Soak in the Sunshine Coast Along BC’s Salish Sea Route – Saltery Bay to Lund

Indigenous cultures, artistic communities, sea-inspired activities, spectacular coastlines and old growth forests make up British Columbia’s Salish Sea Coastal Route. This blog covers the Sunshine Coast part of the drive, from Saltery Bay north to Lund. Click here for the Sunshine Coast blog from Langdale to Egmont which also includes ‘Getting There’ from the BC Mainland.

Saltery Bay

After a 50-minute ferry ride across Jervis Inlet from Earl’s Cove you arrive at Saltery Bay on the Malaspina Peninsula. It was named in the early 1900s when it was the base for a salmon saltery and fish packing plant. Nearby are Mermaid’s Cove and Saltery Bay Provincial Picnic Park, a popular stop for, yes, a picnic. Mountain bikers can explore the 48-km Elephant Bay Loop. Between Saltery Bay and Powell River lies Lang Creek Estuary, a superb location for salmon fishing and beach casting when the fish run in autumn. There are several hiking trails and forest recreation sites along the way too. Palm Beach Regional Park off Hwy 101 before Brew Bay is open year-round and bids adieu to summer with the Sunshine Music Festival on Labour Day Weekend.

Powell River/Texada Island

Powell River is the ancestral home of the Sliammon First Nation. The city of Powell River lies along the shores of the Georgia Strait at the heart of the Malaspina Peninsula and faces west to Vancouver Island. Inlets and Powell Lake separate this area from the rest of the BC mainland, making it a magical place to visit.

It’s an area steeped in Indigenous culture, logging and BC heritage (check out the educational forestry museum). Late winter sees the Powell River Film Festival in the classic Patricia Theatre, Canada’s oldest continuously running cinema. The townsite has over 400 buildings dating to the original 1910 town plan and, in 1995, was designated as a National Historic District of Canada. Stroll around for yourself or book a heritage walking tour or take in an Indigenous experience, such as the Tla’amin Nation Cultural Tours where you can meet skilled craftspeople and learn about traditional practices. Music gatherings include the Townsite Jazz Festival in April and the PRISMA Festival & Academy Festival in mid-June, which unites renowned guest artists with top international music students for two weeks; spectators are invited to watch the symphonies and orchestras that take shape here. Mid-July means outdoor entertainment with a unique logger sports event.

Local produce can be purchased at the Townsite Public Market and Coast Berry Company, a blueberry, strawberry and honey farm and café, and the Powell River Blackberry Festival and street party is in August. For an educational outing visit the Tla’amin Salmon Hatchery.

From kayak and canoe rentals and dive trips to day tours and eco resort indulgences, there are numerous tour opportunities and 32 lakes in the Powell River area. Golfers and cyclists should head southeast to Myrtle Point Golf Club and explore the roads through Paradise Valley agricultural area.

Beachgoers can check out Willingdon Beach Municipal Campsite on the northern edge of town (open year-round), Mowat Bay Park at the bottom end of Powell Lake, or, northeast of town, Haywire Bay Regional Park, operated by the Regional District. Travellers to Vancouver Island can take a ferry from Powell River to Courtenay.

Southwest across the water from Powell River is Texada Island, the largest of the Gulf Islands, with Courtenay, Vancouver Island beyond that. Each July the sandy beaches of Gillies Bay on Texada are home to the community event of Sandcastle Weekend. Other entertaining gatherings are the Texada Island Fly-In (air and car/bike show), the Texada Island Blues & Roots Festival, the Sunshine Music Festival and the Run the Rock 8 km and half-marathon/marathon. Said to be the toughest marathon in Canada it attracts runners from around the world. For a calmer outing visit Texada’s beaches to experience their vast intertidal zones or chill out and watch some skimboarding.

For more on Powell River read the blog Powell River, Insulated By Nature.

Lund

At the most northern end of Highway 101 is Lund, a quaint village known for craft harbour, fishing (Lund Seafood Festival in May), sea touring and being the gateway to Desolation Sound, the deep-water area at the northern end of the Salish Sea. Lund sits on Tla’amin land in the qathet Regional District and is home to the Coast Salish people. Its first European settler was Swede Charlie Thulin who, in 1889, named the harbour after a city in his home country.

Visit art studios such as Tug-Gumh Gallery or indulge yourself at Nancy’s Bakery or the Lund Resort at Klah Ah Men, an award-winner in Indigenous tourism.

East of Lund is Okeover Arm Provincial Park and Okeover Inlet, a superb spot for harvesting oysters and clams (tidal water licence required). Diver’s Rock Regional Park and Copeland Islands Marine Provincial Park are just north of Lund. The latter is made up of a small chain of island, islets and rocks in Thulin Passage and is a prime area for wildlife viewing and wilderness camping; there are also some anchorages for small vessels. For an unforgettable experience book a water taxi or snorkel/dive trip to Savary Island, southeast of Lund—it has some of the warmest waters north of the Baja and sandy shores to relax on. Lund Water Taxi offers services to Savary and Cortes Islands, Sarah Point (start of Sunshine Coast Trail) and Desolation Sound. They also have bicycle and kayak transfer services.

Water enthusiasts and hikers are keen on Inland Lake Provincial Park and the Sunshine Coast Trail from Powell River to Sarah Point, approximately 47 km north of Lund. There is 13 km of wheelchair accessible trail around Inland Lake.

The Sunshine Coast region is home to the traditional and ancestral territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, shíshálh, Tla’amin, Klahoose and Homalco Nations. Visitors are encouraged to learn about how they can engage in cultural exploration.

Read our suggested drive along the Salish Sea Coastal Route or learn about winter activities on the Sunshine Coast.

Check out the first part of this tour up the Sunshine Coast by reading the blog Soak in the Sunshine Coast Along BC’s Salish Sea Route – Langdale to Egmont

For places to camp in British Columbia go to the Camping Map.

Share your BC travel and camping photos using hashtags #campinbc #explorebc.