Some of these free campsites are vehicle accessible Recreational Sites. There is space around each hut for tents, useful if the hut is full or for hikers who prefer more privacy. There are lots of great places to stop for a swim — many of them noted in the Sunshine Coast Trail guidebook. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This means you can access all this unspoiled wilderness without even having to bring a tent! "If you want a good workout in a beautiful natural surrounding, and want to see gorgeous views of the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland then I would highly recommend tackling this walk." Our plans changed a little, as you’ll discover in our trip report below. Runners are required to carry compulsory equipment with them at all times throughout the trail run. The weather forecast was pretty poor but the lack of life anywhere does make me think that September, in general, is a great time to hike the Sunshine Coast Trail! In this context, that means active or dedicated logging areas, Rieveley Pond to Haywire Bay camping (24km) or Townsite, Powell River for resupply (18km), Townsite, Powell River or Haywire Bay to Confederation Lake (23/17km), Confederation Lake to Tin Hat Mountain (14km), Tin Hat Mountain to Elk Lake (20km or 13km if you take shorter route like we did), Sarah Point to Powell River, staying at Manzanita and Rieveley Pond huts (3 days, 50km), Inland Lake to Lang Bay, staying at Confederation Lake, Tin Hat, Elk Lake, Walt Hill (5 days, 62/70km), Fiddlehead Landing to Lang Bay, staying at Tin Hat, Elk Lake, Walt Hill (4 days, 56km), Lang Bay to Saltery Bay, staying at Golden Stanley, Mount Troubridge, Rainy Day Lake (3 days, 43km), Manzanita – Partially open with closed sleeping loft, kilometre 16, Rieveley Pond – Partially open with closed sleeping loft, kilometre 33, Inland Lake West – Small closed hut, kilometre 65, Anthony Island (Inland Lake) – Small closed hut, kilometre 67, Confederation Lake – Fully enclosed, winterized hut, kilometre 74, Fiddlehead Landing – Partially open with closed sleeping loft, kilometre 81, Tin Hat Mountain – Fully enclosed and winterized, kilometre 90, Elk Lake – Partially open with closed sleeping loft, kilometre 110, Walt Hill – Fully enclosed and winterized, kilometre 123, Golden Stanley – Partially open with closed sleeping loft, kilometre 145, Mount Troubridge – Mid-sized, fully enclosed and winterized, kilometre 158, Mount Troubridge Emergency – Small and insulated, kilometre 159, Rainy Day Lake – Partially open, kilometre 169, Fairview Bay – Fully enclosed, kilometre 173. Experience 180 kilometers of hiking adventure on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. The Sunshine Coast Trail is kept in very good condition. * 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). The 14 shared use huts are free and are filled on a first come, first served basis. The Sunshine Coast Trail is a 180km (with around 6000m total elevation gain) hiking route from Sarah Point to Saltery Bay, travelling through both public and private lands. Disclosure – We visited the Sunshine Coast with the assistance of Sunshine Coast Tourism. Oct 25 – Golden Stanley to Mt Troubridge hut (km 158) Mt Troubridge is the highest point on the Sunshine Coast Trail. The Sunshine Coast Trail is unusual in that it is not located in a provincial park, national park or other protected area. We had to climb over some trees brought down by the storm, very close to a logging operation. The choice of where to park our vehicle was probably one of the biggest decisions we had to make when planning our SCT hike. For free camping, check out Lois Lake Recreation Site. To receive stamps, hikers must take a photo of themselves in front of each of the huts (Golden Stanley and Mount Troubridge Emergency Shelter excepted). Surrounded by mountain peaks, with low clouds blanketing the ground, it felt like we were on top of the world. There is no registration or hiking fee required to use the Sunshine Coast Trail, nor a charge for using the huts or wilderness campsites. Unsecured parking lots can be found on the Sunshine Coast Trail maps on the official website here (marked in blue). There are paid parking lots in Lund, Mowat Bay, Powell River Government Marina, the Shinglemill Pub and the Lang Bay Store. We came to see the views and we’d just have to ration our food and wait it out. It soon becomes clear that the cloud wasn’t going away anytime soon. This post written and published in February 2020. Just after kilometre 134, the path intersected Dixon Road and we followed this back to our vehicle. Covid19 update – While the SCT itself is open, the huts are currently closed. ... (Canada) in august 2021 : Canada's longest hut to hut hiking trail. A slightly anti-climatic end it may have been but the sun was shining (hooray!) gtag('js', new Date()); Here’s a quick breakdown of each SCT hut: All huts have outhouses or composting toilets nearby. