The Sunshine Coast Trail is a 180km long trail on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is the longest hut-to-hut hiking trail in Canada, and definitely the best marked trail I have ever seen, thanks to the tireless work of the Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society (aka PAWS).
A small group of us set out in June 2021 with the intent of walking the whole trail over 11 days. After weeks of planning, due to extreme weather conditions, we unfortunately chose to turn around after 68 km.
While we did not meet our objective this time around, we had a lot of laughs, ate some delicious food, and swam multiple times per day, all while walking through beautiful coastal landscapes. It’s the journey, not the destination, right?
In the future I hope to be able to publish a Part 2 to this blog post; however, for now, here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike on the northern section of the Sunshine Coast Trail.
Edit: Part 2 (Inland Lake to Lang Bay) is now available!
Trail Stats
Distance: 180km (plus or minus some due to trail re-routes)
Elevation: 8,133m (cumulatively)
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
Hiking Season: The section north of Powell River could be completed year-round. The rest of the trail is at a higher elevation so hiking between June and October is recommended.
Planning Resources
- We took a copy of The Sunshine Coast Trail Guidebook by Eagle Waltz, and it had lots of information about the trail conditions and water sources. If you would like to get a copy check out this link for information.
- The Sunshine Coast Trail website has lots of information and maps to help you plan your trip
- The Sunshine Coast Trail Hikers Facebook group is a good resource for recent trail conditions
- Alltrails is always a good resource for recent trail conditions
Preparing for the Trip
Itinerary
Based on our group’s fitness levels and hiking speed, we aimed to cover an average of 20 km per day, which means we would take 10 days to complete the trail.
In hindsight, this was a very ambitious itinerary.
Our group is young, fit, and generally hikes faster than average, but I still would have added at least one extra day to the segment of the trail that we completed, and potentially another one to the middle section of the trail – I can confirm that once we are able to give this another try.
Due to COVID-19 we opted to camp at all points along the trail, but given the trail is laid out for hut-to-hut hikers, we did end up camping outside of the huts several times.
Transportation to Trailhead
We opted just to take one car which we would leave at the south end of the trail near Saltery Bay ferry terminal.
Prior to our departure, we arranged for the folks at Sunshine Coast Shuttles to pick us up near the ferry terminal before driving us in their 4×4 to Sarah Point.
The road between Saltery Bay and Powell River is paved, but as soon as you get out of Powell River you end up on a logging road. The road is smooth until you hit Lund, but after that point the condition deteriorates. If you do not have a 4×4 or are not an experienced 4×4 driver I would recommend getting someone else to take you to the trailhead.
If you prefer to take a water taxi to Sarah Point from Powell River or from Lund, this website outlines the options.
Food Management
Given the distance and time on the trail, we decided to store some food in Powell River to pick up en-route. The Shingle Mill pub will store your food for free, and they are literally right on the trail. We were able to stop in here to drop off our food on our ride up to Sarah Point.
On the Trail
Day 1: Travel from Vancouver to Sarah Point (0 km)
Travel day! We woke up bright and early and drove from East Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay to start our journey. We missed our ferry reservation due to backed up traffic before the toll booths, but were able to squeeze onto the next ferry.
We spent both ferry rides dividing up our food and group gear, so that we were ready to go when the Sunshine Coast Shuttles came to pick us up at Saltery Bay. These lovely folks drove us all the way to Sarah Point, where we swam in the surprisingly warm ocean water, made delicious Pad Thai for dinner, and prepared to embark on our big adventure the next morning.
Staying at Sarah Point was one of the highlights of the trail for me. Many people immediately start hiking here and camp at Feather Cove instead (km 5), but I would highly recommend savoring the swimming and sunset opportunity here first.
Note that there is no fresh water source at Sarah Point – you will need to pack in all the water you will need to cook with and enough to drink the next day before arriving at the next water source.
Another note: Sarah Point is a BC Parks campsite, and requires a payment of $5/night per person.
Day 2: Sarah Point to Manzanita Hut
Target: 17 km
Actual: 17,000 km (is what it felt like)
Around 7am, I heard a very loud grunt very close to our campsite. Naturally, I shot up, adrenaline pulsing through my veins, and carefully poked my head out of the tent. I expected to see a large bear waiting for us, and grabbed my bear spray as I unzipped the tent to see.
We quickly realized the grunt that we heard was in fact the sound of two sea lions frolicking directly in front of our tents! Breakfast … and a show?
After a hearty bowl of quick oats, we packed up our bags and hit the trail. We left Sarah Point around 9 am, running low on water but planning to refill at a stream at km 5 that was noted in the guidebook.
From Sarah Point, the trail very quickly starts climbing upwards over the bluffs. The path undulates up and down across the hard rocks and the soft scrub, and very quickly I lamented not doing a little bit more training before embarking on this adventure.
