Arrowsmith Coombs Country is a rural area southwest of Parksville-Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. It is a popular stopping point for travellers on the way to Tofino with the Coombs Old Country Market/Goats on the Roof and the old growth trees in Cathedral Grove.

Get in

By car

The main way in is by Highway 4A (the Alberni Highway). It is a 5-10 minute drive from Parksville and about 1 km east of the Junction of Hwy 4 and 4A.

By bus

Tofino Bus has a couple of bus stops along the Alberni Highway as part of its Tofino-Nanaimo service. There are stops up to three times a day during the summer and once or twice daily in winter. The bus stops are located at:

• 1 Coombs Bus Stop at Ford & the Alberni Highway
• 2 Errington Bus Stop at Errington Rd & the Alberni Highway

Get around

A car or bike will be needed to get around to all the attractions in the area.

See

For many, the main reason to stop in Coombs is to see the goats on the roof of the Old Country Market (see listing in Buy section below). The area isn't just about the goats though, here are some other things to check out if you have the time.

• 1 Butterfly World & Gardens, 1080 Winchester Rd, Coombs (just off of Hwy 4A between the Coombs Country Market and the junction with Hwy 4), ☏ +1 250 248-7026. 10AM-5PM. Indoor gardens with a number of exotic butterfly species. There’s also a small orchid garden and turtle pond. Often a hit with young children. $5/9/11/13 (children aged 3-12/students aged 13-17/seniors/adults). (updated Aug 2015)
• 2 Cathedral Grove (MacMillan Provincial Park), Hwy 4, in MacMillan Provincial Park. Small park that preserves old growth forest with hiking trails on both sides of the highway. On the south side of the road are some giant Douglas fir trees, some of which are 800 years old, and up to 75 m tall and 9 m in circumference. The north side has a number of old growth Western Red Cedars, which were the trees carved by the First Nations to construct totem poles. Free. (updated Sep 2015)
• 3 Englishman River Falls, Englishman River Falls Provincial Park (Take Errington Rd from Hwy 4A (exit 51 off Hwy 19) and follow the signs to the park). 9AM-5PM. The upper falls are a 5-10 minute walk from the day use area parking lot on a wide well-graded trail. The trail continues on through old growth and second generation forest along the river to the lower falls. Round trip is about 2 km. There is a swimming area in the pools below the lower falls. Day use is free. (updated Aug 2015)
• 4 North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, 1240 Leffler Rd, Errington, ☏ +1 250 248-8534. 9AM-5PM. Treatment and recovery facility for injured or abandoned wildlife. There are is a learning center with exhibits and a number of eagles, owls, ferrets and Knut the Bear. The facility also looks after bear cubs with the aim to release them back into the wild (the cubs can only be viewed on camera, no interaction with visitors). $8 (adult). (updated Aug 2015)
• 5 Tiger Lily Farm, 1692 Errington Rd, Errington, ☏ +1 250 248-2408. 10AM-4PM. Barnyard and trail rides closed Nov to mid-March. Family-run farm that offers trail rides and horse riding lessons. There is also a barnyard with some of the usual small farm animals that the kids can get close to. The trail rides vary from short and easy for beginners to longer excursions for more experienced riders. Trail rides should be booked in advance. $8.75 for the barnyard, including one free pony ride for each child; additional pony rides are $3.50. Trail rides range from $30-109. (updated Nov 2015)
• 6 World Parrot Refuge, 2116 Alberni Highway (Entrance, marked by giant parrot, is 500m east of the Old Country Market), ☏ +1 250 248-5194, wendy.huntbatch@floprs.org. 10am–4pm daily, 7 days/week (closed Dec 25 and Jan 1). This refuge shelters nearly one thousand parrots of all kinds, many who were abandoned or donated pets. You can walk among the birds, several of which are attention hungry and may try to converse with you. Adult $14, Youth 13-17 and seniors $12, Children 6-12 $10, younger free. (updated Jan 2016)

Buy

• 1 Old Country Market, 2326 Alberni Hwy, Coombs, ☏ +1 250-248-6272. 8AM-8PM. A wooden market house in Coombs, slightly West of Qualicum Beach. Its known for the lawn on its roof, and the goats that move in (to the roof) each spring to keep it trimmed. The market has a variety of food (some locally made) and knick-knack kind of stuff. (updated Aug 2015)

Eat

• 1 Cuckoo Trattoria, 2310 Alberni Hwy, Coombs (behind the Old Country Market), ☏ +1 250 248-6280. 11AM-9PM. Italian restaurant and pizzeria. The villa-style house gives a European ambience and there’s a patio for enjoying the nice summer days. Can be very busy in the summer tourist season. $15-30. (updated Aug 2015)

Sleep

• 1 Coombs Country Campground, 2619 Alberni Hwy, Coombs (Hwy 4A, across from Butterfly World), ☏ +1 250-248-9371, toll-free: +1-800-925-3888. Tent and RV sites. Amenities include showers, laundromat, electrical hookup, volleyball, playground and a man-made lake. Open mid-May to end of Sept. $30 (tent) / $40 (power & water) / $45 (power, sewer & cable). (updated Aug 2015)
• 2 Englishman Falls Provincial Park Campground, at the end of Errington Rd (Take Errington Rd from Hwy 4A (exit 51 off Hwy 19) and follow the signs to the park). Just over 100 campsites set in the forest near the Englishman River. Flush toilets available but no showers or electrical hookups. Camping only allowed May - Sept. $23. (updated Aug 2015)

Go next

Routes through Coombs

Tofino ← Port Alberni ←

W  E

→ Parksville-Qualicum Beach → END (Nanaimo via )