Haida Gwaii, Agate Beach

Haida Gwaii, Agate Beach

The archipelago of Haida Gwaii, meaning “Islands of the People,” rises from the outer edge of the continental shelf along BC’s northwest coast. Haida Gwaii’s largest island is Graham Island, which includes Agate Beach, named for the beautiful translucent stones found all along this shoreline. They are a form of quartz, washed up from glacial deposits by the waves, and tumbled in the saltwater until they gleam. The windswept trees and the pounding surf create a place of wonder, and as an artist and one individual you feel sensitive to the feeling that you are at the edge of the earth.

Old growth Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees provide an awe inspiring atmosphere on the drive along Tow Hill Road. If you follow the road through moss-draped cedars all the way from Masset to Naikoon Provincial Park you will arrive at the remote mystical location of Agate Beach, then Tow Hill, and Rose Spit.