If you enjoy a more laid-back, in-sync-with-nature approach to your trips—where fancy hotels and upscale restaurants aren’t your top priority—then this backpacking adventure might just be the right fit for you. The Nootka Island Trail is a 23-mile trail hugging the west coastal contours, meandering through lush forests and sandy beaches alike. It’s a true, 6-day wilderness experience with no man-made structures to help you out—fording creeks, trampling over bogs, crossing steep cliffs, that’s all part of the experience! That also means that there’s far less people on the trail, giving the floor to the thriving wildlife: black bears, sea wolves, river otters, eagles, or humpback whales might say hello. Join your expert guides on this backpacking trip and unplug from the world, at least for those 6 days.
Backpacking the Nootka Island Trail is a genuine immersion into British Columbia’s wilderness. Over the course of 6 days, expert guides will lead you along this 6-day journey, giving you a chance to peek into an off-the-grid life. You will tour spectacular beaches, lush forests, mighty waterfalls, and babbling creeks, and as night falls, you’ll retreat to your million-dollar-view camps under the starry skies.
Meet your guide at Duke Point Ferry Terminal or one of the Nanaimo accommodations (details in the FAQ) at 7:15 am (meeting the 5:15 ferry from Tswwassen to Duke Point). You will then drive to Gold River. Here you’ll board a float plane that will fly you to the trailhead, Louis Bay, on the northwestern tip of Nootka Island. After a short, warm-up hike, arrive at your camping location or, time and tide dependent, continue to Skuna Ck.
The second day of the tour has you departing from the Third Beach, a long and sandy beach, and going to Skuna Creek, which would be a 2.25-kilometer (1.4-mile) hike. Tide-permitting, there’s an option to go to Crawfish Falls, a 4-6 hour hike over 15.25 km (9.5 miles)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 2.25 km / 1.4 miles + 15.25 km / 9.5 miles
Hiking: 1 hour + 4-6 hours
Over the sandy beach, go south round bay, and follow the shoreline to the First Nations village site at Bajo Point. You’ll pass boulders and rock shelves along the way. Round point to see the Nootka Sound and Hesquiat Peninsula in the distance. There’s a long stretch of pebble beach to Beano Creek. Cross Creek if possible.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 10.25 km / 6.4 miles
Hiking: 3-4 hours
Cross the Creek if on the north side. Continue round the bay below cliffs or along the trail through forest. There will be a short, 10-meter rope section. You’ll reach Calicum Ck and lots of pocket beaches. Walk further to the sea cave beach, and a bit further on there will be a second rope into the forest. End your day at Maquina Pt.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 6.25 km / 3.9 miles
Hiking: 3-4 hours
Walk across the lagoon and along pebble beach to Friendly Cove, where you’ll set up cam. Take it easy the rest of the day—swim in the warm lake, explore the area, and visit Sanford Williams workshop. Enjoy your last day in the wilderness.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Take a floatplane back to Gold River, where you can have lunch. After that, drive back to Nanaimo for an afternoon ferry. Say goodbye to your guide and your team, and if you’d like to stay longer in the area, just ask your guides for some recommendations!
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
The Nootka Island Trail is a 37-kilometer (23-mile) trail which will be dispersed over the course of 6 days. Some days are longer than others, but you still need to have great fitness as you’ll be carrying a 33-43 pound backpack (15-20 kg) all the way through. Apart from that, the trail and terrain can get tricky at times.
Interested in some other hiking tours in Canada? Check out this hiking adventure along the majestic West Coast Trail, one to three days of hiking in Revelstoke, or an all-women hiking holiday in Canada.
Travel as light as possible with necessities and have as many things as possible be dual use. Typical final pack weights (with food and tent) are between 33 and 43 pounds (15-20 kg). When you’re packing, you’re doing so without food, group gear, and tent, so make sure your target pre-trip backpack weight without all of it as well as water is 22–27 pounds (10-12.25 kg), lower is better. Once you meet your guide, you’ll add the rest to your backpack.
Here’s a list of clothing we suggest you bring:
Here’s a list of the equipment and personal items you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
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Group sizes and prices:
Backpacking along the Nootka Island Trail can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Nanaimo, the starting point of your tour, most people fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR) or Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Connect to Vancouver Island using ferry, bus, or air. From there, you can reach Nanaimo by ferry or plane. If you’re traveling from afar, make sure to arrive a day early since you’ll be meeting your guide early in the morning of Day 1.
You’ll meet your guide on Day 1 in Departure Bay, Duke Point Ferry Terminal. Here’s a list of other possible meeting locations and accommodations a day prior to and after the tour.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Nootka, British Columbia, please refer to BC’s COVID-19 travel guidance.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
A 30% non-refundable deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 2 months (60 days) prior to departure. Please keep in mind that the tour will not operate with less than four clients. Departures will be guaranteed 60 days prior to departure at the latest.
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In 2014 I was guided by James and Georgia of Coastal Bliss on the West Coast Trail … an amazing trip … the food, the organisation, the company and the evening readings about shipwrecks on the very coast where we had hiked that day.
When I decided to visit Canada again this year, 2016, I again joined a Coastal Bliss guided hike, the Nootka Trail. Once again a brilliant experience … the hiking seems easy when all the arrangements have been smoothly made with no worries about cooking, water filtering, route or attempting to hang food bags away from the wildlife! The evening readings were again exciting and not to be missed ….
Truly coastal bliss!