After flying into Vancouver, we hop on one of the twice-daily flights to Powell River—just 35 minutes away—or drive up the Sunshine Coast via two ferries, a trip of around six hours. Powell River is the hub of the Sunshine Coast and where our journey begins. We’ll meet you here, by the shores of the Salish Sea, and drive twenty minutes to Lund, where we’ll settle into the historic Lund Hotel, built in 1918, before sitting down to a dinner of local seafood.

Accommodation: Lund Hotel (built in 1918); not included in the tour price

After a good night’s sleep and a big breakfast, we set out for two nights on the trail. Just steps from the hotel’s door, a twenty-minute water taxi ride carries us along the coast—hopefully past a pod of whales—to Sarah Point. We snap group photos with Mount Washington and Vancouver Island behind us, then start climbing, catching glimpses of Desolation Sound through the trees. Watch for the arbutus, its smooth, reddish-brown bark standing out against the evergreens and the blue of the Salish Sea. We pass Hinder Lake and Malaspina Lake, home to beavers quick to slap their tails in warning, before reaching the semi-open Manzanita Hut, where a snack and views over the Copeland Islands, Savary Island, and the Salish Sea await.

Meals: Lunch, dinner
Hiking: 14 km (8.7 mi)
Elevation gain: 750 m (2,461 ft)
Accommodation: Manzanita Hut (semi-open)

We start the day with coffee overlooking the Salish Sea before setting out for Rievely’s Pond Hut. The trail winds through some of the densest forest of the whole trip—old-growth fir and cedar mixed with stands of ponderosa pine—venturing deep into fern groves and over log bridges. Rain won’t matter much here; this rainforest’s canopy offers plenty of cover. Rievely’s Pond Hut, like Manzanita, is semi-open: an enclosed upper level, reached by a short flight of stairs, is where we sleep in a row on mattresses and sleeping bags, while the lower section stays open to the elements. Our porter will already be waiting with a snack, and by dusk we’ll hear exactly why this hut is nicknamed the Frog Chorus hut.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Hiking: 15 km (9.3 mi)
Elevation gain: 640 m (2,100 ft)
Accommodation: Rievely’s Pond Hut (semi-open; nicknamed the “Frog Chorus” hut)

Another beautiful day on the Sunshine Coast Trail has us zigzagging through head-high ferns with views over Desolation Sound. We finish the hike on the shores of Powell Lake, a dammed fjord lake stretching 50 km (31 mi) by 24 km (15 mi). Right off the trail sits the Shinglemill Pub, a repurposed 1913 shingle mill, where we’ll grab a pint with dinner. Afterward, we drive into town to spend the night at a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Hiking: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Elevation gain: 375 m (1,230 ft)
Accommodation: Hotel in Powell River; not included in the tour price

After a shower and breakfast at a local café, we set out on an easy walk along Powell Lake, then Inland Lake. The final stretch climbs a dirt path that meets an old, mostly overgrown logging road—too narrow now for even an ATV, let alone a logging truck. It’s steep, though not technical, and our arrival snack at Confederation Lake Hut is well earned. This is our first fully enclosed hut, but the lakeside benches out front are worth more of our time than the walls, so that’s where we’ll settle in while your guide and porter prepare another gourmet backcountry meal. There’s also an option to shorten the day to 6 km (3.7 mi).

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Hiking: 18 km (11.2 mi), with the option to shorten to 8 km (5 mi)
Elevation gain: 980 m (3,215 ft), or 640 m (2,100 ft) on the shorter option
Accommodation: Confederation Lake Hut (fully enclosed)

Today brings our first truly tough day. From the hut we traverse to Vomit Vista, likely named for someone who climbed straight up from sea level without stopping at the lake, for a short break with glimpses of Powell Lake through the trees. A long, well switch-backed descent toward Fiddlehead Landing follows; it’s gentler than yesterday’s climb but still has a few steep sections. At a literal crossroads, we skip the turn down to Fiddlehead Hut and keep climbing instead, mostly under forest canopy that shelters us whether it’s raining or hot and sunny. The reward at the top is Tinhat Hut and its 360-degree views, worth every step of the climb.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Hiking: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Elevation gain: 1,150 m (3,773 ft)
Accommodation: Tinhat Hut (360-degree views)

If you’re going to get up for sunrise anywhere on this trip, this is the spot: views of Nanaimo, Mount Washington, and Desolation Sound from 1,185 m (3,888 ft), hard to beat this low in elevation. We hike a subalpine ridge toward Lewis Lake through bush, scrub, and subalpine trees that keep the surrounding water in view; the trail runs a little rough underfoot, so it’s worth watching your step even as the views pull your gaze away. We stop for lunch at Lewis Lake, with time for a midday swim if it’s hot, then continue on to Elk Lake Hut, where there’s another chance to cool off if you missed the first one.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Hiking: 18 km (11.2 mi)
Elevation gain: 665 m (2,182 ft)
Accommodation: Elk Lake Hut

Our last day on the trail is a shorter one, undulating quite a bit before reaching Walt Hill, the perfect spot for lunch and to soak up some of the last sun of the summer. From there, we continue downhill until we meet our transport vehicle, or, for those who want to finish the full trail, all the way down to Powell Lake to wrap up the trip.

Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 17 km (10.6 mi)
Elevation gain: 670 m (2,198 ft)