Charmingly gentle, challengingly tough and flat-out spectacular trailblazed hiking routes penetrate every wild corner of Salt Spring - up mountain peaks, deep into coastal forests and out to shell-crunch beaches.
Some highlight hikes include the following:
Easy
Ruckle Provincial Park: Rocky outcroppings at the ocean's edge, forested trails and lots of prime waterfront picnicking spots makes this island's premier park ideal for family outings. Head to Fulford Harbour, then turn east onto Beaver Point Road and enjoy the 10km/6mi drive to the park's farmyard gates.
Duck Creek Park: Best dogwalking route on the island follows the course of a creekbed that meanders peacefully in summer and surges loud and fast during the wet winters. The 3km/1.3mi circuit route also takes in a lovely meadow.
Off Sunset Road near Vesuvius on the westside.
Moderate
Southey Point: Curiously enough, the island's extreme northend is known as Southey Point. Drive to the end of Arbutus Road for direct access to one of Salt Spring's most picturesque "secret beaches." Or hike the hour-long there-and-back route known as the Jack Foster Trail. The flag-marked trail leads through forests, down into a swampy valley and out past farmer fields to a beach facing Wallace Island. The trailhead is steps from the junction of North End and Southey Point roads.
Mount Maxwell Provincial Park: The island's finest vista is atop Mount Maxwell overlooking the Fulford Valley directly above Burgoyne Bay. Park the car at the summit, take in the views of the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island, and then hike a remarkable cliffside trail that winds through second-growth Douglas fir. Get here by driving south from Ganges, turning right onto Cranberry Road (off the Fulford-Ganges Road) and then negotiating the washboard bumpy dirt road to the top.
Challenging
Mount Erskine: Salt Spring's answer to North Vancouver's Grouse Grind. The steep trail gains 336m/1,100ft in elevation as it climbs through arbutus groves enroute to the cliffside "Broccoli Tree" vista. Established as a provincial park in 2006, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, Erskine is home to the endangered sharp-tailed snake (a favorite snack for Peregrine falcons that soar overhead). The half-day hike can be reached from Ganges via Rainbow and Collins roads.
Other options for hardcore hikers: Hope Hill, Mount Bruce, Reginald Hill and Mount Tuam, all in the island's southern half.
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