The sunshine coast trail guidebook is available to order from the powell river tourism center. The regional parks and wilderness society has developed a series of free maps available on the sunshine coast trail website. It includes all of the area maps and trail descriptions. The descriptions are detailed and complete with gps waypoints, directions to each trailhead, difficulty guidelines, and highlights to look for along the way. Sunshine coast shuttles backroad tour transportation. Download these georeferenced maps below into your smart phone and navigate the trail with accuracy using the free avenza systems. The sunshine coast trail is a 180 kilometre hut to hut hiking and backpacking trail that runs from sarah point overlooking desolation sound to saltery bay where the ferries come in from earls cove. The sunshine coast trail hiking guide can be purchased from the visitors bureau. Beginning at sarah point in desolation sound and ending at saltery bay, it is free to everyone, and hikers can enter and leave it at multiple points. In 1992 a small group of people founded the powell river parks and wilderness society paws and started building hiking trails that linked the remaining stands of old growth forests in the regions. The sunshine coast region is a local government area located in the sunshine coast region of south east queensland, australia.
Jul 31, 2017 the sunshine coast trail was an immediate candidate near to vancouver, wellmaintained, and lower traffic than the wct. The trail is well documented at the sunshine coast trail website. They formed the powell river parks and wilderness society prpaws, a registered nonprofit society, to set aside protected areas linked. The map below shows a closer view of the fairview section of the sct. It includes all of my favourite hiking and biking routes from the website. Hiking on the sunshine coast and in powell river the sunshine coast trail. Sunshine coast trail the 180kilometre 110 mi sunshine coast trail is canadas longest huttohut hiking trail, and travels from mountains to shorelines and lakes. The sunshine coast trail is a 180kilometre back country hiking experience that stretches from sarah point in desolation sound to saltery bay. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
The sunshine coast trail is canadas longest huttohut hiking trailand the only free one. Eagle continues to play a major role in expanding and upgrading the trail though countless volunteers are also to be thanked for what we see today. List of parks and forests with links to more information and campsite booking. Originally a logging settlement, it is so remote it might as well be on an island.
For hiking guides, trip planning, maps, and more, visit sunshinecoast. As mentioned above, there are two pdf bookets available for purchase. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from march until october. Bmo sunshine coast april fools run presented by eastlink april 5, 2020 sunshine coast trail series 2020. Trailforks scans users ridelogs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. Just before leaving for squamish, id been told that the mountains were clear of snow, so when we left vancouver, finally ready to go hiking the sunshine coast trail, we were in high spirits despite the cloudy skies. Working with the public and local stakeholders, the purpose of this trail strategy is to guide the planning, development and management of a sustainable trail network on the lower sunshine coasts crown land. The sunshine coast trail website, while nice, doesnt really provide you with useful information. If youre thinking of hiking this trail, i highly recommend grabbing a copy of the sunshine coast trail guidebook online, or from mec as i did. Their first book, beer hiking pacific northwest, will be. If youre heading to manzanita hut, id recommend leaving no later than 9 am from lund as it will be a long hiking day. Sunshine coast trail maps powell river, bc, canada. Pacesetter athletic footwear runwalktrail specialists. Eagle walz, cofounder and architect of british columbias sunshine coast trail, discusses the construction of canadas longest huttohut hiking trail.
It provides hikers with the opportunity to experience powell rivers breathtaking backcountry, with its rich fauna and flora, and to enjoy great ocean views. The reason why i choose to do sunshine coast trail. Many people hike the sunshine coast trail as shorter sections, and the book includes. Whether youre interested in hiking, biking, winter recreation, horseback riding, or riding an atv, there is a wealth of information to help direct you to the right trail. Forest roads take you to excellent entry and exit spots. They formed the powell river parks and wilderness society prpaws, a registered non.
