Trails on Vancouver
Island accommodate hikers, bikers, horse riders and cross-country
skiers. They are built and maintained by volunteers from clubs, BC
Parks, the Forest Service, municipalities and logging companies. Generally,
urban and frontcountry trails are built to a high standard. Backcountry
trails are normally primitive, doing no more than necessary to get
you to your destination. What all these trails have in common, is
a need for their users to be able to look after themselves, as telephones,
ranger cabins and trail checks are almost non-existent - and that's
the attraction of hiking the wilderness of Vancouver Island!
So, be well
prepared, carry a map and emergency supplies - especially rainwear
and a flashlight. Remember, away from the road it's a wilderness....
and it sure is beautiful country!
Some of the
best wilderness hiking on Vancouver Island is to be found in Strathcona
Provincial Park (Central Island), especially for those who like
to hike in the middle of rugged and heavily glaciated mountains.
The park was created in 1911 for those who seek adventure in remote
wilderness surroundings. It may be easier to reach the Park's trailheads
today, but the hiking routes still remain as challenging as ever.
To really experience the beauty of this enormous park, come prepared
to explore the backcountry.
At the northern tip of the island, Cape Scott Provincial Park is
one of the wildest, windiest, most woebegone locales in the province
for human habitation, Journeying to either Brooks Peninsula or Cape
Scott is only for those whose mettle has been tested by repeated
exposure to the bellows and blast-furnace of nature in the raw.
The mother of
all hikes on the island is the very well-known West Coast Trail
(Pacific Rim), which runs for 48 miles (77 km) along the west coast
of Vancouver Island, and lies within the southern boundaries of
the Pacific Rim National Park. This 7 to 10-day adventure trek draws
hikers from all over the world.
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