The park is known for its old growth forest and sandy beaches. The terrain is rugged and the area is known for its heavy rain and violent storms. The park's highest point is Mt. St. Patrick, above sea level. The park's largest lake is Eric Lake, at. Most of the park is in the Nahwitti Lowland, which is a subunit of the Hecate Depression, and a part of the Coastal Trough. The former settlement of Cape Scott, which was founded by Danish-Canadian immigrants, is located within the park at at the head of Hansen Lagoon. Another related settlement in the area is Strandby, named after a coastal village in Denmark and located facing Shuttleworth Bight at.
Climate
History
The Kwakwaka'wakwFirst Nations created trails through the area that includes the park, using these trails for trade, to harvest resources, and to visit locations that were considered sacred. Three First Nations reserves are within the park, including the former village of Nahwitti. In 1786, the area was named "Cape Scott" in honour of David Scott, a merchant of Mumbai, who had backed James Strange'smaritime fur trade voyage to the Pacific Northwest Coast. From 1897 until 1910, Danish settlers tried to establish a fishing community near San Josef Bay. Due to the harsh climate and lack of governmental support, the community failed and most settlers left the area. Following that, another attempt was made at Hansen Lagoon, similarly failing by 1917. Alfred Spencer, the last resident, left in 1956. Some artifacts can still be seen in the park, including a three-metre-tall granite tombstone, several corduroy roads, many ruins, and rusty farming implements.
Recreation
The park is a popular destination for backpackers during the less rainy summer season. A logging road connects the towns of Port Hardy and Holberg to the southern end of the park. The rest of the park is accessible only by foot, helicopter, or boat. A popular backpacking trip is to hike the Cape Scott Trail to Nels Bight, which typically requires 4–7 hours each way and is rated as easy/moderate in difficulty. It is mostly flat, but is often very muddy. Much of the trail consists of wooden boardwalk. The North Coast Trail, which opened in 2008, is an extension of the Cape Scott Trail. It has some very difficult sections in the east, and more moderate terrain in the west. There are several campsites with pit toilets, metal food caches, and wooden tent platforms along the original Cape Scott trail and the North Coast Trail. For day hikers looking for a shorter trail, there is a path out to the beach at San Josef Bay.
