Hiking

1. Centennial Loop Trail

• Difficulty: moderate
• 2 km

Youth, Seniors, Hikers, Walkers, Wheelchair users, Families with strollers, etc. People who already know the park and those who may never have been to the park before can sample it in a friendly and safe atmosphere. It has both boardwalk and hardpacked gravel sections with no steps. Power chairs as well as standard wheelchairs are all capable of touring around the Centennial Loop.

2. Paradise Meadows Loop Trail

• Difficulty: moderate
• Length: 3.4 km
• Elevation Gain: 58 m
• Route Type: loop
• Time: 48 minutes

Get to know this 3.4 km loop trail near Comox Valley C, British Columbia. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 48 min to complete. This is a very popular area for cross-country skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. This route adds an extension along Crooked Creek trail to the Centennial Loop Trail. It follows a disabled access boardwalk and gravel trail which makes it very approachable. There are some steps along the way but there are small metal ramps on each one. The parking lot has washroom facilities but there is no where to dispose of garbage.

3. Helen Mackenzie to Battleship Lake Loop Trail

• Difficulty: moderate
• Length: 8.5 km
• Elevation Gain: 285 m
• Route Type: loop
• Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 30 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, snowshoeing, and running, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are March through October. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.
Half of the trail follows boardwalks and the other half is on regular trails. This beautiful and somewhat rugged trail passes through forest, over swamps, around ponds, and past two beautiful lakes. It can get a bit muddy in the fall and spring, although there are boardwalks over the worst of it. During the winter, it is possible to snowshoe this route and even walk out onto the lakes when safe.

4. Helen Mackenzie to Kwai Laik to Croteau Lake Loop Trail

• Difficulty: hard
• Length: 15.6 km
• Elevation Gain: 575 m
• Route Type: loop
• Time: 4 hours 46 minutes

Check out this 15.6-km loop trail near Comox Valley C, British Columbia. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 46 min to complete. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are March through October. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.

This loop is a wonderful backcountry experience and can even work as a nice camping trip. The trails and points of interest offer hikers a beautiful area filled with many opportunities to extend the hike to explore more of the forbidden plateau. This hike starts from Raven Lodge parking lot, where it turns left on the Paradise Meadows trailhead, past battleship lake to a beautiful lookout with yellow chairs – both a great picnic spot and camping spot. It then continues on past Lady Lake and onto Kwai lake, which is the most pristine of all the lakes it passes. This trail then continues past Mariwood Lake onto Lake Beautiful where summer hikers recommend going for a remote swim out to the little islands.

5. Mount Beacher Trail

• Difficulty: hard
• Length: 10.9 km
• Elevation Gain: 693 m
• Route Type: out and back
• Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Check out this 10.9-km out-and-back trail near Bevan, British Columbia. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 20 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, snowshoeing, and running, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. The trail is easy to navigate for the most part and is well maintained. There are a couple of ropes available for assistance in steeper sections. The first and last 1.5 kilometres to the summit are the most challenging and steep, and higher up there is no shade from trees. After the initial 1.5 kilometres, the trail flattens out for a while before the final push to the summit. From the top there are lovely views into Strathcona Park.

6. Battleship Lake

• Difficulty: moderate
• Length: 7.6 km
• Elevation Gain: 196 m
• Route Type: out and back
• Time: 2 hours 1 minute

Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 1 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, paddle sports, and snowshoeing, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. This route goes past Battleship Lake to the day use area at Lake Helen Mackenzie. It can also be done as a loop past both lakes and back through the meadows. The path along Battleship Lake is very nice, with sections of boardwalk and several spots to rest. The lake is great for swimming in the summer, and bathrooms can also be found near the lake.

7. Mount Albert Edward

• Difficulty: hard, long
• Length: 31.7 km
• Elevation Gain: 1649 m
• Route Type: out and back
• Time: 11 hours 21 minutes

Generally considered a challenging route, this is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are July through October. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.

