Jungle Beach Features
• Beach access
• Picnic & Swimming
• Family-friendly
ABOUT
Located approximately 20 kilometers north of Skidegate, Jungle Beach is a popular swimming destination for locals and tourists alike. Its ease of access – just off the highway – concomitant with the roughly 2 kilometers of sandy beach makes for an appealing day out.
The beach is clearly marked with posted signage, so it’s difficult to miss. Secondary beach parking is indicated by a carved black bear, which has definitely seen better days. In the last ten years, its arms have rotted away and, well, we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s fallen over in the next five. In any event, an outhouse is also available here. Jungle Beach is accessible via a short path.
Primary parking at Jungle Beach is located at the next pullout, just a few feet north of the black bear. Here, you’ll spy a covered shelter – perfect for picnicking – and a “fort” right near the entrance to the beach.
The fort, which has been in place for just over 20 years, is made primarily of driftwood and beach rock and features a unique spiral staircase. Once at its zenith, enjoy great views of the beach and horizon beyond! Many an imaginative child has likened this fort to a ship at sail in the sea!
At low tide, you could seemingly walk for miles along Jungle Beach before hitting the ocean for a cool swim. The beach, with its silky smooth sand, is perfect for a little outdoor therapy: Stroll with a loved one, explore the tidal pools, or take out the croquet balls and enjoy a game with the family! As the day winds down, relax on the beach and listen to the waves lapping at the shore.
But, you may be wondering, why “Jungle Beach”? Apparently, an early owner of the Premier Hotel bestowed the “Jungle Beach” name upon this place. How’d that come about?
The generally accepted story is that each winter, Haida Gwaii’s vicious storms cast such a mass of logs upon the beach’s entrance that it reminded folks of a “jungle.” A more recent theory – and one that sounds far more appealing – is that the dark waters of Jungle Creek and the forest immediately behind Jungle Beach serve as inspiration for the name.
Indeed, if you take a walk in the forest directly across the road from the carved black bear (start of the Drain Lake Trail), you’ll see what we mean!
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL DISTANCE: The beach is approximately 2km in length
TIME: 40 minutes
TYPE: Beach walk
ELEVATION GAIN: None