It was a breathtaking moment to see the sun goes down and with the mountain range and the sky changing colours. Hiking the sunshine coast trail british columbia, canada. The sunshine coast trail was an immediate candidate near to vancouver, wellmaintained, and lower traffic than the wct. Trails explore sunshine coast tourism official site. Sunshine coast trail things to do sunshine coast tourism. Sunshine coast mountain bike trail challenge great. Hiking the incredible sunshine coast trail by david webb. Top hiking trails in sunshine coast, australia tripadvisor. Sunshine coast trail huttohut hiking sunshine coast. Download these georeferenced maps below into your smart phone and navigate the trail with accuracy using the free avenza systems mobile app. Nearby west coast trail is the best hike in the world.
Home plan your hike great day hikes for full directions and descriptions of these trails, see the sunshine coast trail guidebook, by eagle walz, available online or at tourism powell river on joyce avenue or breakwater books in powell river on the corner of marine avenue and alberni street. Tin hat hut on sunshine coast trail the summit of tin hat mountain is about 200m from the hut, we head up there for the sunset. By trail standards, the sunshine coast trail is relatively young. Over the easter long weekend i spent three days backpacking a section of the sunshine coast trail with a group of friends. The sunshine coast trail is a massive grassroots achievement that took decades to complete.
Feb 24, 2017 eagle walz, cofounder and architect of british columbias sunshine coast trail, discusses the construction of canadas longest huttohut hiking trail. There is also lots of info including detailed trail descriptions in the only guide book to the trail, the sunshine coast trail. The sunshine coast trail was conceived in 1992 when a group of outdoor enthusiasts realized that there was a vanishing amount of accessible old growth left on the upper sunshine coast. World north america pacific nw canada sunshine coast trail one of the best hikes in the world sunshine coast trail. No matter what type of trail youre looking for, chances are youll find it here on the sunshine coast. Be very aware that these are active logging roads, and access should only be attempted by private vehicles before 8am or. Sunshine coast trail maps experience one of the worlds top 50 hiking and wilderness trails. Sunshine coast shuttles is a transportation shuttle service based in the upper sunshine coast in powell river, british columbia. A lowresolution map can be downloaded from the trails website. Sunshine coast trail 7 days 6 nights powell river to lang. A dream of giants by emma levez larocque tells the story behind the creation of the sunshine coast trail, the land it traverses, and the people who have worked. Hiking the sunshine coast trail, british columbia canada. Completed in 1991, it is officially the longest huttohut. The sct is the latest of a number of wct alternatives.
This 180km route near powell river, bc, extends from sarah point to saltery bay. Experience 180 kilometers of hiking adventure on the beautiful sunshine coast of british columbia. Our plan was to hike from sarah point to powell river in 5 days, 4 nights. The huts are a relatively new addition to the sunshine coast trail, and they have been garnering a lot of attention not just because they are gorgeous structures placed in unforgettable locations, but because they make the sunshine coast trail one of the only trails in canada where it is possible to hike huttohut. This map, created in 2012, accurately depicts the sunshine coast trail, and the placement of the hutscamping spots along the trail. Highlighting expansive coastal and mountain vistas, meandering through old growth rainforest and dotted with trailside huts, the 180km sunshine coast trail is. You can find lots of info including maps on the sunshine coast trail website and they also post trail conditions updates on their facebook page. Parks and forests with hiking within sunshine coast. Other things you might find helpfulinteresting are the books about the sunshine coast trail see this page for more. Great if you are planning weeks or months in advance. Swimming in several lakes along the trail, berry picking.
It is available in paper format at tourism powell river. Winter is a good time to hike portions of the sunshine coast trail. Huts dot the trail at stunning locations and make for a diverse day hike, or a secure overnight experience. Sunshine coast trail to lost lake british columbia. The road is wellmarked, but searching for further assistance at tourism powell river or purchasing eagle walzs sunshine coast trail book, as well as the use of a backcountry road map, is definitely recommended. There are currently 14 huts along the trail that are firstcome, firstsleep. The sunshine coast trail stretches from sarah point in desolation sound, across powell river, and all the way down to saltery bay. The first booklet is 47 pages and is called sunshine coast trails. Its also longer, with a lot more elevation gain and loss.
