Aerial view of coastal landscape with wetland, coniferous forest, and turquoise ocean with sandy beach.

Welcome to the Misty Forest

Where temperate rainforest meets the Pacific

Meet the Misty Forest

Experience the rhythm of the tides

As fog lifts from the rugged coast, islands appear in the sea, then disappear again. A bald eagle cries through the haze. An otter slips between giant roots and glides into the sea, while coastal wolves roam the shoreline and sundews thrive in forest marshes. This is the temperate rainforest of the Northwest Coast: a wild treasure.

The Misty Forest spans numerous areas across the coast and mountain valleys. Explore our interactive online map to view permanently protected lands and recent aerial photos.

View the online map opens in a new tab
Map of Canada showing protected areas in green, with yellow markers indicating protected regions along the Pacific coast near Vancouver.

Areas we protect

  • Aerial view of turquoise lake with forested islands, surrounded by dense coniferous forests and mountains under cloudy skies.

    North Coast

    Porcher Island, Calvert Island, Scandinavia Bay

    Along British Columbia’s wild Pacific coast, rain-soaked forests meet the sea. Islands rise from the mist, rocky shores disappear beneath the tide, and towering trees shelter life from forest floor to ocean.

  • Misty mountain valley with forested slopes, a river in the foreground, and fog rolling through dense evergreen and deciduous trees.

    Mountains

    Usk & Toba Valley

    Deep in rugged mountain valleys, ancient forests rise beneath towering peaks. Wild rivers rush through moss-covered valleys, while mist clings to the slopes and clouds drift through the treetops.

  • Shelf fungi growing on a moss-covered tree trunk in a coniferous forest with lush green moss.

    South Coast

    Read Island & Carlisle Lake

    Along the sheltered southern coast, lush forests meet quiet waters. Towering trees rise from carpets of moss, while mist drifts through the canopy and the rhythms of the Pacific shape life along the shore.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live, work, and conduct conservation activities across the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Tsimshian, Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, Northern Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples.  We honour the enduring presence and stewardship of the Gitxaała, Lax Kw'alaams, Metlakatla, Kitsumkalum, Kitselas, Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, Homalco (Xwémalhkwu), Klahoose (ƛoʔos qayɛmɩxʷ), Tla'amin (ɬəʔamɛn), Laich-kwil-tach (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, and Kwiakah), Cowichan, Tetlit Gwich'in, Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, and K'ómoks Nations. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn, work, and build meaningful relationships within these lands, waters, and communities.

What makes this region special

The Misty Forest is a place where land and sea are deeply intertwined.

Rain sweeps in from the Pacific, feeding ancient forests, mossy wetlands, quiet lakes and rushing rivers. Towering trees rise from the lush forest floor, while otters, coastal wolves, eagles and countless other species move through a landscape shaped by water.

Here, life doesn't simply grow; it continually gives way to new life. When an ancient tree finally falls, its story doesn't end. Its trunk becomes a home for mosses, fungi and countless small creatures, while its nutrients slowly return to the forest floor. In the forest, even death feeds life.

Across the coast, islands, and mountain valleys, these connected habitats create the shared character of the Misty Forest—a rich, interconnected landscape that stores carbon, provides vital habitat, and sustains life from the forest floor to the Pacific shore.

Life in the Misty Forest

A landscape alive with life
Life thrives across the Misty Forest. Wander beneath ancient trees, through moss-covered wetlands, alongside freshwater lakes and rushing rivers, and out to the wild Pacific coast. These habitats are deeply connected: salmon bring nutrients from the ocean, while bears, eagles, wolves, and other animals carry those nutrients into the forest. Tidal zones and beaches provide vital habitat for otters, coastal wolves, eagles, and countless other species. From forest floor to shoreline, every part of this landscape plays a role in sustaining life.
Discover the rainforest opens in a new tab
Upward view of towering moss-covered tree trunks in a dense forest with lush green canopy against blue sky.

Meet the neighbours

Look closely and you'll find life everywhere. From towering coastal rainforests to pristine ocean depths, discover the incredible biodiversity that makes the Misty Forest a natural treasure.
Sea otter standing upright on rocks covered with yellow seaweed in shallow coastal water.
Along the misty shoreline where ancient forests embrace the tidal waters, otters gracefully hunt for mussels and snails, thriving in this delicate coastal ecosystem.
Brown bears fishing in a river. A mother bear holds a caught fish while two cubs watch. Driftwood scattered on the shore.
Grizzly bears traverse the vast forests and mountain valleys in their natural habitat, embodying the spirit of untamed wilderness as they hunt and fish in these critical ecosystems that sustain their survival.
A grey and brown wolf stands on rocky ground, gazing directly at the camera with alert eyes.
A rare coastal wolf navigates the delicate boundary where ancient forest meets untamed shoreline, adapting to both ecosystems with remarkable grace.
Two orca whales swimming together in the ocean, displaying their distinctive black bodies and white markings.
The Pacific waters are integral to this ecosystem, providing critical habitat for orcas and countless other marine species.
Red and green crab with white claws perched on a rocky coastal surface.
Life thrives in the tidal zone, where crabs, mussels, sea stars, and countless other species turn this ever-changing space into one of nature’s most productive and biodiverse frontiers.
Bald eagle in flight with wings spread wide over ocean water, yellow talons extended.
A bald eagle plunges from the sky, talons extended, in a breathtaking display of precision and power.
Deer standing in a grassy meadow, looking directly at the camera with blurred forested background and branches.
A deer pauses among the grasses of the Misty Forest. Protecting forests like this one ensures these magnificent creatures and countless other species can thrive for generations to come.
Brown otter with whiskers resting on yellow-green seaweed on rocky shore

Among swaying seaweed and towering kelp, a playful mink pursues its favorite food, abalone.


