I lived in Gibsons for five months in the winter of 2020/21. I went hiking every weekend and some weekdays too, so I’ve hiked all the trails on the Sunshine Coast (some of them multiple times).

In this post, I’ve got my local’s picks for the best hiking trails, plus where to find more info. There’s something for everyone with hikes to waterfalls, mountain tops, forests, and even tidal rapids. Most of the hikes are short and easy, but there are a few tough ones too.

Psst: Hiking isn’t the only thing to do on the Sunshine Coast – get my list of the best things to do on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunshine Coast Hiking Basics

Getting to the Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast is part of British Columbia’s mainland, but it’s not connected to the road network. That means that you’ll need to take a ferry to get there.

You can take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay near Vancouver to Langdale near Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. From Vancouver Island, take the ferry from Comox to Powell River.

The Sunshine Coast is also divided into two sections, separated by Jervis Inlet. You can take a ferry in between the northern section which includes Powell River, and the southern section, which includes Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, and Pender Harbour.

Once you’ve arrived on the Sunshine Coast, the easiest way to get around is by car. However, there is some limited public bus service.

Hiking Season on the Sunshine Coast

With a few exceptions, most of the trails on the Sunshine Coast are near sea level, so you can hike all year. In the fall, winter, and spring, the trails may be a bit muddy or slippery, so be careful.

READ NEXT: The Best Weather Apps for Hiking

What to Bring Hiking on the Sunshine Coast

Even if you are just going for a short hike, you need to be prepared for the weather and conditions. Don’t forget the 10 essentials. (Rain gear and warm clothing are especially important outside of summer.)

Bear Safety

The Sunshine Coast has a healthy black bear population. Carry bear spray and make noise while you hike to reduce your risk of a negative bear encounter. For more info about hiking in bear country, read my post about bear safety for hikers.

Leave No Trace

The area Sunshine Coast is sensitive wilderness. Learn about Leave No Trace principles to help keep the wilderness wild.

Sunshine Coast Hiking Map

I made a custom Google map for you that shows all of the trails on this list, plus the exact location of the trailhead and parking.

Best Hikes in Gibsons

Langdale Falls

Langdale Falls is a beautiful 40-foot-tall waterfall in a deep and mossy canyon. You can start the hike right from the ferry terminal or at the Sprockids Mountain Bike Park.

READ NEXT: Langdale Falls Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC

Mount Elphinstone

The challenging hike to the top of 1232m-tall Mount Elphinstone takes all day. But the journey is worth it to enjoy the views and take pride in summitting one of the Sunshine Coast’s tallest peaks. This is one of the few hikes on the Sunshine Coast I haven’t done yet, but it’s on my list!

Soames Hill

The view from the top of Soames Hill is spectacular: you can see Gibsons, Keats Island, and of course the ocean. It’s a short hike, but it has lots of stairs so you’ll get a bit of a workout. Soames Hill is one of my favourite Sunshine Coast hikes since it has such a beautiful view.

READ NEXT: Soames Hill Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC

Best Hikes in Roberts Creek

Roberts Creek Falls

This short hike isn’t well-known. But it’s a very easy hike and the waterfall is spectacular. To get there, park at the end of Day Road in Roberts Creek, then follow the trail signs to the waterfall.

Cliff Gilker Park

This forested park has a great network of easy trails. The cedar trees, ferns, and moss are gorgeous and there are also several beautiful waterfalls and cascades. My trail guide has recommendations for the best loop through the park.

READ NEXT: Cliff Gilker Park Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC

Best Hikes in Sechelt

Dakota Ridge Snowshoe Trails

Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation Area is a community-run snowshoe area in the mountains above Sechelt. It has lots of rolling trails and some beautiful viewpoints. Dakota Ridge is my favourite place to go snowshoeing on the Sunshine Coast. (And they have cross-country skiing too!)

READ NEXT: How to Snowshoe and Ski at Dakota Ridge on the Sunshine Coast, BC

Chapman Creek Trail

The Selma Park neighbourhood of Sechelt is home to a great trail network through the beautiful rainforest around Chapman Creek. You can start from several different trailheads accessed from Davis Bay, but I like to use the Sechelt Airport Trailhead. These trails also connect to the Chapman Falls Trail (below).

