Ever since I discovered backpacking nearly 20 years ago, it’s been my favourite outdoor activity. Some of my most memorable backpacking trips have been close to home in British Columbia. So I put together a list of the best backpacking trips in BC. If you’re going to take time off to go backpacking, you don’t …
Trails
The Juan de Fuca Trail covers 47 challenging kilometres along the coast of southwestern Vancouver Island. I’ve hiked the trail twice, so I put together a Juan de Fuca Trail itinerary to help you get prepared for your trip. I also have several Juan de Fuca itinerary options for trips between 3 and 7 days …
The Juan de Fuca Trail is a multi-day hike along the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is a challenging backpacking trip through the rainforest and across beaches. Along its 47 kilometre length you will experience lots of gorgeous scenery, old-growth trees, sandy beaches, and mud. I hiked the Juan de …
Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you need to stop hiking. Since it can be tough to find trails without snow, I’ve put together the an absolutely enormous list of snow-free hikes in Vancouver for you. These are trails in Vancouver that you can hike year round… and there’s over 120 of them! I’ve got …
Most hikes go to a mountain top, a lake or a viewpoint. Those hikes are great, but sometimes you want something different. Something a little unusual. Something off-the-beaten path. Or even something even a little bit weird. Well don’t worry: I got you! I’ve got a list of 15 unusual hikes near Vancouver. These hikes …
The North Coast Trail is a challenging 43km multi-day backpacking trip along the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I hiked the trail twice (to research my book, Backpacking on Vancouver Island). I’ve put together a section-by-section overview of the North Coast Trail to give you a taste of the trail and help …
The North Coast Trail is a multi-day wilderness hike across the very northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It’s a challenging and remote hike through old-growth rainforest, along beaches, and across muddy coastal bogs. The 43-kilometre-long hike is difficult but beautiful. I hiked the trail twice (to research my book Backpacking on …
Even in the age of the internet and social media, books are still one of my favourite ways to get info about hiking trails. I’m a bit of a hiking guidebook conoisseur. I own over 100 hiking guide books, most of them for British Columbia. In this post, I’ll give you my recommendations for the …
If you aren’t used to backpacking in the Canadian Rockies, it can be tough to figure out what to pack for the Rockwall Trail. It’s a high elevation route that crosses lots of windy, treeless mountain passes. But the camps are deep in shady valley bottoms. I hiked it in mid-August last year and came …
Cliff Gilker Park near Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast is a great place for a short and easy hike. It has a network of forested trails that lead to lots of waterfalls and cascades. If you love moss, ferns, mushrooms, and tall Douglas firs, this hike is for you. I lived in Gibsons for …