The story of a place
An archipelago whose forests and shores are inseparable from Haida culture.
Haida Gwaii combines temperate rainforest, exposed coasts and a profound cultural landscape. Gwaii Haanas and SGang Gwaay are particular places within the archipelago, not labels for every island experience.
Access to remote cultural sites requires careful arrangements and respect for Haida stewardship. A thoughtful visit gives community interpretation priority rather than treating poles and village remains as unattended objects.
The essential experience
Make time for this.
Begin with Haida-led cultural interpretation, then choose an authorised land or marine experience suited to your time.
Explore the highlights
Look a little closer.
Haida Gwaii’s forested shores hold enduring connections with Haida culture and history.
Forest-coast transitions
Notice the close connection between ecosystems.
Village remains
Understand decay and continuity within the appropriate cultural context.
Ocean exposure
The sea shapes both history and access.
For the curious reader
History, landscape
and context.
Haida Gwaii (Haida: X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay / X̱aayda gwaay, literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between 55–125 km (34–78 mi) off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The islands are separated from the mainland to the east by the shallow Hecate Strait. Queen Charlotte Sound lies to the south, with Vancouver Island beyond. The islands, upon which people have lived for 13,000 years, form the heartland of the Haida Nation. Members of the Haida Nation currently make up approximately half of the islands' population.
Background reading: an abridged extract from Haida Gwaii, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened for this guide. Retrieved 22 September 2026. Source revision ↗.
Turn curiosity into a visit
Plan your visit.
- Physical demands
- Activities range from easy cultural visits to remote marine and walking trips.
- The practical detail
- Do not assume an arrival on the main islands includes access to SGang Gwaay.
Before you set off.
Your ticks stay in this browser.Through the seasons
A place in the world
Find your bearings.
Select the pin to open a detailed map. Use Closer look to see the surrounding region. Drag to move a zoomed map.
Map: Natural EarthA closer view.
Load the local map to explore the surrounding area. Map tiles require an internet connection.
- 1Haida GwaiiOpen directions ↗ · Location reference ↗
A sense of place
In pictures.
Keep looking.
10 photographs, with full-size views and individual credits.
Go a little further
Sources & further reading.
The UNESCO link names the specific inscribed property. A broad entry in this project can extend beyond that property’s boundaries.
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