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} Eagle Walz, co-founder and architect of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast Trail, discusses the construction of Canada's longest hut-to-hut hiking trail. It's rugged terrain and includes about 22,000… The initial aim, was to build a long distance hiking trail that would link the remaining old growth in the area. As well as food, you can inquire about bag storage. Although you can turn up and pay cash to the driver, it is a good idea to secure a seat with an online reservation. It is exhilarating to watch, especially if any kayakers are trying to surf the waves! We plan to hike the other two sections (Sarah Point to Inland Lake and Lang Bay to Saltery Bay) either in 2020 or 2021. We quickly scrambled up to the summit behind the hut and kept our fingers crossed. Winterized huts have a pellet stove, which look like a traditional wood stove but work more like a furnace. The main backpacking season for the entire Sunshine Coast Trail is May to September. Thanks for the memories, SCT – we’ll be back to finish soon. The first, from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, takes 40 minutes. I was carrying my tent as I’d seen online that the huts were closed due to COVID-19. I’ve written the following advice with multi-day and thru-hikers in mind, but day hikers will find a lot of relevant information here too. Also in town is a Walmart, Dollarama, Canadian Tire, choice of fast food chains (A&W, McDonald’s) and numerous banks. There has been a lot of trail building going on! For the most part, it is a two lane highway. Confederation Lake sits at 600m, Tin Hat hut at 1150m but the trail descends down almost to sea level (150m). The path of the SCT actually travels right through here. Here, the elevation could finally be appreciated. There are also section maps available for the Avenza Maps app. The trail itself is marked with bright orange diamond blazes, appearing every five metres or so. There are 12 huts along the trail (and at least one emergency shelter) spaced approximately a day’s walk apart. Alternatively, you can also present the photos at the Visitor Centre and get a generic stamp for each hut. It provides hikers with the opportunity to experience Powell River’s breathtaking back country with its rich fauna and flora. In addition to the orange blazes, there are numerous wooden directional signs, kilometre markers and SCT maps at trailheads. Sunshine Coast Trail Sunshine Coast Trail Access Powell Forest Canoe Route Portage on Canoe Route Campsite Shelter or Hut Park or Protected Area Elevation contours at 200 metre increments Visitor Information Centre, 4760 Joyce Ave, Powell River 1-877-816-8669 MAP LEGEND 0 1 2 4 KILOMETRES 6 8. The 80km distance is twisty in parts and takes about 80 minutes to drive comfortably. Dirt roads (mostly for logging or recreational use) do criss cross across the local landscape and the path does weave in and out of populated areas, Some sections of the trail do route through or close to working forests. We purchased our copy at Tailwind Books in Sechelt. There are also many day hike options on the SCT , especially if you have two vehicles available (or use a shuttle service). Where there is no outhouse or composting toilet, Sarah Point, the SCT’s northern terminus, can be reached by water as well as dirt 4X4 road. The busiest time on the trail seems to be mid May to August. The lower elevation sections, particularly Sarah Point to Inland Lake, can be comfortably hiked almost all year round. Inland Lake to Confederation Lake (10km, 4 hours), Confederation Lake to Tin Hat Mountain (14km, 7.5 hours), Tin Hat Mountain to Elk Lake (13km, 6.5 hours via shortcut), SCT Passport and Certificate of Completion, The Complete Guide to Paddling Desolation Sound, Sunshine Coast, Hiking the Della Falls Trail to Canada’s Highest Waterfall, Vancouver Island, 14 Unique Things to Do on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, 25+ of the Best Campgrounds on Vancouver Island, BC, The Sunshine Coast Trail is not located in total wilderness. The Sunshine Coast Trail is a colossal, local, grass-roots achievement that took decades to grow from dream to reality. The Sunshine Coast Trail Guidebook by Eagle Walz is a step-by-step description of all the trails that make up the SCT. I clicked on a bunch of your affiliate links as thanks! After meeting zero hikers on the trail, I wish we’d brought our. Navi… The Sunshine