1. Get a trail guide for Sections 1 - 3, plus a map from the Powell River Visitors Bureau at: 1-604-485-4701. Consider buying the indispensable guide book The Sunshine Coast Trail which gives you a meticulous step by step description of the trail and how to get there and back.
2. Check campsite placement to plan for your hiking fitness (plan for the least fit person in your group). The trail has numerous elevation gains and losses. If too many are attempted in one day, the average hiker will be exhausted. Plan on hiking between 10 to 15 km per day.
3. Arrange transportation beforehand to and from the various trail access points: i.e.,
    A. Private car or taxi
    B. Water taxi if beginning at Sarah Point (0 Km)
4. You may chose to do the very popular section hiking, where you will be taken to a section of your choice in the morning and picked up in the afternoon at the other end to be brought to your accommodation of choice. Repeat for as many days as you like. There are some twenty access points along the whole 180 km long trail. Arrange accommodation beforehand if you plan to stay at Cedar Lodge (21 Km), The Old Courthouse Inn & Hostel - (604) 483-4000, Haywire Bay campsite (58 Km), Herondell (136 K) or Kent's Beach (180 km).

IMPORTANT!

• Be prepared for rain (August to early October is driest period)

• Bring water filter for safety and consider a cellular phone

• Consider bear spray & although black bears are rarely seen, it is wise to err on the side of caution.

Hiking and Recreation Services

The following are some phone numbers of contacts for your convenience in booking your Sunshine Coast Trail adventure. Should you wish your phone number and or your hyperlink to be listed here, please contact us at: walz@shaw.ca . The cost per hyperlink is still an incredibly low $24.00 per year.

Recreation Information

• Powell River Visitors Bureau - (604) 485-4701

• Powell River Sea Kayaks - (604) 485-2144

• 'Rockwood Adventure Tours' at Adventure B&B - (604) 485-7097

• Wolfson Creek Ventures - (604) 487-1699

• BC Ferries @ Saltery Bay - (604) 487-9333

• Lund Water Taxi (boat to Sarah Point) - (604) 483-9749

• Malaspina Coachlines - (604) 485-3894

• Pacific Coastal Airlines - (604) 483-2107 (Powell River)

• Powell River Taxi - (604) 483-3666

• Savary Water Taxi - (604) 483-9906

• Suncoast Air - (604) 485-2915

Accommodations

• @ 20 Km Cedar Lodge B&B (couples) mostly - (604) 483-4414

• @ 20 Km Desolation Resort - (604) 483-3592

• @ 81 Km Fiddlehead Farm - (604) 483-3018

• @ 58 Km Haywire Bay Campsite - (604) 483-1097

• @ 135 Km Herondell B&B - (604) 487-9528

• @ 64 Km Inland Lake Campsite c/o BC Forest Service -(604) 485-0700

• @ 180 Km Saltery Bay Hotel - (604) 487-0689

• Serenity Gardens - (604) 483-4665

Other Accommodations in Powell River

• Adventure B&B at Rockwood Retreat - (604) 485-7097 

• Blue Heron Oceanfront Suite - (604) 483-7907

• Brock's Bayview Retreat - (604) 487-9175

• Coast Hotel - (604) 485-3000

• The Old Courthouse Inn & Hostel - (604) 483-4000

• Beach Gardens - (604) 485-6267 Toll Free - 1-800-663-7070

Next are examples of field tested hikes. Be sure to plan according to your capabilities. These are hikes for people of average fitness and no special skills are required.

2 Day Hike (two separate choices)

1. Section 1 (21 Km)
Day 1 - Sarah Point to Wednesday Lake
Day 2 - Wednesday Lake to Malaspina Road
2. Section 3 (31 Km)
Day 1 - Powell Lake to Anthony Island (Inland Lake)
Day 2 - Anthony Island to Fiddlehead Farm

3 Day Hikes (three separate choices)

1. Section 3 (31 Km)
Day 1 - Powell Lake to Anthony Island (Inland Lake)
Day 2 - Anthony Island to Confederation Lake
Day 3 - Confederation Lake to Fiddlehead Farm
2. Section 1 (38 Km)
Day 1 - Sarah Point to Wednesday Lake
Day 2 - Wednesday Lake to Plummer Creek
Day 3 - Plummer Creek to Wilde Road
3. Section 5 (43 Km) - CAUTION: USE WITH TRAIL GUIDE BOOK ONLY
Day 1 - Lois Lake Dam to Elephant Lake
Day 2 - Elephant Lake to Rainy Day Lake
Day 3 - Rainy Day Lake to Saltery Bay

4 Day Hike

1. Section 1 and Section 2 (50 Km)
Day 1 - Sarah Point to Wednesday Lake
Day 2 - Wednesday Lake to Plummer Creek
Day 3 - Plummer Creek to Kokanee Creek
Day 4 - Kokanee Creek to Powell Lake