A loon with black plumage and white spots swimming on the ocean surface under a cloudy sky.
Often seen in pairs or small groups, loons are indicators of healthy aquatic ecosystems and remain symbols of Canada's pristine wilderness.

Why we protect the Misty Forest

Some of British Columbia’s coastal rainforest giants have grown for over a thousand years. As part of one of the world’s rarest temperate rainforest ecosystems, the Misty Forest forms an interconnected web of ancient trees, wetlands, rivers, and coastal wildlife. But with industrial logging continuing to threaten BC’s ancient valleys, keeping these forests intact is an urgent global priority.

  • Old-growth forests under threat: While over 70% of Canada remains natural wilderness, British Columbia continues to permit the industrial logging of irreplaceable 1,000-year-old ancient giants.
  • Supercharged carbon storage: These ancient temperate rainforests store over 60 kg of carbon per square metre, locking away more carbon per hectare than almost any other ecosystem on Earth.
  • Unmatched legal title security: Through direct Land Title registration and the BC Trespass Act, every square metre purchased is legally shielded against logging and development forever.
  • Preserving mature ecosystems now: Securing standing old-growth protects fully functional ecosystems today. Planted saplings take over 25 years to become carbon-positive and can't replicate ancient forest biodiversity.

That’s why we at Wilderness International have chosen to protect this region—safeguarding an irreplaceable ecosystem, and the life that depends on it, for generations to come.

How we actively protect the Misty Forest

  1. Monitor wildlife

    Camera traps and field observations help us understand which species live here and how they use the landscape.

  2. Map and document the forest

    Drones and aerial imagery help us document the protected areas and monitor changes over time.

  3. Learn from Indigenous knowledge

    Conservation works best when we work alongside local and Indigenous communities and learn from their knowledge and experience.

  4. Work with researchers

    We work with researchers to better understand biodiversity, ecosystem health, and the long-term effects of conservation.

  5. Protect it for the long term

    Legal protection and ongoing stewardship help keep these forests wild for generations to come.

Our projects in Canada

Protecting the Misty Forest is a shared effort. We work with Indigenous communities and local partners to strengthen conservation on the ground, while research partnerships help us better understand these remarkable ecosystems.
Explore our projects
Large group of people posed in front of a modern wooden structure on a grassy field with coniferous trees in the background.

Experience Canada's temperate rainforests

With our interactive forest experience, you can virtually explore our protected areas, discover different regions in 360°, and dive into audio stories, videos, and photo galleries from our expeditions. You can even stand beneath a towering tree and experience the forest you’re helping to protect—almost as if you were there.
Experience the forest opens in a new tab
Map illustration showing a tree, waterways, location pins with VR, camera, audio and info icons, 360° symbol, and VR headset badge.

Images from the Misty Forest


Aerial view of a boreal landscape with golden larch forests, pristine lakes reflecting the autumn sky, and distant mountains.
From above, Porcher Island reveals itself as a jewel of temperate rainforest; a tapestry of deep emerald and jade where ancient trees stretch toward the sky in dense, unbroken waves.
Misty coastal landscape with dense coniferous forest, pebbly beach, and waves under an overcast sky.
The Misty Forest's shoreline emerges from a veil of sea fog, where ancient trees stand sentinel along the tide line. As climate change threatens to alter our coastlines, preserving places like this becomes more critical than ever.
Mountain river surrounded by dense coniferous forest, mist rising from water, and forested slopes under clear sky.
Misty mornings in the Toba Valley remind us why these wild places matter. Where forest meets flowing water, life thrives.
Aerial view of a wetland with a winding stream surrounded by green vegetation and brown bogland
Peatlands are the lungs of the Misty Forest. These carbon-rich wetlands store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined. Protecting them is essential for our climate and wildlife.
Dense forest with tall moss-covered trees and lush green undergrowth covering the forest floor.
Draped in moss and lichens, ancient Western Redcedars and hemlocks tower over a lush understory of Devil’s Club in the coastal rainforest of Usk, British Columbia.
Upward view of a massive ancient redwood tree with textured bark, surrounded by green foliage in a forest.
Stand beneath the ancient canopy and feel impossibly small. Layer upon layer of green unfolds above you. Towering conifers and hardwoods stretch upward in an endless cathedral, their massive trunks disappearing into a emerald haze far overhead.
Wetland landscape with standing water reflecting trees, mountains, and cloudy sky overhead.
Calm waters mirror the puffy clouds in the endless sky above the Misty Forest; a visual reminder that nature's beauty is worth protecting.

Stories from the Misty Forest

    All Stories

    Protect the Misty Forest forever

    Donate now opens in a new tab