The lush and awe-inspiring forest of Cathedral Grove will be off-limits to visitors as B.C. parks re-open. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

nature can wait

Cathedral Grove too busy to re-open with other B.C. parks

May 29, 2020 | 5:47 AM

NANAIMO — One of Vancouver Island’s premiere attractions won’t be open to the public for the near future.

Macmillan Provincial Park, which is the larger park around the beloved Cathedral Grove, remains closed as other B.C. parks re-open.

A statement from the ministry of environment said the area is too popular to re-open.

“It experiences very high levels of visitor use (over 500,000 per year) and due to the unique nature of the park, the trail system and boardwalks are very narrow making appropriate physical distancing extremely challenging,” the statement said.

As well, the parking situation at Cathedral Grove is cramped and compact, with cars wedged as close as possible to one another as thousands flock to the area every day at the height of summer.

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There’s no timeline on when the park will open.

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