Courtenay, British Columbia

This park is a great stop right on the side of highway 4 heading to or from the Tofino area. If you are heading to Tofino on Vancouver Island, this park is hard to miss. There are signs for it and easy parking on the side of the highway. There are two loop trails on either side of the highway, an...

The Hole in The Wall is located just outside the city of Port Alberni, British Columbia. The day hike is easy enough to bring kids on the adventure, is dog friendly and offers a beautiful view of some of Port Alberni's history. Previous to the 1960's, the Hole In The Wall was the opening for a pi...

Leave from Okeover Arm just north of Powell River to get into the passage to the park. If you are coming from Vancouver, expect a 6 hour drive with multiple ferry rides.The paddle to the campground is fairly easy for an intermediate kayaker. Distances are about 10km from one camp to the next. Onl...

Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park is just off the #4 highway on your way out to Port Alberni. Simply look for the signs indicating Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, and you will turn into the park before Cameron Lake.Easily accessible by everyone, this park can get busy in the summer mon...

The trail from Cameron Lake to the top of Mount Cokely (5302') provides the most ready access to the alpine on Southern Vancouver Island. The route is straightforward and non-technical, albeit physically challenging. Expect to spend 6-8+ hours if hiking the entire route described below (which we ...

I have lived on Vancouver Island my entire life yet I had never heard about this world class trail until last summer.  A 24km point to point coastal trail that travels the length of the Alberni Inlet from the coast right to the town? Through paradise meadows, along sun drenched bluffs, past water...

Access to Triple Peak mountain is found via the Marion Creek Main logging road approximately 48km west of Port Alberni on your left hand side along highway #4 headed towards Tofino. The road can present seasonal challenges and is rough so best to have a high clearance and 4x4 capable vehicle if p...

Mt. Arrowmsith's claim to fame is the tallest mountain on "southern" Vancouver Island. Standing at 1,819 m (6,000 ft), it barely squeezes into the top 50 of the Island, as it stands no chance against the peaks of Strathcona, which you can see gazing north from the summit!The advantage of Arrowsmi...

The starting point depends a lot on the time of year and snow level. On a bad snow year you can get all the way to the old ski area base. Depending on the road conditions, however, be prepared to snowshoe/skin in anywhere from an extra 3 to 5 km (2-3 mi). The Rousseau Chute route is an alternativ...

Mount Arrowsmith resides in the heart of Vancouver Island between Nanaimo and Tofino within the Alberni Valley region. At the height of 1817m this peak boasts being the tallest point on the southern half of the island. With it's easy access it is surely the most visited and summited mountain on t...

Lasqueti Island is a beautiful island that covers about 75 square kilometres.  It is one of the drier islands in the strait, and has some of the warmest waters too. The shores are dotted with arbutus trees, and feral sheep run wild through the woods. The lack of car ferry and direct utilities kee...

This waterfall is a pretty stellar sight. Located in one part of Strathcona Provincial Park, it plunges about 90 feet from a small slot canyon into a wide deep canyon. From the view point you can feel the mist from the waterfall on your face. For a different perspective, there is a small trail ju...

Sayward Lakes Canoe Route This is an easy canoe route through a series of lakes west of Campbell River on Vancouver Island BC. It is ideal for beginner or intermediate level trippers, providing a good multi-day trip through a mix of remote lakes and lakes with serviced campsites. The trip feature...

Our trip, as pictured, was completed as a single-day trail run / hustle. The climb is typically done, however, as a weekend trip with a camp either in the lower meadow, along the ridge leading to the Queen's Face or in the upper cirque. As for climbs in the Island Alpine, for detailed route desc...

Amazing lookout just outside of Parksville, British Columbia. From Parksville, drive towards Coombs and turn left off of Bellevue Rd. Then take the left onto Little Mountain Road and drive to the top parking lot. You can park at the bottom of the hill and run up the steep incline in case your car...

The Elk River Trail is one of the most popular destinations in Strathcona Provincial Park and for good reason.  Not only is this one of the only trails in the Park that doesn't go 'straight up' a mountain, but it also takes you to one of the most beautiful spots on all of Vancouver Island.  The E...