Although we expected to run into a stream at 5 km, due to the extremely dry weather for the weeks prior to our trip, it was completely dry. This was the case for other supposed water sources at other points, too.
We arrived at Feather Cove about an hour and a half later. So far we were definitely moving slower than we had anticipated, but I was not too concerned, as we were still getting our trail legs.
Feather Cove has an assortment of campsites located in the forest and out on a small peninsula overlooking the Malaspina Inlet. It is a beautiful spot, but it was busy! Many of the folks staying here were on paddling trips around the area, as it is accessible from the water.
After a quick snack break on the beach overlooking the ocean, we continued onwards.
At 8 km we passed the newest hut on the Sunshine Coast Trail, Bliss Portage Hut. It was so new you could smell the freshly cut wood in the clearing surrounding the building.
Without enough water, and with the rising temperatures, it was extremely hot and humid. I don’t know if I have ever sweat as much in my life as I did on this day. Every step felt like a gargantuan effort and I could not believe how slowly we were walking.
We did not find clean water until we collapsed for lunch at Wednesday Lake at 12 km. At this point we were all drenched in sweat and somewhat dehydrated. We took a long break at this cool lake to swim and drink as much water as possible before continuing onwards. The lake is large and has a significant outflow just past the swimming area which allows you to easily fill up your water.
After several more hours of undulating terrain, we finally arrived at Manzanita Hut around 5pm, incredibly grateful to be able to rest for the night.
We had a well-earned meal and spoke with two women and their adorable dogs who were also staying at the campsite. They very kindly informed us of the impending “heat dome” that was going to hit the Pacific Northwest, which we were not aware of two days before when we left cell service!
Apparently on this day, it was almost 35°C outside in the afternoon! No wonder we were struggling so much.
We spent the evening discussing this development and making contingency plans for the next couple of days as we watched the sun set over the Copeland Islands and the snow-capped mountains on Vancouver Island across the Georgia Strait. The sound of falcons dive-bombing our tents lulled us to sleep.
Note: there is no water at Manzanita Hut. We filled our water up at a stream near the 15 km mark and carried it the additional 2 km to the campsite.
Day 3: Manzanita Hut to Sliammon Lake
Target: 26 km
Actual: 26,000 km (is what it felt like)
Our little group wanted to get an early start to try and beat the brutal heat that we experienced yesterday. I woke up refreshed; alas, my friends did not, as the falcons continued their dive-bombing until about 5 am. This is why I ALWAYS pack ear plugs.
After another quick breakfast of quick oats, we left Manzanita Hut around 7 am. Not after poking around in the attic space though!
The next few hours, we continued to meander up and down on an undulating trail, passing through lush rainforest, dry outcrops, and old forestry blocks. It was hot in the sun, and unbearably humid in the rainforest as we climbed up and down. My legs felt slightly stronger than they had the day before, but it was just as hot, and I could not believe how much I was sweating.
Thankfully, as we were starting to get off of the Malaspina Peninsula, water became much more readily available. We stopped for a positively icy dip at a swimming hole located at Homestead Creek Recreation Site (km 28). On any normal day, this particular swimming hole is more of a “jump-in-jump-out” sort of place. On this day, it was so hot that we sat in the icy pool for at least 30 minutes trying to bring our body temperatures down to a reasonable level.
After passing the Homestead Creek recreation site, the trail meanders along one side of the creek for several kilometers. There are several stunning waterfalls along this section of the trail, if chasing waterfalls is your thing.
We finally arrived at the Sliammon Lake campsite (km 40) around 5 pm. There was one other group camping there, but we otherwise had the place to ourselves.
Sliammon Lake is massive, and we welcomed the chance to jump in another body of water and cool ourselves off. We cooked ourselves another well-earned dinner, massaged our sore feet, and fell asleep very, very early that night.
Day 4: Sliammon Lake to Anthony Island (on Inland Lake)
Target: 21 km
Actual: 13 of walking, plus a 7km car ride from the Shingle Mill Pub to Inland Lake
Unfortunately, none of us slept well this night as the other group at the campsite was very loud. We rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn, aiming for another early start, and left the campsite by 7 am.
From here the trail flattened out, which was appreciated. We walked along the edge of Sliammon Lake and crossed a small bluff before arriving at Little Sliammon Lake (km 43).
There is a sizeable campsite here along with a canoe that is free to use! We took a quick swimming break here and continued onwards to Powell River.
We continued walking through forestry cutblocks, slowly climbing upwards, and eventually ended up on a bluff overlooking Powell River. As we wound our way down the bluff, we heard a sudden rustling in the salal bushes, and as we turned a corner, a large dark shape bounded into the bushes. Our first bear sighting on the trail!
We all backed up, started to speak to each other loudly, and disarmed our bear spray canisters so they were ready to use if required. After a few moments, we heard no further rustling, and decided it was safe to continue down the trail.