Coast Trail runs from Sarah Point in Desolation Sound, across Powell River, and down to Saltery Bay. The varied landscape here has so much to offer, especially in terms of outdoor adventure. For this reason, it would be almost impossible for me to list all of the possible combinations. The Sunshine Coast Trail isn’t the only world class attraction on the Sunshine Coast! The path was narrow in places and the overgrown foliage dripped even more raindrops onto us. SUNSHINE COAST TRAIL (CANADA) (2021) Evènement Je serais présent . Hikers also have the option to park their vehicle in surrounding communities, either in paid parking lots or outside businesses (with prior permission). I soon felt glad of that easy section around the lake, as the path ascended up through the dense rainforest. It has 22 vehicle accessible campsites. I waited for JR near the top, snapping a couple of photos of the view and yelled down that he should hurry. Click here for a larger version. But the hut was open after all. Queensland Happy tourism starts from Trip. A wide but rough 4X4 road appeared, leading almost to the top. Awesome! It’s a beautiful section of the British Columbia coastline, starting just north west of Vancouver and sitting directly across from Vancouver Island. Sunshine Coast trails are located in one of the most beautiful places on earth. With the weather warming up faster on the coast, the SCT is a popular spring destination when other multi-day hiking routes are still snowed in. From our finishing point at kilometre 134, we needed to walk 2km along the (wide) Dixon Road to Highway 101 and then a very short 100m stretch north to get back to the hall. I thru-hiked the Sunshine Coast Trail in British Columbia in August of 2018 with my lovely hiking partner, NEMO. The flat sections were covered in deep puddles of water. Campsites, both paid and free, are marked on the Sunshine Coast Trail website maps here. All are free to use and operate on a first come, first serve system. Length: 112 miles Expected Completion Time: 10 days Location: Powell River, British Columbia Trail Type: Shuttle (end-to-end) Huts and Shelters: 14 Overall Elevation Gain: 22,812 feet High Point: 4,232 feet Scenery: Old-growth and second-growth forest. We have provided a fair amount of information about each trail to help you decide which trails are best suited for you. Though steep in places, we moved fast through Suicide Pass and Smokey’s Blue Ridge. As well as tent campsites and showers (extra $2), this campground has a reservable cabin available for $50/night. Accessible only via boat or helicopter, Princess Louisa Inlet is one of the most beautiful places I have been anywhere in the world. Had the weather been better, we may have camped on the tiny wooden platform right in front of it all. This site features affiliate links for products and services. 53 likes. The Sunshine Coast Trail hosts 14 different huts and shelters, located fairly evenly along the trail. One of these is Haywire Bay Regional Park. Click here for a … As Event Organisers we are often asked why ‘Compulsory Equipment’ is included as part of some of our events. We loved the Old Courthouse Inn, located in the Townsite district. The trail stretches 180 km from the Saltery Bay ferry terminal in the south to Sarah Point in the Desolation Sound Marine Park in the north. Credit: Kelly Funk Photography, Sunshine Coast Tourism. The Final Agreement treaty, in effect from 2016, included 8,323 hectares of settlement land, some of which the Sunshine Coast Trail travels through. Another way to access the Sunshine Coast is from Comox (Vancouver Island) to Powell River. It is possible to fly to Powell River from Vancouver on Pacific Coastal Airlines. Off Track Travel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The Northern Sunshine Coast has a large choice and variety of places for hikers to stay before, after or even during their journey on the SCT. The outlook here isn’t quite as panoramic as Tin Hat but the lake studded backdrop is still stunning. Visit SunshineCoastTrail.com to plan your trip today! 