Canada's Breathtaking Park On Vancouver Island Boasts Large Caves With Beautiful Crystals

Much of Vancouver Island, off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, is covered in temperate rainforest, making it an excellent place to go for anyone who loves nature. But not all of the island's natural beauty is above ground. The island has more than 1,000 caves, and if you want to explore some of them yourself — no caving experience needed — visit Horne Lake Caves Park. Along the Qualicum River on Vancouver Island's east coast, the park is home to seven limestone caves, some stretching hundreds of feet underground, and in them, you can find geologic formations like fossils and delicate sparkling calcite formations.

I was able to visit the park and one of its caves as part of a trip hosted and paid for by Destination BC to get a firsthand look at this natural wonder. There are a couple of small caves that park visitors can explore independently; these are best done only if you have previous caving experience. To fully appreciate how impressive this cave system is, and to help keep yourself and the environment safe, you'll want to do what I did and go on a guided tour.

Horne Lake Caves runs the subterranean tours at the park with a variety of options, depending on how adventurous you want to be and how much time you have. No matter which tour you're on, the guides help keep you comfortable and safe as well as informed about the unique geological space that you're exploring.

The easiest tour at Horne Lake Caves Park is the Riverbend Cave Explorer; it lasts just under two hours, with about an hour spent in the cave. It runs year-round, and it doesn't involve any ropes, crawling, or climbing. What it does have are impressive calcite formations, a towering waterfall, and underground pools. This is the tour that I went on. After our forest hike, which was beautiful in itself, we took a steep set of metal stairs down into the cool of the cave. Once inside, I was struck the cave's otherworldly feel as my headlamp caught the sparkle of the crystal formations that had formed over thousands of years.

For something that gives you more of a taste of "real" caving while still having the benefit of a guide, the Action Pack tour takes you into the main and lower caves. You'll get a chance to go through a short squeeze, do some climbing and crawling, and go on a cave slide. It's available for guests ages 8 and over, and it runs year-round.

If you're looking for a challenge, go on the Max Depth Adventure. It only runs from June to September for those 13 and older, and it takes you all the way into the Riverbend Cave, which is around 900 feet long and over 220 feet deep. This tour includes rappelling, climbing, belly crawling, and tight squeezes as you make your way in and out, and you'll be in the cave for over four hours.

All cave tours at Horne Lake Caves Park require about a 30 to 40 minute hike uphill through the forest to start, and you'll need to wear closed-toe shoes with decent traction. Waterproof shoes and even rubber boots would be a good idea in winter since there will be water in the caves. You're provided with a hard hat and a light for the tours; they're available to rent if you're going into the self-guided caves. For any cave explorations, you'll want to dress for your environment. Wear a long-sleeve shirt and pants (no cotton for the more in-depth tours) and bring an extra layer as the caves are always 47 degrees Fahrenheit.

I'm mildly claustrophobic, and the Riverbend Cave Explorer was fully within my comfort zone. I'm not sure how I would do on some of the other, more intense tours that involve narrow squeezes, but I was impressed by how supportive and patient the guides were for those of us not used to caves. 

Horne Lake Caves Park is about an hour from Nanaimo as well as Port Alberni, making it a good side trip from Vancouver Island's Grand Loop, a soft-roading adventure loop that takes you to many of the island's best forests and beaches. For more scenic spots on Vancouver Island, the town of Ucluelet on the west coast is a quiet destination with endless outdoor fun. And Hornby Island, Canada's "little Hawaii," is just about two hours away.