As we continued into Powell River, we loudly sang nonsensical tunes to ensure any other bears were very aware of our presence. One of the Grammy-winning tracks included a tune called “beers, not bears”, which is very self-explanatory.
We were relieved to arrive at the Shingle Mill Pub (km 50) where we stopped to pick up our resupply bag. We took this as an excuse to have some cold drinks in an air conditioned environment while we checked the weather forecast and reassessed our plans. I’m not sure I have ever earned a beer more!
At this point, it looked like the high temperatures would last another 2-3 days. Unfortunately, the hottest day would coincide with our biggest climb up to Tin Hat Mountain, the highest point on the trail.
We decided that we would spend the next day resting by a body of water to wait out some of this heat dome, and to break down our next few days into very small chunks (i.e. less than 8km per day). We would wake up before sunrise, and try to get to our next destination by 10 am each morning to avoid the blazing heat. In order to make this work, we would end our SCT journey at Lois Lake, and hitchhike back to our car at Saltery Bay, skipping the southern Mount Troubridge section of the trail.
After agreeing on our new course of action, we got a ride from the Shingle Mill Pub (km 50) to Inland Lake campsite (64 km). From there we walked along the flat and well groomed lakeshore trail to Anthony Island Hut (km 67) on the south side of the lake, where we set up camp by a small sandy beach.
We made a delicious pesto pasta for dinner and swam in the cool water before falling asleep.
Day 5: Rest Day
The campsite on Anthony Island (at Inland Lake) was an idyllic place to spend a 42°C day. It is shady, but has great water access from the small sandy beach mentioned earlier. Even better is that we had the place to ourselves, for the most part!
We spent a very lazy day here swimming, playing cards, and napping in the shade in preparation for the next leg of our journey.
Day 6: Anthony Island to Confederation Hut
Target: 10 km
Actual: 7 km (2 km towards Confederation Hut, then 2 km of backtracking, then 3 km back to the Inland Lake campground)
As we had planned, we woke up at 4 am to start our climb to Confederation Hut, which was 600m of elevation gain over 8 km. On a normal day, that would be a piece of cake; however, with 7 days worth of food in my pack, and with a temperature of 30°C before the sun had risen, we knew it was going to be a tough few days.
After a very quick breakfast, we packed up our things and left the campsite by 5 am. We backtracked a few hundred meters to the trail junction for Confederation Hut, and swung uphill into a dense forest. As soon as we left the lakeshore, the humidity increased quickly. By 6:30 am we were all absolutely drenched in sweat, and one of our group members began to feel very dizzy, so we stopped to rest.
As we waited for our group member to feel better, we started to discuss whether it was safe to continue given the conditions. Heat stroke and dehydration were very probable risks under these circumstances, and Inland Lake campsite was our last feasible bail-out point for the next 7 days. I had my InReach for safety, but really did not want to be in a position where we had to use it over the next week.
Our group member was still not feeling better after a long rest, and so after some more deliberation, we made the hard decision to bail out at km 68 on the trail. We walked back to Inland Lake Campsite, where I hitched a ride into Powell River so that I could take a taxi or the bus back to my car at Saltery Bay. I would then drive back and pick up the other two from Inland Lake campsite.
Unfortunately, the only cab company in Powell River would not drive me all the way to Saltery Bay, and the local bus headed in that direction had already left for the day.
With the last of my phone battery, I made an emergency call to the folks at Sunshine Coast Shuttles. After explaining our situation, they agreed to pick up the rest of the group at Inland Lake, and then come pick me up at my current location. They were incredibly helpful and we were so appreciative that they were able to help us out in a pinch.
We arrived back at my car earlier than anticipated, and with disappointment, began our journey back to the very hot city of Vancouver, where we rode out the rest of the heat dome in our respective homes.
Lessons Learned
We did a very thorough debrief of the trip after the misadventures detailed above. Here are some of the key takeaways from our experience on the trail:
- Obviously, it was very disappointing to have to turn around on an objective, but the health and safety of the entire group is more important than ticking anything off your bucket list.
- I learned a lot about how to effectively plan and pack for a backpacking trip of this length. Up until this trip, the longest I had been out hiking was for 4 days at a time.
- I’d like to think the insane temperature explains why this section of the Sunshine Coast Trail felt like such a struggle! That is partially true. Alas, we probably did not hike as much as we should have to prepare for this adventure. We also underestimated the “moderate” rating of this section of the trail in the guidebook. The undulation of these coastal trails can be mentally challenging and that is something to keep in mind when you are planning your trip!
Regardless of the outcome, I am looking forward to completing the rest of this trail. Stay tuned for future trip reports!
Have you done the whole Sunshine Coast Trail (or segments of the trail)? What was your experience like?