170 km / 6,000 m total elevation gain, multi day trail event self-sufficient style. Tin Hat Mountain, Walt Hill and Mount Troubridge all feature steep elevation with amazing panoramas, while Confederation Lake, Rainy Day Lake and Fairview Bay also make for great destinations. This is also the day we became acquainted some incredible old growth trees. The Shingle Mill pub is located just off the trail at kilometre 50. To put it simply, the Sunshine Coast Trail traverses the ‘upper’ (or ‘North Coast’) portion of the Sunshine Coast only, from Sarah Point in the north to Saltery Bay in the south. We were sad to leave the beauty of Tin Hat but our food supplies were now on the low side. Slowly at first, but then the steep switchbacks arrive. Most hikers walk some 10 to 15 km per day. It’s even more impressive in the rain. A grand vision that reached its culmination with the creation of 14 handcrafted backcountry huts, linking each section together. The SCT offers up fantastic coastal views, wanders along lakes and creeks, climbs mountains, and features rustic huts at multiple points along the way, making it the longest hut-to-hut hike in Canada. The coast is susceptible to heavy and prolonged downpours, especially in spring and autumn. Section maps are available on the Sunshine Coast Trail website here. Both. Sunshine Coast Trail . setTimeout("gtag('event', 'No Bounce', { 'event_category' : 'Adjusted Bounce' })",180000); The Sunshine Coast Trail is an incredible 180km hut-to-hut hiking route in south-west British Columbia, Canada. A Guide to Hiking the Sunshine Coast Trail, British Columbia The Sunshine Coast Trail is an incredible 180km hut-to-hut hiking route in south-west British Columbia, Canada. www.sunshine-coast-trails.com provides trail maps and descriptions for the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia in order to promote and celebrate our natural world. There’s nothing like a refreshing swim after a hot day of hiking, afterall! Weekend and holiday sailings can be very busy. With the help of the BOMB Squad (the Bloody Old Men’s Brigade), the volunteer run PRPAWS continues to maintain and enhance the SCT and huts. Please bring all of the compulsory equipment with you w… The path is established, well marked and easy to follow. Since the trail goes up and down, start in good condition. That evening, we took stock of our food supplies and hatched a plan. The day passed better than I imagined, however. Read on to discover our own experience hiking the Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT) plus a comprehensive planning guide so you, too, can organise your own adventure on this magnificent trail! Post-lunch, the foliage became mossier, the bridges slipperier and the mushrooms even more numerous. There are also some paid campgrounds accessible along the SCT. These trail markers can be spotted on trees, fences, fallen logs, bridges and more. The volunteer maintenance teams clearly put a lot of work into removing obstacles, building new bridges and rerouting the trail when necessary. We met a day hiker on the old logging railway section and chatted for a while. Another paid campground is located in Inland Lake Provincial Park. Jesse from the Sunshine Coast Shuttle picked us up and took us to our starting point on Inland Lake. This is an excellent guidebook that will remain in my library forever. Our final day was mostly downhill, an almost literal comedown. There are no bridges connecting the Sunshine Coast to the rest of the British Columbia. The simple answer to this question is that it’s about keeping participants safe, which is our number one priority. Inspired to go hiking on the Sunshine Coast Trail? This photography-rich trail guide was created to inspire those with mobility challenges to get out and explore the Sunshine Coast. English program here. At the time, Glaspey, Walz and a handful of other Upper Coast residents were looking for a way to protect the last stands of disappearing old growth in their backyards. He would be the only person we see for the entire six day period! Attracting hikers from around the world, this epic hiking trail now boasts 14 huts with one more planned next year, making it Canada’s Longest Hut-To-Hut Hiking Trail – and the only free one. We are always looking for people to come and help out with trail maintenance, building projects, and for people who are interested in behind-the-scenes work like marketing, publicity and organizing events. Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Trail Challenge - August 8+9, 2015 Mountain bike lovers will love this! The rain was on and off, offering teasing, misty views at ‘Vomit Vista’ and heavy showers during lunch at Fiddlehead Farm (thankfully, there’s a shelter). It is available in paper format at Tourism Powell River. It’s not mentioned in my guidebook published 2013, of course. The second ferry, from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay, is a slightly longer journey at 50 minutes. The upturned dirt surrounding the tracks implies that the bear was probably startled and ran off in a hurry. Copy at Tailwind books in Sechelt black bears are more commonly seen than grizzly bears: 180-km... Resorts, motels, cottages, campgrounds, guesthouses and even oceanside Airbnbs granite walls and with... 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