Chapman Falls

Chapman Falls is a gorgeous cascading waterfall in a deep canyon. Sechelt’s main water source is Chapman Creek, and you’ll walk on top of a water pipe for part of the hike. You can start your hike from any of the Chapman Creek Trailheads (above), but the shortest way to get there is from the end of Reservoir Road.

Note: As of January 2021 this trail is closed due to mining in the area. It is unclear if it will reopen.

Burnett Falls

This short walk takes you to a beautiful waterfall. From the views of the lush forest along the way, you’d never guess that it’s tucked away in a pocket of green space between industrial sites. It’s one of the shortest trails on the Sunshine Coast, but it’s worthwhile since it’s so gorgeous.

Hidden Groves

The Hidden Groves are two trail networks in Sechelt Heritage Forest. Community groups worked to protect some huge old-growth trees and build tons of trails. There’s a short section on the west side of Inlet Road but most of the trails are on the east side of the road.

Tetrahedron Provincial Park and Mount Steele

Tetrahedron Provincial Park has a network of trails past several lakes and up to the summit of Mount Steele. A local outdoor club maintains four cabins in the park if you want to stay overnight. It’s a great summer hiking destination, but it’s also great in the winter on skis or snowshoes.

Note: The cabins in the park are currently closed due to the pandemic and tenting isn’t allowed, so right now you can only do day trips.

More Info: Tetrahedron Provincial Park and Mount Steele is Trip 18 in my book Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia. The book contains all the info you need to plan a day hike or backpacking trip in the park.

READ NEXT: Backcountry Huts in British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies

Get My Book…

Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia

A one-stop resource for backpackers in beautiful British Columbia.

• 40 backpacking trips within a few hours of Vancouver
• Info about permits, reservations, and campground facilities
• Detailed maps and photos
• Advice for extending your trip
• Points of cultural and natural history

Get the book

Kinnikinnick Park

This wilderness park in the West Porpoise Bay neighbourhood of Sechelt has several kilometres of pleasant trails. The network of trails lets you choose your own path through ferns, marsh, and mossy forest, or make a loop around the whole park.

Best Hikes in Halfmoon Bay

Triangle Lake

This trail starts at Sargent Bay Provincial Park and heads up into the forest to tiny Triangle Lake. Community volunteers maintain a loop trail around the marshy lake. Take a break at one of the viewpoints – they come with benches.

Big Tree Trail

This short trail takes you to one of the biggest trees on the Sunshine Coast. There’s a picnic area at the base so you can linger and marvel at the tree. There’s also a huge network of mountain bike trails if you want to extend your hike.

Smuggler Cove

This short hike leads past a beaver pond to the shores of Smuggler Cove. From there, you can take the left fork across the peninsula to a quiet rock outcrop, or the right fork out to the point. Both options are stunning, making this one of the prettiest Sunshine Coast hikes.

Homesite Creek Falls

This small and pretty waterfall is a short hike from Highway 101. There are trails on both sides of the creek so you can choose from several viewpoints.

Best Hikes in Pender Harbour and Egmont

Francis Point

This short hike leads along a rocky shoreline to a beautiful viewpoint atop a bluff. While the hike is relatively flat, it traverses some rocky ledges that can be very slippery when they are wet, so be careful.

Mount Daniel

The hike up 440m-tall Mount Daniel is quite steep but fairly short. Your reward is an incredible view of Pender Harbour with its numerous inlets, islands, and squiggly peninsulas.

Pender Hill

If you’re not up for the challenge of climbing Mount Daniel, Pender Hill is a great alternative. I would also argue that it has a better view. You can see Pender Harbour as well as nearby Hotel Lake and Garden Bay Lake. It’s also a steep hike, but it tops out at 231m so you don’t have as far to climb.

Skookumchuck Narrows

The hike to Skookumchuck Narrows is scenic, with lots of beautiful forest. But the main attraction is the crazy tidal whirlpools and rapids that form at the narrows when the tide changes. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the most popular places to go hiking on the Sunshine Coast.

READ NEXT: Skookumchuck Narrows Hike on the Sunshine Coast

Best Hikes in Powell River (and the North Sunshine Coast)

Sunshine Coast Trail

The Sunshine Coast Trail runs 180km from Saltery Bay to Sarah Point on the Northern Sunshine Coast, passing through the town of Powell River. It crosses many access roads, so it’s easy to plan hikes along shorter sections of the Sunshine Coast Trail. Some of my favourite sections for day hiking are:

• Fairview Bay
• Tin Hat Hut
• Inland Lake
• Confederation Lake
• Manzanita Bluff

You can find info on all of these sections of the Sunshine Coast Trail in my book, Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia.

