Duncan, British Columbia

Firstly, use google maps to take you to Stephenson Rd in Nanaimo. About a mile down, the road forks, follow the left road (It says no exit, but the road just ends at a property so you will need to turn around to get back out). Continue down the road another half mile or so and you will see a smal...

The falls cascades off of a sheet of rock that is filled with Ammonite fossils, thus the name Ammonite Falls! The trailhead is very distinct and has a parking lot close to the start of the trail. From the Nanaimo Parkway (#19) head onto Jingle Pot Road. Follow that for a few kilometres and turn ...

Heading west from Victoria, take the TransCanada Highway to Hwy 14. Continue past Sooke towards Port Renfrew. Look for the sign that reads Sombrio Beach Trailhead (approximately 45 minutes past Sooke) and take the left. Note that this dirt road can be incredibly rugged (aka full of potholes) and ...

Green Mountain is located out in the Nanaimo Lakes area and used to be a ski hill back in the 60's. There was a lodge and even a t-bar to get you up the hill (both of which are nothing more than dilapidated remains now). The mountain's ski-based past becomes apparent as you hike up through countl...

The easiest way to explore this area is through Outer Island Excursions, which offers a 3-hour kayaking tour from Smuggler’s Villa Resort on Orcas Island (they also offer various tours of the surrounding islands).The tour begins with a paddle down the North Shore of Orcas Island to Point Doughty ...

To get to the Avatar Grove, drive to Port Renfrew along West Coast highway 14. Turn right onto Deering Rd and cross the long bridge over the San Juan River. Stay right at the next Y intersection, and then left at the T intersection. At the next Y keep left and cross a tall bridge over the crys...

The trail requires a permit from May 1 - September 16. All other dates have restrictions. Check Parks Canada website for more details.You can start from the north or south end of the trail. There are buses provided by the Pacific Rim National Park that will shuttle you back to your car or to the ...

In the summer of 2016, myself and three others decided to hike the West Coast Trail (WCT) on a bit of a whim! We naively, and courageously, choose the WCT as our first major backpacking hiking trip - we thought it would be best to throw ourselves into a hike that has earned a reputation for being...

Heather Mountain is a moderate well marked out and back hike through managed forest land. The hike brings a wonderful feeling of solitude as there are no towns or buildings visible even with distant views in all directions.  It is also quite lightly tracked: we saw no other hikers on the entire r...

The San Juan Islands are one of the most stunning places you could go for a paddle. If you can go for a 3-5 day (or even longer) expedition you will get the most out of it.Start off in Friday Harbour, and get dropped off at one of the launching beaches. Many expedition operators work in Friday Ha...

The San Juan Islands are a gorgeous collection of islands situated 90 miles from Seattle. While most people enjoy the island at B&Bs, and join one of the dozen whale watching tours, the hands down best way to see the islands is by kayaking.Jones Island is a great place to set as your initial ...

The loop trail is a short 3.5km trail that is well maintained and open year round. There's negligible elevation gain and aside from the odd slippery section the trail is easily accessible for all ages and skill levels. It is definitely busy in the Spring and Summer months but is manageable in the...

This is no walk on the beach. There are many ascents and descents that range from not so steep to hold on for your life as the mud cliff crumbles steep. You might think 200m of elevation gain isn't much, but it is a constant ascend and descend trail in the moderate-difficult sections.A high level...

It may be daunting to figure out how to kayak in the San Juan Islands.If you're a beginner/intermediate kayaker, this is the trip for you.First, you'll want to plan ahead and reserve a kayak for Sucia Island. We used Outer Island Expeditions which was nice because they make it pretty easy for you...

This is a gorgeous beach with so much going on. It's a quick walk from the parking lot (about .8 miles), or you can do the entire Botanical Beach Loop which is 3.5km. Go at low tide for amazing tidal pools and exploring caves if the tide is at its lowest. You can beach hop and climb up to some...

For what was once a highly contested and disputed piece of land in the Pacific Ocean, now lays home to one of the most peaceful, tranquil, and historic hikes in the island chain. Start the hike at the parking lot of the San Juan Island National Historic Site American Camp Visitor Center. Proceed ...