Cumberland
Coal mining and one of North America’s largest Chinatowns put this village on the map in the 19th century. Now a dynamic new wave of entrepreneurs, many of them keen mountain bikers, have sparked a renaissance that finds the town’s heritage main streets lined with cool eateries, boutiques and galleries. The lively music scene here features local and touring acts on a regular schedule.
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Cumberland Through the eyes of the travellers
Things to do in Cumberland
- Shop, dine, enjoy live music and hang out in funky cafés when exploring the streets of a newly revitalized village that back in the 19th century was a coal-mining boomtown.
- Mountain bikers from across the Pacific Northwest are drawn to an already impressive and still growing network of rainforest single-track trails in the Cumberland Community Forest and above Comox Lake.
- Local hiking options include pleasant walks alongside the Puntledge River near the Comox Lake Dam, overnight treks in Mount Albert Edward Park and three-day backpacking trips to the Comox Glacier.
- Explore local history at the Cumberland Museum, site of a replica coal mine and 40 fascinating exhibits. Pick up a heritage walking tour map that takes in pioneer cemeteries, Memorial Mine Park and the village’s landmark buildings (each with streetfront interpretive signage).
- Experienced rock climbers navigate dozens of bolted routes found within a short walk of the Comox Lake campground, then refresh themselves with a dip in the glacier-fed lake.