If you’re looking for an overnight or multi-day hike, I’ve got suggestions for which sections of the Sunshine Coast are snow-free early in the year in my guide to spring backpacking in British Columbia.

Get My Book…

Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia

A one-stop resource for backpackers in beautiful British Columbia.

• 40 backpacking trips within a few hours of Vancouver
• Info about permits, reservations, and campground facilities
• Detailed maps and photos
• Advice for extending your trip
• Points of cultural and natural history

Get the book

With 21 trails on this list, I’m sure you’ll find a Sunshine Coast hike that you’ll love. (Actually… you’ll probably find a few!) Have questions about hiking on the Sunshine Coast? Ask me in the comments as I’m always happy to help.

More Sunshine Coast Info:

• The Best Things to do on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Langdale Falls Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Soames Hill Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Cliff Gilker Park Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• How to Snowshoe and Ski at Dakota Ridge on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Skookumchuck Narrows Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Backpacking Manzanita Bluff and Rievely’s Pond on the Sunshine Coast Trail
• Backcountry Huts in British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies

The post 21 Best Hikes on the Sunshine Coast, BC appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

I spent five months in the winter of 2020/21 living in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. So I was able to time my visit to Skookumchuck Narrows to make sure I hit a time with some of the biggest whirlpools. It was so crazy to watch. And the roar of the water was so loud!

If you are visiting the Sunshine Coast, don’t miss the hike to Skookumchuck Narrows near Egmont. It’s one of the most popular hikes on the Sunshine Coast (for good reason!) I’ve got everything you need to know to visit.

In this post you’ll find:

• Info on the best times to view the whirlpools and rapids at Skookumchuck Narrows
• A detailed map of the Skookumchuck Narrows hike
• The meaning of the word “Skookumchuck”
• Detailed hiking directions for the Skookumchuck Narrows Trail

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Skookumchuck Narrows Basics

Skookumchuck Narrows sits at the entrance to Sechelt Inlet. The narrows and hiking trail are in Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park.

Since the opening to the inlet is so narrow, and the inlet is so big, when the tide changes, a huge volume of water rushes through the narrows, forming whirlpools and rapids.

The water is so powerful that it can flow as fast as 33 kilometres per hour (20mph)! The water level can be up to 2 meters (6’7″) higher on one side of the rapids than the other!

The viewpoints at North Point and Roland Point are popular places for hikers to watch the rapids. But whitewater kayakers and surfers love to play in the rapids during flood tides too. Check out this video of kayaking and surfing at Skookumchuck.

Bring binoculars for close-ups of the whirlpools and rapids. You can also spot lots of wildlife here including eagles, surf scoters, cormorants, and seals. Binos are also helpful for watching the kayakers surf the rapids.

Skookumchcuk Narrows Trail Info

Distance: 8 km return

Elevation Gain: 90 m

Time: 2-2.5 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Season: Year-round

Toilets: There’s an outhouse at the trailhead and another one near the North Point viewpoint.

Dogs: Allowed on-leash

Rules: Since this is a provincial park, alcohol, smoking, vaping, and cannabis are not allowed. While the trail is wide and flat, bikes aren’t allowed.

What Does “Skookumchuck” Mean?

Skookumchuck Narrows is on the traditional territory of the Shíshálh. The word “Skookumchuck” comes from Chinook Jargon, a pidgin indigenous language used as a trade language between indigenous groups and sometimes with European settlers. The language was used on the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Oregon during the 1800s. In Chinook Jargon skookum means strong or powerful, and chuck means water.

Best Times to Hike to Skookumchuck Narrows

The best time to see rapids and whirlpools at Skookumchuck Narrows is when the tide changes and the flow of water switches directions. You can use a tide table to calculate the time in between high and low tides and aim to visit then.

But the easiest way to figure out the best time to hike to Skookumchuck Narrows is to use this handy Skookumchuck Narrows calendar from Sunshine Coast Tourism. It lists the best viewing time(s) for each day along with a prediction on how “big” the whirlpools or rapids will be.