It provides hikers with the opportunity to experience powell rivers breathtaking backcountry with its rich fauna and flora. There are exit points near sunshine coast communities giving users access to some of the coast s finest accommodations and services. We hiked from manzanita bluff to rievelys pond, then finished near powell river. Be aware that sunshine coast is the name of the region. Sunshine coast trail multiday hiking powell river sea. As the brainchild of eagle walz, the sunshine coast trail was built, starting in 1992, to link sections of old growth forest before they disappeared.
It is written as a guide for day or section hikes and includes detailed maps and mileage information. The sunshine coast trail guidebook recently updated by eagle walz another founder is excellent. World north america pacific nw canada sunshine coast trail one of the best hikes in the world sunshine coast trail nearby west coast trail is the. Sunshine coast trails society planning, developing and. Twentyfive years later, the sunshine coast trail is over twice as long as the highertraffic west coast trail, and much of the sunshine coasts old growth has been preserved.
Sunshine coast trail british columbia, canada alltrails. The sunshine coast trail run is held each year at the nanaga farm stall on the sunshine coast to help raise funds for the sunshine coast charity trust. Still we made our plans, and called the sunshine coast trail office a few times to check on weather and snow conditions. Sunshine coast trail 7 days 6 nights powell river to lang bay. Every 15km there will be a hut that you can stay inside, so camping tent is optional. It reached its culmination with the creation of 14 unique and handcrafted backcountry huts, which link each section of the trail together.
The sunshine coast trail is an amazing 180kilometre network of trails and backcountry cabins that stretch from desolation sound to saltery bay on the northern part of what is known as british columbias sunshine coast. Hiking the incredible sunshine coast trail explore magazine. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension. Backpacking manzanita bluff and rievelys pond on the.
The book is setup for thruhikers from north to south. It provides hikers with the opportunity to experience powell river s breathtaking back country with its rich fauna and flora. For paws, creating a worldclass trail was an added bonus. Top 5 hikes on british columbias sunshine coast explore. Both lifelong washingtonians, they grew up hiking and camping, and enjoy sharing their love of the outdoors. Wed booked a water taxi from lund to the trailhead at sarah point. When i was researching this hike i had a hard time finding good information. The 180kilometre 110 mi sunshine coast trail is canadas longest huttohut hiking trail, and travels from mountains to shorelines and lakes. Sunshine coast trail multiday hiking powell river sea kayak. Many panoramic views and a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife. Highlighting expansive coastal and mountain vistas, meandering through oldgrowth rainforest and dotted with trailside huts, the 180km sunshine coast trail is a worldclass hiking route just a halfday trip from downtown vancouver.
Its very rich in variaties of trail conditions along the water shores, grassy and mossy deep in the woods, lots of creeks crossing. There are exit points near sunshine coast communities giving users access to some of the coasts finest accommodations and services. Our first days ride will begin from halfmoon bay, only 45 minutes north of the langdale ferry terminal. Jan 02, 2007 the trail is well documented at the sunshine coast trail website. Hiking the sunshine coast trail, british columbia canada trails. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from april until october. The views along the sunshine coast trail may be serene but the roads to get there can be remote. The first section of the 180km sunshine coast trail.
The sunshine coast trail guidebook by eagle walz is a stepbystep description of all the trails that make up the sct. The book has been revised extensively to reflect the installation of the 12,000 markers and 700 wooden signs on the trail. The sunshine coast trail is british columbias bestkept secret. Sunshine coast trail guest book sunshine coast trail guest book. Sunshine coast trail, powell river, british columbia. The whole trail is 180 kilometers long and stretches the whole length of the northern sunshine coast from north of lund, past powell river, to the. The sunshine coast trail traverses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal shorelines, along creeks and lakes, through oldgrowth forests, and out ontoo panoramic mountaintops. Hiking the sunshine coast trail in british columbia. The sunshine coast trail traverses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal shorelines, along creeks and lakes, through old growth forests to panoramic mountaintops. We ended up exiting after 2 nights walking out from manzanita hut right back to the bakery.