when visiting — I can cycle and hike year round.
Protected by Mt. Arrowsmith, the coast gets very little snow. And temperatures rarely drop below freezing.
Of course this is a rain forest. 😀

Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
It was designated in 2000 by UNESCO to protect a large second-growth coast Douglas fir ecosystem in the watersheds of the Little Qualicum and Englishman Rivers from being developed. …
Protected areas located within the biosphere reserve include:[5]
- Arbutus Grove Provincial Park
- Englishman River Regional Park
- Englishman River Falls Provincial Park
- Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park
- MacMillan Provincial Park
- Mount Arrowsmith Massif Regional Park
- Qualicum National Wildlife Area
- Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
- Spider Lake Provincial Park
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

