Tranquil waters, serene beaches, beautiful views, and peace of mind are all things I experienced throughout my road trip along the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. If you're looking for all of this and more, read on to plan your trip along Highway 101 of Beautiful British Columbia.
My journey began as part of a trip I planned to Vancouver, Canada to visit a couple of friends. We had all just freshly graduated from college, feeling the stress and pressure of entering into the real world. To alleviate our anxieties, we decided there was no better thing to do than to spend some good ol' time with Mother Nature. We debated where to go: Tofino, Olympic National Park, the list goes on. With further research, we decided that Texada Island would be the perfect getaway. With our destination picked out and Lolo's car jam-packed with our bags and camping supplies, we were ready to hit the open road.
Before you read on, here's what you need to know before you decide to venture to the Sunshine Coast:
To get to Texada Island, you must take 3 BC Ferries, so you'll want to look up the schedule and know the cost before you depart
My friends and I went camping with just a tent, so I will be mentioning campgrounds we stayed at rather than finding cabins or an Air Bnb
This journey is for a total of 4 days and 3 nights, but you could adjust according to your schedule and desired destinations
Each step will give you general directions, as well as some suggestions of exploring to do along the journey
If you don't like reading, just watch my Sunshine Coast miniseries on YouTube here!
Step 1: Horseshoe Bay --> Langdale Terminal
Starting from the city of Vancouver, take highway BC-1A/BC-99N until you get to Horseshoe Bay. Here, you'll have to take a BC Ferry to get to the Langdale Terminal where Highway 101 begins. Remember to check the BC Ferries schedule and get to the terminal well before the departure time to ensure you have a secured spot. The ride takes approximately 40 minutes, but that time will absolutely fly by as you are marveled by the absolute beauty and majesty of the islands and mountains.
Step 2: Earl's Cove Ferry Terminal and surrounding area
Now that you are officially on the Sunshine Coast, take in the beautiful views, and if you need to, stop at Tim Horton's to pick yourself up some Tim Bits and a coffee to get you through the trip (the further you go along the coast the more isolated and less populated it is, so there may not be many more chances for Timmy Ho's after this point). It will take approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to the Powell River terminal.
If you have time, explore this area before going across. We discovered a nice and easy hike to the Skookumchuck Narrows (pictured right), which are whirlpools. Near the trailhead, there is a neat little gift shop in the woods. Not too far from the ferry station itself, we found another hike to a serene lake. Check out these attractions in this video.
Step 3: Powell River
The ferry from Earl's Cove to Saltery Bay should take around an hour, but once again, it is such an enjoyable ride that you won't even realize time passing at all. At this point in the day, we had spent quite a lot of time on the road and on the ferries, so we decided that we would spend a night in Powell River before heading all the way to Texada. We decided upon Willingdon Beach Campsite, which is situated right along the beach, has bathroom facilities, and even an outdoor gym (#fitness). Watch our experience at the campground here.
After setting up our tent, cracking open some brews, and enjoying some pasta, we walked down to the shoreline to witness my first Pacific Coast sunset. We then got a good night's rest and took the morning to relax and soak up the sun. Then, we packed up all our belongings, went to Walmart to buy a plethora of snacks (don't forget the ketchup chips!), and headed to the Powell River ferry terminal.
Step 4: Texada Island
You can literally see Texada Island from Powell River, so this ferry ride doesn't take as long and you'll find yourself on the island in no time. Since we had a pretty uneventful morning, we decided to get exploring on Texada right away. We tried to do some prior research on what to do, and found out about this old quarry lake that had the most beautiful bright blue/green water. The only problem was, Texada Island has a total of about 4 roads, and some of the roads that show up on Google Maps do not actually exist once you're there. So in order to find this quarry, we pulled off on the side of the road where we found what kind of resembled a path. We followed it down, down, down, until we could see the lake slightly through the trees. After bushwhacking a bit, we got to a clearing where we found the most breathtaking view of the lake. Eventually, we found a way to hike down to the shoreline and couldn't resist taking a dip to explore the quarry. There was not one other soul there, just a few Canadian geese. The water was a bit cold, but it was absolutely worth it. To see how we found the quarry lake, watch this video.
After having great success exploring the quarry, we thought it best to set up camp for the night at Shelter Point Regional Park Campground. I have to say, this was the absolute best camping experience I ever had. Our campsite had the most beautiful view with the beach right in front of us and the distinct mountain view of Vancouver Island in the distance. Not to mention, there were very few other campers at the site, and we were able to find lots of firewood laying around with a bit of exploration (they also sell firewood if you're feeling particularly lazy). After setting up camp, we watched another breathtaking Pacific sunset, and enjoyed each other's company around the light of the campfire for the rest of the night.
We weren't exactly sure what the plan was for day 2 on Texada, except that we wanted to explore, so we hopped into Lolo's car and started driving around the island, seeing what we could find. At one point, we came to a dead end that just so happened to be an emu farm. After questioning the reason for emus, we decided to continue on our quest. We soon found a dirt road that supposedly lead to one end of the island, where we hoped we would be able to see a beautiful view of the sea. We followed the road for some time, and began to see signs for "Bob's Lake." We pulled over, hiked down a steep hill and found the most tranquil blue lake. Here, we took in the beauty as we listened to birds chirping and frogs croaking. Next, we continued down the dirt road for quite awhile, until finally we reached a sign saying "Warning: Offroading Vehicles Only." Being that we were driving around in a Toyota, we were unsure whether or not we could continue. We decided to check it out on foot. Turns out, the hill was extremely steep and full of loose gravel, so we deemed it too treacherous and just decided to head back to the campground for the rest of the day. After soaking up the sun for a bit, we checked out the nature trail conveniently located right near our campsite. For a glimpse of Bob's Lake and the nature trail, watch this video.
Step 4: Heading Home
Although we thoroughly enjoyed our camping adventure, it was time to head back to reality. We cleaned up our stuff, packed Lolo's car, and headed back down Highway 101, across 3 ferries, all the way back to Vancouver.
The Sunshine Coast was hands down the best road trip and camping trip I have ever been on. I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you're looking to be away from society and just be one with nature. I hope you've found this little guide helpful, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all! To get a better glimpse into the experience of the Sunshine Coast and Texada Island, watch my YouTube miniseries documenting our trip!
Happy trails!
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