Best Hiking Trails for Boaters in the Gulf Islands

The Canadian Gulf Islands, located just across the border from the San Juan Islands, offer breathtaking natural beauty and a diverse selection of hiking trails. With a multitude of stunning islands, expansive marine parks, and abundant opportunities for boating and hiking, the Gulf Islands provide an exceptional experience for nature enthusiasts. While comparable to the San Juans in many ways, the variety of hiking options in the Gulf Islands can be truly remarkable. Cruising through these islands, especially during this time of year, feels nothing short of paradise, and the plethora of hiking opportunities enhances the experience even further.

Frequently, we find ourselves crossing the border and clearing Canadian customs at the charming Port of Sidney. This small community is perfect for stocking up on provisions from a nearby supermarket just a block away. After completing our chores, we enjoy a leisurely stroll along the delightful waterfront park, often punctuated by a soothing coffee break in town. On occasion, we are treated to concerts at the bandshell, making it one of our favorite urban walks.

Just across from the Port of Sidney lies Sidney Spit Marine Park, located at the northern tip of Sidney Island. This area features a dock for dinghies and smaller boats, along with several mooring buoys positioned along the shoreline. While we prefer to anchor in this picturesque location, it’s essential to be cautious due to the presence of shallow areas. To find the best anchoring spot, we typically rely on our chartplotter and depth sounder to avoid grounding or colliding with other boats. During peak boating season, particularly on weekends, the area can get crowded with boats, many of which are day trippers whose wakes linger into the night. To enjoy enhanced comfort, we recommend visiting on weekdays, particularly in the early or late boating season.

The diverse terrain of Sidney Spit is what makes this park a favorite for hiking. The trails meander through a mix of pine forest, rolling dunes, and stunning sandy beaches. For safety, we recommend hiking out to the navigation beacon at the spit only during lower tides, as the middle of the spit becomes submerged during high tides. This hike spans about 2 miles round trip from the dock, while a longer option takes visitors through the pine forest campground and around the salt marsh to the scenic dunes on the west side, covering approximately 5 miles round trip. Although none of these hikes are particularly strenuous, hiking in sand can be challenging. We always make sure to return to the boat with ample time left to relax and enjoy the breathtaking sunset and shimmering lights of Sidney—if we can manage to stay awake that late!

Located on the east side of Saanich Inlet, a little over halfway down, is the charming Tod Inlet. This compact and completely landlocked inlet is primarily known as the gateway for boaters to reach the renowned Butchart Gardens, but there are countless other attractions to discover. Anchoring is relatively straightforward in the shallow inlet, although it can become quite congested during peak season. Fortunately, short scope is manageable in this well-protected area featuring a sticky mud bottom.

From the dinghy dock, a pleasant trail winds southeast alongside a creek until it reaches a road. Along the way, hikers can cross the creek and explore the many trails within Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. For a different adventure, we suggest walking east from the dinghy dock to the road and continuing past Butchart Gardens on Benvenuto Avenue to a major intersection at West Saanich Road. Here, visitors will find the Victoria Butterfly Gardens, a tropical haven filled with beautiful butterflies and exotic birds. This approximately 3-mile round trip is well worth the road walk for its unique experience. Alternatively, a leisurely stroll through Butchart Gardens never fails to impress.

Another valuable destination for boaters is Portland Island, which features two relatively small anchorages, each equipped with a dinghy dock but lacking mooring buoys. Instead, the island offers multiple stern tie rings, a common feature in Gulf Islands marine parks that isn’t found in the San Juans. The stern tie ring, typically a large steel ring attached to a chain securely anchored to a nearby rock or cliff, is used to fasten the stern of your boat once you have dropped anchor. While quite secure when done correctly, setting up a stern tie can be time-consuming and requires precision, which can be particularly tricky when using a rowing dinghy in windy conditions. While we’ve observed experienced boaters manage this with ease, we don’t get enough practice to gain the same proficiency.

Our preference on Portland Island is the intimate Royal Cove located on its northwest side, although it can be affected by the wakes of passing ferries. After anchoring and securing our stern tie, it’s time to explore the hiking trails. The perimeter trail encircles the island, intersecting various spur trails that lead into the interior or to the water’s edge. One memorable experience was unexpectedly encountering a turkey vulture grazing on a carcass in a grassy meadow—both of us were taken aback! A stop by Princess Bay, the second anchorage on the southeast side, offers a chance to appreciate the view of other boats at the island and perhaps meet fellow boaters. The perimeter trail extends approximately 5 miles and includes gentle ups and downs, making it accessible to most hikers.

Wallace Island, situated between the northern tip of Salt Spring Island and Galiano Island, is another marine park equipped with stern tie rings. Conover Cove is smaller, featuring a dock for smaller vessels and space for three or four boats to stern tie. However, the entrance can be quite shallow—we once touched bottom while leaving the cove. In contrast, Princess Cove is much larger, boasting numerous stern rings and excellent protection from southerly winds; we have been stern tied here comfortably even when strong southerly winds reached 30 knots outside the cove. On calmer summer days, we have anchored northwest of the cove entrance and been quite at ease, especially with the typically light wind overnight.

Wallace Island is long and narrow, with trails extending its entire length and leading to each peninsula. The longest trail takes hikers to the northern tip at Chivers Point, where there is a camping area for kayakers. This point opens onto a narrow passage between islands, featuring strong currents and a drying rock in the center; we enjoy watching to see if any larger vessels will attempt navigation through it. Some do, but we wouldn’t dare to try. This trail spans roughly 5 miles round trip from the Princess Cove dinghy dock.

On days when we can linger longer, we also enjoy venturing in the opposite direction near Conover Cove. Here, an old cabin adorns walls with boards showcasing names of various boats from visitors. It’s always a fun challenge to search for names we recognize.

Another trail leads to Panther Point at the southern tip of the island, offering breathtaking views of Trincomali Channel. Someone has even placed a small Buddhist shrine at this point, spreading good karma to all Gulf Island boaters. With so many captivating hiking trails, Wallace Island is a cherished stop on nearly every voyage.

Michael and Karen have been cruising the Salish Sea and beyond for over 20 years, seizing every opportunity to hike along the way. For additional resources for hikers, be sure to visit their website at https://mvmischief.com/library/

For more detailed hiking information in this area, Michael and Karen highly recommend: “Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia” by Charles Kahn.