The ‘Namgis section of the Vancouver Island Trail is named in recognition of the ‘Namgis First Nation whose traditional territory is traversed by this section of the route. It links the Englewood Rail Trail to the community of Port McNeill, and relies heavily on old logging roads as requested/directed by the ‘Namgis First Nation (i.e. rather than clearing new trails within their traditional territory).
The route diverges from the Englewood rail grade where it crosses Noomas/Nimpkish Main at ‘Hanuse crossing’ (this name/locale may well be dropped once the rails are removed later in 2019). From this crossing, the route picks up Branch NO-2100 just to the north and follows it for 1.1 km through a recent cutblock and then through a partly-revegetated section (note that the road is surveyed [flagged] for re-building). The hiker then cuts across (no trail) a short section (150 m) of second-growth forest up to the end of an old grade situated atop a bedrock ridge, and then follows this old, grown-in (conifers) grade for an additional 500 m mostly through second-growth forest apart from a younger plantation towards the end. The old grade links to Branch KP-2210 and the lightly overgrown KP-2000 road system all the way (3.2 km) to Hwy 19.
The route continues directly across Hwy 19 along old, somewhat overgrown logging roads to Kilpala Main and the logging road bridge over the Nimpkish River as it flows out of Nimpkish (‘Namgis) Lake.
Caution! – the Nimpkish River bridge is long and narrow – do not linger on the bridge. Off-highway logging trucks that use Kilpala Main have 14-16-foot wide loads (twice those of highway-legal logging trucks!). You do not want to get caught on this bridge!
From the Nimpkish River bridge to Port McNeill, the route again follows a combination of logging roads (mostly old and grown-in) and mountain bike trail known as the “Bear Hill Trail”, and ultimately along East Main into Port McNeill.
For this entire section of trail: Free Download
For just the Bear Hill Trail section from the Nimpkish bridge to Port McNeill: Free Download