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| Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew, B.C. |
When it comes to driving on
Vancouver Island, there aren’t a lot of roads to choose from if you don’t own a
four-wheel drive. Dusty, bumpy logging roads dominate much of the Island, which
stretches 460 kilometres (290 miles) in length and is located off Canada’s West
Coast, boasting some of the most rugged and wild scenery on the planet.
Fortunately, the few roads that are paved make for some fantastic road trips.
Victoria to Botanical Beach
West Coast Highway (South Island)
Distance: 114 km (70 miles)
This isn’t a road that everyone
enjoys driving, especially if you live somewhere with flat straight roads, but
it’s definitely one worth doing. The trip starts with a visit to the province’s
vibrant capital city of Victoria, which has loads of great restaurants,
colourful buildings and plenty of charm. Head west on Highway 14, where shortly
after leaving the town of Sooke, the road starts hugging the ocean, offering
panoramic views of the Straight of Juan de Fuca and Washington’s snow-capped
Olympic Mountains. You’ll pass by a few artisans, hobby farms and the odd café
before the narrow, uneven road starts doing what it’s known for — twisting and
turning to the point of making car passengers nauseous. Before this happens,
however, there are two provincial parks worth a brief stop at — China Beach and
French Beach. China Beach marks the start of the rugged Juan de Fuca Trail,
which stretches 47 kilometres (29 miles) along the southern coast, and has a
handful of access points along the highway that can be hard to spot if no
vehicles are parked there. The road gets really gnarly around the Sombrio Beach
access point as it passes through lush ravines filled with ferns and small
creeks. Known for its tidal pools, the road ends at Botanical Beach, which is
always an interesting place to spend a few hours no matter how old you are.
Note: there is no gas station in Port Renfrew (just before Botanical Beach) or
any other services after Sooke.
Coombs to Tofino
Highway 4 (Pacific Rim Highway),
Central Island
Distance: 160 km (100 miles)
You know you’re in for an
interesting drive when you start in a village that has live goats on a business
roof, then soon end up on a highway that feels like it’s trying to merge with a
lake. The drive from Coombs to Tofino is arguably the most scenic on the
Island, and is also the most popular, so brace yourself for a slow crawl behind
a parade of motorhomes until you reach your final destination. The drive is
interesting from the get go, hugging the shores of pristine Cameron Lake before
heading into a forest full of old giant fir and cedar trees draped with moss in
Cathedral Grove. Once out of the forest, there’s an impressive view of Mount
Arrowsmith before arriving in Port Alberni — a small, bustling lumber and
fishing city located at the head of the longest ocean inlet on Vancouver
Island. Shortly after Port Alberni, the road takes a page from its southern
cousin; turning into a narrow, uneven journey packed with twists and turns as
it snakes through the Island’s mountainous interior, following the Kennedy
River. There are no services until you reach the junction for the two
ocean-side towns of Ucluelet or Tofino, which are located 40 km (25 miles)
apart from one another. The road to Tofino — a sleepy surfing town known for
its wild, picturesque setting at the end of a peninsula within Clayoquot Sound
— goes through Pacific Rim National Park, providing sweeping views of sprawling
white sandy beaches being pounded with waves.
Campbell River to Port Hardy
Highway 19 (North Island)
Distance: 230 km (143 miles)
Known as the salmon capital of the
world, the small City of Campbell River turns into a frenzy of fishing activity
during midsummer to late fall as hundreds of thousands of salmon come home to
spawn. It’s also the gateway for exploring the remote towns/villages on the
north coast, where life revolves around fishing and logging, and there aren’t
many crowds. From Campbell River, the highway passes by Seymour Narrows — a 5
km section of the Discovery Passage, which is known for its turbulent tidal
currents. Hike the Ripple Rock trail to get a closer look at where the largest
non-nuclear explosion in the world occurred in 1958. Shortly after, the road
plunges into complete wilderness for most of the way, passing through thick forests
that occasionally offer views of the mountains, lakes and a few hiking trails
scattered in between. It’s hard to believe sometimes you’re still on an island
until you reach the small coastal towns of Port McNeill and Port Hardy on the
northern tip, where First Nations culture still abounds. Port Hardy is the
gateway to the 43-km (26 miles) North Coast Trail in Cape Scott Provincial
Park, which involves a 63-km (40 miles) drive on a rough logging road to get
to. The town is also the launching point for travellers taking the ferry to the
handful of remote communities on the mid and northern coasts of B.C., but it
comes with a hefty price tag. Note: The ocean off the north coast come alive in
the fall when the water is bombarded with humpback whales readying for their
winter migration to Hawaii.