If you want to see whirlpools, hike to Skookumchuck Narrows on an ebb/outgoing/”-” tide. They are best viewed from North Point. If you want to see rapids at Skookumchuck, go on a flood/incoming/”+” tide.

The best times to see the Skookumchuck rapids are often early or late in the day, so don’t forget to bring a flashlight or headlamp in case you are on the trail in the dark!

Skookumchuck Narrows Map

The Skookumchuck Narrows hike is pretty straightforward, with signs at all the major intersections. But I also made you a custom Google map that shows you the key points along the hike.

How to Get to Skookumchuck Narrows

Driving to the Skookumchuck Narrows trailhead is pretty easy. From Sechelt head north on the Sunshine Coast Highway for about 53km.

Turn right onto Egmont Road and follow it for 5km. Look for the Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park sign on the right-hand side near the intersection with Doriston Highway. Total driving time from Sechelt is about 1 hour.

There is lots of angle parking on the gravel shoulder here. You can also park in the Egmont Heritage Centre Museum parking lot across the road. There’s an EV charge station there too!

Click here for Google Maps driving directions.

Skookumchuck Narrows Hiking Directions

The trailhead is located a few meters down Doriston Highway. There’s an outhouse here along with an info kiosk. The first 10 minutes of your hike will be along this gravel road.

There is no public parking or public access to the road, so you have to park in the designated parking area on Egmont Road and walk along Doriston Highway.

From the trailhead, walk along the gravel Doriston Highway to a bridge. On the other side of the bridge, you’ll find the Skookumchuck Bakery and Cafe. It’s open from spring through fall, and I hiked the trail in the winter, so unfortunately I didn’t get to visit.

From what I’ve heard, it’s a super-cute little cafe. They have coffee, baked goods, and sandwiches, and everything is made on-site. Plan to stop here on your way back from the hike!

Continue along the gravel road, passing several private residences. The road ends at a large turn-around area with lots of no parking signs. A wide trail heads into the forest straight in front of you. The trail is a former logging road, so it’s quite flat. (In fact, it’s flat enough to push a stroller all the way to North Point.)

Follow the trail through a beautiful forest with lots of sword ferns, moss, and big cedar trees. About 2km from the trailhead, the forest opens up as you approach the shores of Brown Lake. This quiet lake has great reflections on calm days.

Stay on the trail as it curves around the lake and heads back into the forest. The next section has a few ups and downs as the path makes it’s way closer to the coast. You may even be able to hear the roar of the rapids through the trees.

Arrive at a junction about 3.5km from the parking area. Turn left if you want to head to North Point, which is best for whirlpools on an ebb tide.

It’s just another minute to the North Point viewpoint from here. It is on a wide rocky bluff and has two benches. There’s a chainlink fence along the cliff edge for safety. The view of the tiny islands in Skookumchuck Narrows is fabulous. However, you will also get a great view of the gravel mine on the other side of the inlet, and it’s not so pretty.

If you want to reach Roland Point, which is best for rapids on a flood tide, go straight at the intersection. If you need to use the toilet, there is an outhouse on the left side of the trail just a few steps past the junction.

The trail from the junction to Roland Point is much rougher, with lots of roots, rocks, and uneven sections. Follow the trail as it descends close to sea level and crosses a small creek, then continues along the coastline above some small cliffs.

The trail ends at Roland Point, a rock outcropping jutting out into Skookumchuck Narrows. You are right at the water level here, so be careful near the edge. The water here is really clear – look for tons of sea stars and anemones below the surface.

When you have finished enjoying the Skookumchuck rapids and whirlpools at the narrows, retrace your steps back to your car.

So that’s everything you need to know to plan a hike to Skookumchuck Narrows near Egmont on BC’s Sunshine Coast. Do you have questions about the trail or the Skookumchuck Rapids? Let me know in the comments. I’m always happy to help.

READ NEXT:

• 21 Best Hikes on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• The Best Things to do on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Langdale Falls Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Cliff Gilker Park Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• Soames Hill Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• How to Snowshoe and Ski at Dakota Ridge on the Sunshine Coast, BC
• 20+ Beautiful Weekend Getaways from Vancouver
• Backpacking Manzanita Bluff and Rievely’s Pond on the Sunshine Coast Trail

The post Skookumchuck Narrows Hike on the Sunshine Coast, BC appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.