It’s important to remember that you will be venturing deep into the backcountry and up into the exposed alpine. This trail sees a high number of easily avoidable injuries and search and rescue incidents each year.

This is one of the only trails directly to the summit of a major peak on Vancouver Island. From the trailhead to Circlet Lake the trail is well maintained and very easy to use. While weather conditions at the higher elevations vary almost all year, it is important to know what to expect before arriving, so hikers recommend Mount Washington’s Nordic cameras to gauge the snow levels at weather before hiking here.

While this can be a great challenging single day hike, most hikers spend a few days here and divide their adventure into three days. To have the best experience, day one should be spent as a nice and easy hike into Circlet Lake where the campsites and facilities are the best – a great introduction to this alpine adventure. The second day should be planned to hike from the campsite to summit Albert Edward, which is a good uphill climb, that will definitely be nice to tackle slowly over one day. This is a great part of the multi-day hike, since the views were gorgeous up above the clouds or on a clear day. After you breach the climb, there is not much for shade, but the upper tundra is not very challenging until the final climb. Views are all around, sweeping views of the area, and even the ocean. Then, for the final day, you should plan on spending the quick time on another easy hike out around the other way, very scenic with the meadows and various lakes.

Of course, weather can sometimes be unpredictable here, so if you pass the Forbidden Plateau Ranger’s Cabin and the weather changes, hikers recommend trying to spend a night at Kwai Lake instead and then summit later when the weather is better. On summer weekends, expect all the pads to be occupied, so do your best to find a grassy area to lay out tents. Some people even bring their fishing gear, since you can fish trout’s in the lakes.

8. Century Sam Lake

• Difficulty: hard
• Length: 6.6 km (or 15 km depending on starting point)
• Elevation Gain: 484 m
• Route Type: out and back

This is a popular trail for hiking and running, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The best times to visit this trail are June through September.

Seasonal Road Closure: Roads leading to this trailhead are subject to seasonal closure. For more information, please check with the landowners to determine accessibility, due to summer weekday logging.

The trail is only open on weekends. Folks should pay attention to the time and allot ample time for getting back to the gate before dusk, since it is very common for landowners to shut the access gate at dusk to manage safety in and out of the area, especially during logging season.

It is recommended to only drive to the trailhead if you are in a four-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance. If this is not the case, you can park earlier along the road at the first waypoint. If you hike from the first waypoint this trip will be closer to 15 km round trip, so plan for the extra time and distance.

There are a couple river crossings, so wearing waterproof shoes is recommended. The trail has some steep sections mixed with flat spots. Once at the higher elevations, the view at the lake and glacier are amazing.

9. Cruickshank Canyon

• Difficulty: hard, long
• Length: 20.8 km
• Elevation Gain: 717 m
• Route Type: out and back
• Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 6 h 10 min to complete. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are March through October. This is an incredible overnight backpacking trip to that works both for experienced multi-day hikers, and also is perfect for an introduction for new backpackers. It first goes to Helen Mackenzie then on to Kwai Lake to the camping spot. It then goes on to Cruikshank Canyon and Beautiful lake. Folks recommend spending one night at Kwai Lake, then returning back to the Raven Lodge parking lot via Croteau Lake, and Battleship Lake. The elevation is moderately gradual and the distance divided between two days is approachable.

10. Bedwell Lake Trail

• Difficulty: hard
• Length: 10 km
• Elevation Gain: 603 m
• Route Type: out and back
• Time: 3 hours 52 minutes

Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 52 min to complete.

This is a popular trail for backpacking, camping, and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The best times to visit this trail are May through September.

This is a fantastic trail that leads to a subalpine plateau with several lakes. The last two kilometres of the road up to the parking area are steep and rough, so if possible it is ideal to bring a high-clearance vehicle. The trail to Bedwell Lake is very well maintained and has some steep parts that are made easier with switchbacks, stairs, and ladders.

There are backcountry campgrounds at both Baby Bedwell and Bedwell Lake. The option is there to continue on to Little Jim Lake or even Cream Lake.