Campbell River to Gold River
Highway 28 (Central Island)
Distance: 87 km (54 miles)
This road trip is for those
wanting to get out into nature and off the beaten path without having to ever
venture very far from their vehicle. From the moment you leave Campbell River,
travellers are presented with a variety of hiking trails in Elk Falls
Provincial Park and Strathcona Provincial Park, which was designated in 1911,
making it the oldest provincial park in the province and the largest on the
Island. The park encompasses a large chunk of the interior and is known for its
challenging long-distance hikes, waterfalls, glaciers and lakes. There are no
commercial tourist facilities in the park itself, aside from the nearby Strathcona
Park Lodge on the shores of Upper Campbell Lake, which the highway meanders
beside for part of the journey. After the lake, the highway veers through small
mountain valleys before arriving in the quiet village of Gold River. Head west
towards Tahsis to explore the Upana Caves or drive 15 minutes south to the
Muchalat Inlet, where travellers can take a cruise on the MV Uchuck to other
tiny islands and remote First Nations communities.
Courtenay to Parksville
Highway 19A (Oceanside Route)
Distance: 75 km (46 miles)
If you like being where all the
action is, then this is the road trip for you. The bulk of Vancouver Island’s
million or so residents live on either the south or east coast, which has warm
ocean water temperatures for swimming and views of the Strait of Georgia with
the Coast Mountains in the distance. After the small City of Courtenay, one of
three communities in the Comox Valley (known as the oyster capital of Canada),
the highway passes by a string of hobby farms selling produce, a wide variety
of artisans, cafes, pubs advertising fish and chips, resorts and sleepy
villages hugging the ocean shore. You’ll soon arrive in the bustling community
of Qualicum Beach, which has a busy promenade along its sprawling beach that
often draws big crowds on hot days. If you like beaches, then continue heading
10 minutes south to Parksville and check out the community beach and Rathtrevor
Beach, which has one of the Island’s most popular campgrounds. Among the long
list of tourist attractions in the area is the Craig Heritage Park Museum (next
to the tourist information centre), which shelters eight historic buildings and
2,000 pioneer artifacts. The oldest building dates back to 1888.
Salt Spring Island
Highway: multiple roads
Distance: Approximately 43 km (26
miles)
This road trip isn’t located on
Vancouver Island, but it’s too close and fun not to mention. Located just off
the Island’s southeast coast, the Southern Gulf Islands vary in size and
population and are known for their artists, wineries, small farms and friendly,
laid back locals often found hitchhiking to get from Point A to Point B. Salt
Spring Island is the largest (70 square miles or 180 square km) and most
populated (10,500 people) of the Islands and can be accessed by ferry from Vancouver
Island at Swartz Bay or Crofton. The ferry from Swartz Bay takes travellers to
Fulford Harbour. From here, take a right on Beaver Point Road and follow the
signs to the Salt Spring Island Cheese Company to sample many unique flavours
of goat cheese. Head back onto Beaver Point Road and follow it until the end at
Ruckle Provincial Park, which has more than 15 km (9 miles) of hiking trails
and a campground in a grassy meadow overlooking Swanson Channel. From here,
head back onto Beaver Point Road to Fulford Harbour and take Ganges Road, which
is packed with farm stands and various artisans. There’s also a craft beer
brewery and two wineries worth taking a stop at for a tasting. Before you reach
the colourful village of Ganges, follow the signs to the viewpoint at Mount
Maxwell Provincial Park. The road to the peak is steep, narrow and bumpy but
offers a series of viewpoints overlooking the Fulford Valley, Burgoyne Bay and
Vancouver Island.
-- published by Matador Network August 2017